Water damages a home in minutes. Repairs may take a week or several months. Everyone needs a solid timeline: owners, tenants, and insurers. It lets them find lodging, move valuables, and manage costs. Get the timing wrong and you risk booking a hotel for too little time or staying in air that isn’t safe.

This guide describes every stage of water damage restoration, supplies realistic timeframes, shows what speeds the work, and ends with actions you can start today. Use it to set honest expectations and to know when to contact a certified restoration professional.

Stages of Water Damage Restoration and Timelines

Stage 1 – Assessment & Water Removal (a few hours – 3 days)

First, a technician checks how far the water reached, which rooms and materials are wet, and whether it is clean or dirty water. They verify the spread with moisture meters, thermal cameras, and hygrometers.

Pumping times differ. A small pipe leak can be handled in about two hours, while a flooded basement may need pumps running day and night for as long as three days. Fast **water damage restoration** matters because wood floors cup and drywall softens within the first 24 hours.

Stage 2 – Drying & Dehumidification (3 – 7 days)

After the water is gone, the crew puts in fans and dehumidifiers. They may lift carpet edges, pull off toe kicks, or drill small holes behind baseboards to push warm air inside walls. Wood must dry below 15% moisture. Drywall must drop below 12%.

Most homes reach these numbers in three to five days. Thick plaster walls or hardwood floors may need a whole week to dry. The crew comes back each day, adjusts the gear, and records readings until the targets are met.

Stage 3 – Cleaning & Sanitizing (1 – 2 days)

Once materials are dry inside and out, crews clean every exposed surface. They pick up trash, vacuum using HEPA filters, and spray with EPA-approved disinfectant. Items that have absorbed gray or black water, like the carpet pad or particle board are removed.

Specialty teams can treat rugs, documents, and electronics off-site while builders start repairs. Cleaning often overlaps with late-stage drying, so it seldom adds much extra time. The goal is to reduce bacteria counts and remove any remaining odor sources.

Stage 4 – Repairs & Restoration (1 – 12 weeks)

Now the rebuild starts. Crews replace drywall, insulation, trim, and flooring. In some cases, structural fixes such as roof leak repair may also be needed before finishing. A minor loss where only carpet and baseboard need swapping can wrap up in about 30 days.

Large jobs across several rooms, or ones requiring custom cabinets or stone, run six to twelve weeks. Refinishing solid hardwood adds extra sanding and cure time. The slow part is usually product lead time or building permits, not the hammer work itself.

Stage 5 – Mold Remediation (0 – 14 days extra)

If drying started late, mold may bloom on studs and sheet-rock. A certified mold firm seals the area with plastic, sets negative-pressure machines, and removes colonies under containment. Treating a closet can finish in a day, but cleaning an entire crawl-space or attic adds up to two weeks. Every project must pass clearance tests before new drywall goes up, or colonies can return.

Stage 6 – Full Reconstruction (1 – 4 months)

When water ruins framing, roofing, or plumbing, full rebuild is needed. Contractors might replace joists, rerun electrical lines, or redo the entire interior finish. Local code upgrades, such as GFCI outlets or higher flood barriers, can extend the schedule.