Wet for a day or two. You are at the edge of the window.
The EPA and CDC both say to dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold. You are inside that window now and will not be tomorrow.
What is probably happening
- Whatever got wet is still drying too slowly on its own, or not at all inside walls and under floors.
- The EPA's guidance is that if wet materials are dried 24 to 48 hours after a leak, in most cases mold will not grow. It also says growth will not always occur after 48 hours; the rule is a guideline, not a switch.
- The decision today is between doing a serious dry-out yourself right now, or getting a company with extraction and drying equipment in today.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Get every wet item out of the room and outside or into a garage with air moving.
- Pull baseboards on wet walls and lift carpet at the wet edge.
- Fans on the floor and walls, dehumidifier in the room, doors open.
- Bag and discard wet cardboard, papers and anything with pad or foam that cannot be wrung out.
- Photograph everything before it moves.
- Call a restoration company today, not Monday. Say how long it has been wet.
Do not
- Do not close the room up and turn on the heat.
- Do not spray bleach on damp drywall. It does not reach mold inside porous material, and the CDC says never mix bleach with other cleaners.
- Do not wait for the adjuster before you start drying. The Texas Department of Insurance says the insurer may deny the claim if you do not protect the property.
Who to call
A water damage restoration company
This is a drying job with a deadline. Mold remediation is not needed yet, and a plumber has nothing to fix.
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What it should cost
$1,383 to $6,369
Water damage restoration, typical range, national average $3,868.
Source: Angi, water damage restoration cost, updated September 2026. View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the water damage page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- Can you get equipment here today?
- Which S500 category and class are you assigning, and why?
- Will you leave a daily moisture log and readings tied to the scope?
- What is your threshold for opening a wall versus drying it closed?
End the call if
- A company that says it can wait until next week.
- An Assignment of Benefits pushed at you before the scope is written.
- A large deposit up front.