Published 10 Jul 2023
What is a Water Damage Restoration Checklist?
A water damage restoration checklist is a tool used to list the steps, procedures, and actions that should be followed and taken during the restoration process after water damage occurs on a specific property. It’s used by restoration professionals, construction workers, and even homeowners or property owners to help address issues and prevent further damage from happening.
In this article
- Why Use a Water Damage Restoration Checklist
- What to Include in the Checklist
- How to Use One For Your Restoration Tasks
- FAQs About Water Damage Restoration Checklists
- Effectively Restore Water-Damaged Properties with SafetyCulture
- Related Water Damage Restoration Checklists
Why Use a Water Damage Restoration Checklist
Since water intrusion in properties can sometimes be inevitable, the damage thereafter can be unpredictable and must be thoroughly investigated through a water damage inspection or water damage assessment. In some cases, major repairs, replacements, and other tasks must be done so that the property can regain its value or condition before water intrusion. This is where water damage restoration comes in.
In this process, using a water damage restoration checklist is important because it helps ensure that the restoration process is carried out systematically and thoroughly. Also, this can help minimize further damage and ensure the safety of those who’ll work with the restoration.
To help you get a grasp of the top benefits of using this checklist, here’s a list of what you can achieve:
- Comprehensive Restoration
- Time Efficiency
- Safety
- Industry and Regulatory Compliance
What to Include in the Checklist
A water damage restoration checklist should at least include the following components and sections to ensure a comprehensive restoration process:
- Title page where you can record the date and time, location, and other details about the site being assessed for water damage restoration
- Source or cause, signs, and extent of the water damage
- Option to include photos of the water damage
- In-depth checks and inspections on the contamination level, category, and class of the water damage
- Water removal using specialized equipment, such as pumps, vacuums, and dehumidifiers
- Drying of the affected area, including the use of air movers, dehumidifiers, and other equipment
- Cleaning the area to remove any debris, mold, or bacteria that may have developed as a result of the water damage
- Checking of correct and ample PPEs and cleaning materials
- Restoration of the property to its pre-damaged condition, including repairing or replacing damaged materials, such as drywall, flooring, or furniture
- Completion page where the inspector or who prepared the report can include a signature along with a summary of the required actions or next steps and follow-up inspections
How to Use One For Your Restoration Tasks
Using a water damage restoration checklist can help ensure that the restoration process is completed thoroughly and efficiently. Here are some tips on how to use a water damage restoration checklist:
- Assess the water damage by identifying the affected areas.
- Use the checklist as a guide to complete each step of the restoration process. Make sure that you check off each step as you complete it.
- If you encounter any issues or unexpected problems during the restoration process, note them on the checklist. This can help you identify any areas that may need additional attention, immediate action, or follow-ups.
- After the restoration process is complete, you may recommend doing a follow-up inspection and assigning corrective actions as necessary.
FAQs About Water Damage Restoration Checklists
Anyone responsible for restoring a specific area after being damaged by flood, malfunctioning systems, and other incidents should use a water damage restoration checklist. Typically, though, this checklist can be used by homeowners, property managers, and restoration professionals in construction projects, to name a few.
If the water damage is extensive or there are major safety concerns, it’s recommended to consult with professional restoration companies. They can provide guidance on the restoration process and ensure that it’s carried out safely and efficiently before using a water damage restoration checklist.
Yes, this checklist can be customized to fit the specific needs of the restoration project. Depending on the extent of the damage, the type of materials affected, and the kind of work needing to be done, certain steps may need to be added or removed from the checklist.
Effectively Restore Water-Damaged Properties with SafetyCulture
Why use SafetyCulture?
When dealing with water damage, comprehensive checks and tasks must be performed to ensure no back jobs are needed and the safety of the occupants and workers is prioritized. Hence, organizations must streamline their process of carrying out repairs, replacements, and any other activities to restore properties affected by floods and other water-related incidents for disaster restoration, business continuity, and recovery efforts.
Luckily, SafetyCulture is an operations platform that empowers professionals and organizations in streamlining their processes of restoring properties through logical workflows and powerful functionalities. With that, you can use SafetyCulture to do the following and more:
- Download and use water damage restoration checklists and templates from the Public Library to effectively manage tasks and the people responsible for them.
- Raise issues found during the restoration process and assign corrective actions for timely resolution.
- Upload photos, videos, and other relevant files to provide further documentation of conducted site inspections.
- Use the Analytics dashboard to identify common issues found during the restoration process and benchmark relevant insights and data for future projects.
- Generate reports of completed water damage restoration checklists in various formats, including PDF, Excel, Word, or weblink, and store them on SafetyCulture’s secure cloud.
- Set up monitoring sensors to get alerts in case there are still water leaks after restoration.
- Create and deploy training courses for personnel in charge of performing restoration activities to ensure quality and safety at work.
- Take charge of your restoration workers’ safety by providing them with the right and ample PPE. Ensure you don’t run out of PPE stocks by purchasing through the SafetyCulture Marketplace.
- Improve the safety of lone workers doing water damage restoration tasks using SHEQSY by SafetyCulture.
Related Water Damage Restoration Checklists
Water Damage and Mold Growth Condition Incident Report
Use this incident report template when assessing and documenting water damage and mold growth found during site inspections. Answer Yes-No-N/A questions to provide insights on inspection findings and recommend an action plan before completing the report.
Water Damage Prevention Checklist
Download this free checklist to reinforce proactive water damage prevention measures in your organization. Inspect roofs, plumbing systems, water collecting methods, and other precautionary measures in place to help avoid potential water damage risks.
