First Steps After Your Home Floods: A Checklist

Once the water has gone down, the first thing to do is not to start cleaning. It is to make sure the building is safe to be in, and to record what has happened before anything is moved. If you left your home, do not return until you are told it is safe to do so by the police or emergency services¹. If you are already back, only start cleaning when you are certain it is safe to return to your home after a flood².

Then, before you touch a mop, take photographs of any damage and the flood water line, and mark on the wall the height the flood water reached in each room³. Contact your insurer as soon as possible, and your landlord if you rent, before any repairs start⁵. Cleaning and drying come after that, and drying out your home can take several weeks or even months⁷.

This checklist sets out the order to do things in, what to have ready, and the safety checks that must happen before the electricity, gas or water go back on.

The first steps after a flood, in order

Work through these in sequence. Each one protects the next: safety first, then the record, then the people who pay for and carry out the work, then the clean.

1. Stay out until told it is safe. If you were evacuated, do not return until the police or emergency services tell you it is safe, and take care because there may be hidden dangers such as sharp objects, raised manhole covers and pollutive substances¹.
2. Check the building is sound. Do not enter a property that has been flooded unless you are sure it is structurally safe; if in doubt it should be professionally checked¹⁰.
3. Record the damage. Take photos of any damage and the flood water line before you start clearing up³.
4. Tell your insurer and, if you rent, your landlord. Contact your insurance company to start your claim and they will tell you what to do next³.
5. Get the utilities checked. Contact your utility suppliers, who may need to check your gas, electricity and water supply for safety¹¹.
6. Clean and dry. Start clean-up efforts within your home when you feel ready, and do not overdo it during the clean-up and recovery process¹².

The National Flood Forum also provides a step by step guide on what to do after a flood if you want a second walkthrough⁸. If your area has a flood warden, get in contact with them to liaise around any issues and concerns¹³.

Go back in only when you are told it is safe

The single most important rule is that you do not decide for yourself when the house is fit to enter. Do not return to your home until you are told it is safe to do so¹⁴. If you have had to leave, check with the emergency services that it is safe before you return¹⁵. During the flood itself, do what the emergency services tell you, evacuate if they tell you to, and be ready to act quickly¹.

Safety does not end at the front door. Make sure the property is safe before you enter, and take care with the electricity and gas supplies¹⁷. Hidden dangers in a flooded home include sharp objects, raised manhole covers and pollutive substances¹. Floodwater can also carry contamination, so it is essential that you take precautions to protect yourself, such as washing your hands if you come into direct contact with flood water or items that have been in floodwater¹⁸.

If you rent, the question of whether you can stay is not yours alone. If you are in rented or social housing, contact your housing provider as a priority to ensure you have somewhere to stay¹³. If you own your home and need to move out due to flooding, you must arrange temporary accommodation yourself, such as a hotel or staying with friends or family¹¹.

Photograph the damage before you clean anything

Insurers need evidence, and cleaning destroys it. Take photos of any damage and the flood water line before you start clearing up³. Go further than a few phone snaps: mark on the wall the height the flood water reached in each room, photograph or video the flood water and damage, and make a list of damage to property and belongings⁴.

This record does two jobs. It supports your claim, and it gives a loss adjuster what they need to authorise disposal and repair. That is why the order matters: record first, then clean.

• Photograph each room, the water line and any damaged belongings³.
• Mark the wall at the height the water reached in every room⁴.
• List the damage to property and belongings⁴.
• Keep receipts and records as you go, so the claim file is complete.

Call your insurer and landlord before repairs start

Contact your insurer as soon as possible²⁰. They will tell you what to do next, so make that call before you commit to any work³. Try not to move damaged items, as your insurer may need to inspect them, and if possible take photos or video of damaged property to give to your insurer²⁰. Do not throw damaged items away until your insurers have inspected them²¹.

Be careful about who you let through the door. Speak to your insurance company before engaging any companies offering to repair flood damage⁶. Most of the repair work after flooding will need to be undertaken by professionals appointed by your insurers, so take advice from specialists before starting repairs to your property¹⁵.

If you rent, the building is not your responsibility to insure. Contact your landlord to report the flooding, because it is their responsibility to insure the building, and you may have a separate contents insurance policy¹⁶. Tell your landlord as soon as possible if your home has flooded and needs repairs; they must complete repairs within a reasonable time¹¹. If you are in social housing or renting privately, let your landlord know what has happened so they can take any remedial action needed to keep you safe⁸.

Cleaning up: silt out, rinse floors, dry the house fully

Cleaning is physical work in a contaminated space, so dress for it. Wear waterproof clothing, gloves, wellington boots and a face mask⁹. If cleaning causes water to splash from scrubbing, hosing or pressure washing, a standard face mask helps and goggles offer added protection and can be reused after thorough washing⁷. Change your clothes when you finish and always wash your hands after cleaning up and before eating¹⁹.

Then work in this order:

1. Remove standing water and silt. All standing water must be removed before you can properly move into your home, particularly from the under floor area; use a pump or buckets followed by a wet/dry vacuum, then shovel out mud⁷. Remove dirty water and silt from the property, including the space under the ground floor; if you have wooden floors this space may need pumping out¹⁹.
2. Clean hard surfaces. Use hot water and detergent on all hard surfaces across your home that may have come into contact with floodwater, including walls and flooring²². Clean with a brush, hot water and household cleaning fluid, then disinfect all surfaces that were contaminated by floodwater².
3. Replace what cannot be saved. Replace flooring deeply penetrated by floodwater or sewage²³. Throw away items damaged by flood water only after your property and items have been checked by a loss adjuster, and throw them away in an appropriate manner¹⁴.
4. Dry the house fully. Ventilate the house until completely dry²³.

Drying is the long part. It is normal for the drying out process to take weeks or months⁸, and it can take months to clean and repair your home so you can live in it again⁹. Speed it up by keeping the building well ventilated, opening as many windows and doors as possible and using a fan². If you use dehumidifiers, close external doors and windows while they run; if gas or oil central heating has been checked by an engineer, turn it on and keep the thermostat between 20-22 degrees centigrade for steady drying¹. Heating, dehumidifiers and good ventilation all help²⁴.

Switching the electricity back on

Do not turn your electricity on until a competent tradesperson or your utility supplier has checked it⁸. Wait for an electrician's approval before turning power back on, and do not use electrical equipment exposed to flood water until it has been checked by a qualified electrician; properly switch off all electrical appliances before restoring supply⁹. A registered electrician should assess affected wiring, equipment and appliances⁵.

If the supply is still live and the house has flooded, do not handle it yourself. If your electricity supply is not already switched off at the mains, get a qualified person to do this¹. If flood water has entered your property, switch off the electricity at the mains only if it is safe to do so¹⁷. Never attempt to turn off electricity while standing in water²⁵.

For supply issues, the electricity emergency number is 105²⁰. There is more detail on the safety checks in Is It Safe to Turn the Electricity Back On? and on individual appliances in Using Electrical Appliances After Water Damage.

Gas, boilers and water: the safety checks

Contact your utility suppliers, who may need to check your gas, electricity and water supply for safety¹¹. Have your electricity and gas checked by your supplier or qualified technician before switching them on²¹. Get your utilities company or a qualified engineer to check they are safe before turning them back on³.

For gas specifically, the rules are firm. Have your gas or oil central heating checked by a qualified person before switching on the gas or trying to light any appliance²². Turn off the gas supply to appliances that have been flooded or where vents and flues may have been affected, and contact your utility company if in any doubt⁷. Be wary of damage to gas appliances long after flooding, including central heating systems, radiators and hot water systems¹⁷.

If you rent, repairs to the structure and to making sure water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating are working sit with your landlord¹¹. Report faults to them in writing and keep a copy.

What to wear, and how to protect your health

Floodwater is not clean water. Wear rubber boots, protective overalls or a waterproof apron, and waterproof gloves to avoid exposure to floodwater²⁶. Wear gloves and a disposable plastic apron when using cleaning products and follow the manufacturer's instructions correctly⁵. Keep cuts and sores covered using waterproof plasters or gloves, and disinfect toys that came into contact with floodwater²².

Wash your hands regularly with soap and clean water, and wash them after cleaning up and before eating²². If you use a specialist cleaner for an item, tell them it has been exposed to floodwater and possible harmful contaminants such as sewage²⁴.

The mental side matters too. Start clean-up efforts within your home when you feel ready, and do not overdo it during the clean-up and recovery process¹². Recovery is a long job and pacing yourself is part of doing it properly. For more on the health risks, see Floodwater and Your Health, and for support with how you are feeling, Mental Health After a Flood: Where to Get Support.

Mould, drying and getting the house back to normal

As your home continues to dry out, the mould should disappear; if it persists, contact a specialist cleaner²⁷. Small areas of mould can be removed with proprietary mould removal solutions, but if mould persists or is extensive, contact a specialist cleaner experienced in fungal remediation²⁴.

Drying and clearing up is the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord, though firefighters will pump out water and do some salvage work where possible⁸. Plan for the long haul: it can take months to clean and repair your home so you can live in it again⁹. Keep ventilation going, use heating and dehumidifiers as advised, and do not rush to redecorate before the structure is dry.

Where to get help and further reading

Your council and local recovery services can point you to practical support. Carmarthenshire County Council publishes a Flood Recovery Booklet with advice on the initial steps to take if your property floods and things to consider during the recovery process, plus a Flood Recovery Toolkit as a basic introduction to recovering from a flood²⁷. The National Flood Forum provides a step by step guide on what to do after a flood⁸.

For the wider picture, the After a Flood: Returning Home Safely guide covers the return in more depth, Cleaning Up Safely After Floodwater covers the clean, and Making an Insurance Claim After a Flood walks through the claim. If you are not insured, see Recovery Grants and Help If You Are Not Insured. For the next flood, Making a Household Flood Plan and Protecting Your Home: Resistance and Resilience Measures will help you prepare, and Drying Out a House with Dehumidifiers and How Soon Mould Grows and How to Stop It cover the drying stage in detail.