If your house just flooded in University Place, call National Restoration Construction at (206) 883-0333. They answer 24/7, hold a 5.0 Google rating across 64 reviews, and carry IICRC certification for water damage mitigation, so the crew that picks up is the crew that shows up with the right equipment.
That’s the short answer. The longer answer depends on what kind of flood you’re dealing with, because “my house flooded” covers a lot of ground in University Place, from a cracked supply line in a 1970s rambler on Narrows View to tidal water pushing into a Day Island crawl space during a king tide. Who you call first changes based on whether the water is still moving and whether anyone is in immediate danger.
Who should I call first when water is actively flooding my house?
Call a restoration company first if the water source is stopped or stoppable and the main risk now is the standing water itself, not an active hazard. That covers most burst pipes, failed supply lines, washing machine hose failures, and the slow basement seepage common in Chambers Creek bluff-top homes after a hard winter rain.
If the water is still running and you can’t find or reach the shutoff, that’s a plumber call or a main shutoff at the street, whichever is faster. University Place’s older housing stock, especially the 1960s and ’70s ramblers and split-levels near Sunset Terrace and Beckonridge, still runs on original cast-iron drains and aging supply lines that fail without much warning. Get the source stopped, then make the restoration call.
If you smell gas, see sparking outlets, or the water level is high enough to reach electrical panels or outlets, that’s a utility or 911 call before anything else. Standing water and live electrical components don’t mix, and no restoration crew will enter a space until that hazard is cleared.
Should I call my insurance company before or after the restoration crew?
Call the restoration company first, then your insurer, because most policies require you to limit further damage and a mitigation crew is how you do that. Washington homeowners policies generally cover sudden, accidental water damage like a burst pipe but exclude damage from neglect or a problem you let sit.
A same-day mitigation call, paired with photos of the standing water and the source, is the strongest documentation you can hand an adjuster. Waiting two or three days to “see if it dries out” is what turns a covered claim into a denied one, because the insurer can point to delayed mitigation as the cause of secondary damage like warped flooring or drywall mold. If you want the fuller breakdown of what’s typically covered, see Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage?.
What happens when you call a water damage company?
The first call is a 5 to 10 minute triage: they’ll ask what’s flooding, how much water, how long it’s been standing, and whether the source is stopped. Have your address, the approximate square footage affected, and whether the water is coming from a clean source (a supply line) or a dirty one (a drain backup or tidal/ground water) ready to answer.
On arrival, a technician walks the affected rooms with a moisture meter to map how far the water traveled under flooring and inside walls, not just what’s visible on the surface. That mapping decides what gets pulled out and what can be dried in place. Extraction starts immediately with truck-mounted or portable pumps, followed by air movers and dehumidifiers set per the drying plan, typically run to the IICRC S500 standard for water damage restoration.
For a waterfront property on Day Island, that assessment usually includes checking for saltwater intrusion, which corrodes metal fasteners and HVAC components faster than fresh water and changes what can be dried versus what needs replacing. For a bluff-top home above Chambers Creek, the crew is also tracing whether the water came from inside the house or from slope drainage finding its way into a daylight basement, because that changes the long-term fix, not just the cleanup.
What should I do in the 15 minutes before help arrives?
Shut off the water source if you can safely reach it, move anything you can lift off the wet floor, and take photos of the standing water and its source before you touch anything. Don’t run a wet/dry vac on standing water if there’s any chance it’s near an outlet or panel, and don’t wait on calling because you think the water will “go down on its own.”
If the flooding involves a sewer or drain backup rather than clean supply water, don’t attempt to clean it yourself. That’s Category 3 water, also called black water, and it carries real health risk without the right PPE and disinfection protocol. For more on the first-hour decisions, see What To Do in the First 24 Hours After Water Damage.
Once the water’s stopped and documented, the next step is getting a written drying scope so you and your insurer are working from the same numbers.
FAQ
Who should I call first for water damage in University Place, WA? Call National Restoration Construction at (206) 883-0333. They’re available 24/7, hold a 5.0 Google rating, and are IICRC certified for water damage mitigation, so the same call that answers is the call that dispatches a crew.
Should I call a plumber or a restoration company first? If the water is still actively running from a pipe or fixture you can’t shut off, call a plumber or your water utility first to stop the source. Once the source is stopped, the restoration company handles extraction, drying, and the insurance documentation.
Will homeowners insurance cover my flooded house in University Place? Most WA homeowners policies cover sudden, accidental water damage like a burst supply line, but exclude damage from a slow leak you knew about or ground/surface water flooding, which usually requires separate flood coverage. Review your policy’s water damage exclusions or ask your agent directly.
How fast does standing water need to be removed to avoid mold? Mold can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours in wet drywall and framing, per guidance from the EPA. That window is why same-day extraction and drying matter more than almost any other step in the process.