Water damage restoration across the Baltimore metro, Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel and Cecil County

Four areas: the Baltimore metro, the Prince George's County suburbs of Washington, the Howard and Anne Arundel corridor, and Cecil County in the state's north-east corner. That's 95 communities in all, and we don't serve anywhere beyond them. The areas page lists every community by region, so you can check yours before you call.

Independent local restoration contractors. We're a referral service: when you call, we connect you with an experienced crew that works in your area. They inspect, price and carry out the work, and give you pricing before they start. We don't do the work ourselves, and we'd rather be clear about that from the first call.

Move belongings away from the drip, put down towels or a bucket, and photograph the ceiling. Then try the unit above, and call your management office or association if nobody answers, since they usually hold keys and know the shutoffs. If water is near light fixtures, outlets or panels, do not enter and call your utility and emergency services.

Let your neighbor know what happened and when, and whether the water is off. Share the management office's contact details, and your photos if they want them. Questions about who handles what are for your association and each person's own insurer. A crew can work in both units and document each one separately.

Look at timing and location. Water that arrives with rain or snowmelt and enters where the floor meets the wall is usually seepage. Water that appears in dry weather near a fixture, appliance or supply line is usually a leak. Checking your water meter with everything turned off also helps: if it's still moving, water is going somewhere.

It depends on how much water there was, what it soaked into, how long it sat and how humid the weather is. Dense materials, hardwood and below-grade rooms tend to take longer than a carpeted room caught early. An honest crew won't promise a finish date on the first visit, but will take daily readings and show you the numbers heading toward dry.

It can. Moisture left in building materials can allow mold growth, commonly within a day or two under the right conditions, and that growth causes material damage and odor. Prompt drying, confirmed with readings, is the practical answer. Where growth is already visible, the crew can contain the area and remove affected materials. Anyone with health concerns should speak to a medical professional.

Coverage depends entirely on your individual policy and circumstances, so the right people to ask are your own insurer and, in a shared building, your association. Read your own policy, and if you live in a shared building, let the association know promptly. Photos and written records of the damage are generally useful, and the restoration contractor can provide documentation of the work performed.

Let us know, or have your tenant tell us, who can approve work and who can let a crew in, since they're often different people. Pricing is given before work begins, and you receive the same written documentation of the work performed as if you'd called yourself. Keeping each unit's shutoff location on file for tenants saves time later.