Questions
Short, plain answers to what New Yorkers ask most about leaks, water damage and mold. Each answer links to the page that goes further. Nothing here is legal or insurance advice, and nothing is a promise about any provider.
About this site
Is NYC Water Damage Repair a restoration company? No. NYC Water Damage Repair is an independent referral service, not a restoration company. When you send the form, your details go to an independent local restoration provider serving New York City, who can contact you, inspect and quote any work directly. You decide whether to hire them.
Does it cost anything to send the form? No. Sending the form is free and you never have to hire anyone. The provider quotes any work directly.
Which areas does the site cover? All five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Right now
What should I do immediately after water damage? Stop the source, or get the super to. Keep away from wet electrics: the CDC’s guidance is to switch off power only from a dry place and never to touch switches or appliances while standing in water. Keep out from under a sagging ceiling, photograph everything, and start the drying. See emergency water removal in NYC.
Water is coming through my ceiling. What do I do? Knock upstairs, tell the super, switch off power to anything wet, catch the water, and keep everyone out from under a bulge. See ceiling leak repair in NYC.
How do I report a water leak in NYC? Inside your building, tell the landlord, super or managing agent. HPD tells tenants that if the landlord does not fix a leak, they can file a complaint online or call 311. A leak on a street or sidewalk is reported to 311, and DEP acts on it.
Finding the leak
How can I find out where a leak is coming from? Check the fixtures above and beside the wet area, and the apartment upstairs. Then a moisture meter grid and, often, a thermal camera map the wet area; a plumber traces the pipe. See leak detection in NYC.
I have a water mark on my ceiling but no drip. What causes it? Often a leak that runs only sometimes, such as when someone showers upstairs, or one that stopped but left the cavity wet. A moisture reading tells you whether water is still there.
Who fixes the pipe? The trade standard, the IICRC S500, puts determining and correcting the cause on the property owner, not on the restoration company. A plumber or the building fixes the pipe; the restoration provider dries and repairs the damage.
Drying and repair
Is there a way to fix water damage? Yes, in order: stop the source, remove the water, map the moisture, remove what cannot be dried, dry until the readings are dry, then rebuild. See water damage restoration in NYC.
How fast does it need to be dried? EPA’s guidance is to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.
What is the difference between mitigation and restoration? Mitigation stops the damage spreading; restoration puts the room back. See water mitigation.
Is all water damage the same? No. The S500 sorts water into three categories by contamination. Category 3 is grossly contaminated water, including sewage and wasteline backflows. The restorer decides the category on inspection, and for Category 2 or 3 the S500 calls for remediation before drying.
What does a water damage repair cost? This site gives no prices. A quote depends on how much got wet, the materials, the category of water, what has to be removed and how long drying takes. Ask the provider to put the scope and price in writing.
Mold
Can I clean mold myself? EPA says a moldy area smaller than about 10 square feet can in most cases be handled yourself. The Health Department’s steps: keep children and pets away, use soap and water on hard surfaces, wear waterproof gloves and dry completely. EPA does not recommend bleach as a routine practice.
When does New York require licensed mold workers? The Health Department says that for more than 10 square feet of mold in a building with 10 or more apartments, or 25,000 or more square feet of non-residential space, owners must use New York State Department of Labor licensed assessment and remediation workers, and the same worker may not do both. See mold remediation in NYC.
Does my landlord have to fix mold? In buildings with three or more apartments, yes: the Health Department and Local Law 55 of 2018 require owners to keep apartments free of mold, including fixing the leaks behind it. See mold in NYC apartments and Local Law 55.
Who pays
Who is responsible for a leak from an upstairs apartment? It depends on where the leak started and on the building’s documents: the proprietary lease in a co-op, the declaration and by-laws in a condo, the lease in a rental. Ask the managing agent for the incident report and the plumber’s note on the source. See water damage from the upstairs neighbor.
Will insurance pay? This site cannot say. It depends on the policy and the cause. FloodSmart says most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, and a leak is not the same as a flood. Check your own policy or ask your agent, and photograph everything first.
Questions people ask
Is NYC Water Damage Repair a restoration company?
No. NYC Water Damage Repair is an independent referral service, not a restoration company. When you send the form, your details go to an independent local restoration provider serving New York City, who can contact you, inspect and quote any work directly. You decide whether to hire them.
Is a ceiling leak an emergency in an apartment?
Treat it as one if the ceiling is dripping hard, sagging or near a light fixture: power off to that circuit, a bucket under it and nobody beneath it.
Can I stay in my home with water damage?
Stay out of rooms where water is near outlets or fixtures until the power to them is off, and out from under any sagging ceiling. If you smell gas, leave at once.
Can I paint over a water stain?
Only once the leak is fixed and a moisture meter says the surface is dry. Otherwise the stain can come back.
Water coming in?
Tell us where it is coming from and a local provider can contact you.
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