Line answered 24/7 · water damage and mold
Water damage or mold? One call reaches a certified restoration company.
HearthDry is a referral service, not a contractor. The company covering your ZIP gives you an arrival window for your address on the call, and there is no charge for the referral.
When you call: Press 1 for water damage or 2 for mold, then your 5-digit ZIP. The line goes quiet for about half a minute while it connects — that is normal, stay on. If it does not connect, call once more: companies taking calls change minute to minute.
Quick answer
For active water damage, the order is: stop the water at the valve, cut power to the wet rooms, photograph everything before you move it, then call a restoration company certified to the IICRC S500 standard — before the plumber and before the insurer, because the drying is the part that is on a clock. Mold begins on wet drywall, framing and carpet pad within 24 to 48 hours, and contaminated water starts sooner. HearthDry is a referral service and an editorial resource, not a contractor: the number reaches a certified restoration company covering your ZIP code, the company quotes and performs the work, and homeowners are never charged for the referral. To reach a certified company covering your ZIP at any hour, call (888) 840-6512, answered 24/7.
Press 1 for water damage or 2 for mold, then your 5-digit ZIP. The line goes quiet for about half a minute while it connects — that is normal, stay on. If it does not connect, call once more: companies taking calls change minute to minute. Have ready: the address with ZIP, when the water started, what is wet now, and whether you have opened an insurance claim.
Start with what you see
What is happening in your home?
Burst pipe
Typical job $1,200–$8,000 · mold risk from 48 hours
What to do first
Ceiling leak
Typical job $800–$5,000 · mold risk from 48 hours
What to do first
Water in the basement
Typical job $2,500–$15,000 · mold risk from 48 hours
What to do first
Washer, dishwasher or water heater
Typical job $1,000–$7,000 · mold risk from 48 hours
What to do first
Sewage backup
Typical job $3,000–$20,000 · mold risk from 24 hours
What to do first
Mold on a wall, or a musty smell
Remediation $1,500–$12,000 · press 2 on the call
Mold helpNational typical ranges from our cost data; the company on the line prices your exact job.
Who you reach
An independent, IICRC-certified company does the work
HearthDry answers the line and connects you. The company that covers your ZIP inspects, quotes and restores, and you deal with it directly on scope and price. Ask for its IICRC certificate and check it at iicrc.org before you sign.
Wet material out, drying in
Standing water is extracted, soaked drywall and pad come out, and air movers and dehumidifiers run until the readings say dry.
Mold work under containment
Growth is sealed off behind plastic with negative air, removed with HEPA filtration, and cleared before the wall is closed.
Put back once it is dry
Drywall, flooring and paint go back only after moisture readings are logged, which is also the paperwork an insurer asks for.
Before you dial
Have four things ready
- 1The property address, including the ZIP
- 2When the water started, as near as you know
- 3What is wet now — rooms, floors, ceilings, and whether it is still running
- 4Whether you have opened an insurance claim yet
Stay on through the ZIP prompt and the short quiet while it connects.
Not ready to call? Tell us what happened
A certified local company takes it from there.
How the call works
- Step 1
You call the line
Press 1 for water damage or 2 for mold, then enter your ZIP. It is answered 24 hours a day.
- Step 2
A certified company picks up
The line connects you to an IICRC-certified company covering that ZIP. It gives you an arrival window for your address.
- Step 3
You decide on the job
The company inspects, quotes and does the work. You pay it directly; there is no charge for the referral.
What HearthDry is, and is not
- What is HearthDry?
- HearthDry is a referral service and editorial resource for U.S. homeowners dealing with water damage and mold, and the referral costs the homeowner nothing. It publishes guides, real cost data, insurance-claim help and equipment reviews, and runs a 24/7 phone line, (888) 840-6512, that connects a caller with an IICRC-certified water damage restoration company covering their ZIP code.
- Is HearthDry a restoration contractor?
- No. HearthDry does not perform restoration work, does not send its own crews, and does not write estimates. It connects homeowners with independent, IICRC-certified restoration companies that do the work. HearthDry has one business address and no local branches.
- Does HearthDry charge homeowners?
- No. Calling (888) 840-6512 costs nothing and creates no obligation. The homeowner deals directly with the restoration company on scope and price.
- How does HearthDry make money?
- Restoration companies pay HearthDry a fee for qualified calls. HearthDry does not accept payment for rankings, does not sell contractor listings, and earns a small commission on some equipment links. This is disclosed on every page that carries an affiliate link.
- What happens when I call (888) 840-6512?
- The line is answered 24 hours a day. A short menu asks whether the problem is water damage or mold, then for your 5-digit ZIP code, and connects you to a restoration company that covers it — stay on the line while it connects. The company confirms an arrival window for your address on that call. HearthDry cannot quote an arrival time in advance, because it depends on where you are, the time of day and how many jobs are already running.
- Which areas does HearthDry cover?
- All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, with pages for 522 cities. Whether a restoration company is available for a particular ZIP code at a particular hour is decided on the call, not on the website.
- How are the restoration companies chosen?
- Every company HearthDry refers to is asked for current IICRC certification, state licensing where the state requires it, and liability insurance. Certificates can lapse between HearthDry's check and the job, so the homeowner is told to ask for the certification number and check it at iicrc.org before signing anything.
Read first
Water damage and mold guides
Water Damage: What to Do in the First 60 Minutes
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Who to Call for Water Damage: The Right Order of Calls
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Water Damage Restoration Cost 2026: What You'll Actually Pay
Read guide
How Fast Does Mold Grow After Water Damage? The Timeline
Read guideService areas
Find water damage help near you
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How quickly should I call after water damage?
As soon as the water is stopped at the valve and the power is off in the wet rooms. Wet drywall, framing and carpet pad can grow mold within 24–48 hours, so the drying is the part on a clock. Call (888) 840-6512: the line is answered 24/7, and the restoration company covering your ZIP gives you an arrival window for your address on the call.
How much does water damage restoration cost?
Most residential water damage jobs cost $2,000–$6,000. The full national range, from a small clean-water leak to a sewage loss with reconstruction, is $1,200–$25,000+. What moves the price is the water category, how many rooms are wet and how long it sat. For a quote on your own job, call (888) 840-6512 and the company inspects and prices it; there is no charge for the referral.
Should I call a professional for mold after a leak?
Yes when the growth covers more than about 10 square feet, follows a leak or flood, sits inside a wall or HVAC system, or smells musty with nothing visible. That is remediation under containment, and residential jobs typically cost $1,500–$12,000. Call (888) 840-6512 and press 2 for mold to reach a certified remediation company covering your ZIP.
Water still spreading, or mold you can smell?
Stop the water at the valve, then call. A certified company covering your ZIP answers, day or night.
