Who pays for water damage in a leased space?
It depends on the lease, the cause and the policies. A landlord usually insures the building and a tenant insures its contents and improvements, but leases vary, and the source of the water often decides who is responsible. Read the lease, notify the landlord in writing and tell your insurer promptly. The insurers, not a contractor, decide what is covered.
Do not wait for the question of responsibility to be settled before drying. Water that sits keeps doing damage, and the extent of the loss is part of what is argued about later.
Ask the crew for a written scope and photographs with dates. Both the landlord and the tenant may need them.
Can the business stay open?
Sometimes. A crew can work in phases, using containment barriers, night work and targeted equipment, so that unaffected areas keep operating. Whether it is safe and legal to stay open depends on the water type, the electrical state and the nature of the business. Food service, healthcare and childcare need extra caution.
The decision belongs to the owner, with advice from the crew and, where it applies, the local health or fire authority. A sewage backup in a kitchen or restroom usually means closing the affected area.
Say what matters most when you call: perishable stock, records, a loading schedule. It changes the order of work.
What about sprinkler losses?
A sprinkler discharge needs two responses at once: a fire-protection contractor to restore the system, and a water-damage crew to extract and dry. The crew does not repair the sprinkler system. Ask the fire-protection contractor to confirm the system is back in service, because a building with its sprinklers off may have to be handled under special rules.
Ceiling tiles, insulation and drywall below a discharged sprinkler are usually saturated, and the water often runs into walls and the space above the ceiling. Meters guide what comes out.
Photograph the head, the pipe and the area before anything is moved, and keep any failed parts for the contractor and insurer to see.
How do flat roofs and rooftop units cause losses?
Flat roofs depend on drains and seams. When a drain clogs, water ponds and finds the weakest seam, and the leak shows up in a ceiling far from the opening. Rooftop HVAC units add condensate lines and curbs that can leak. A roofer or HVAC contractor fixes the source, and the crew dries the interior.
Insulation on a flat roof can hold water for a long time, and roof leaks are therefore slow to dry. Moisture surveys of the roof deck are a roofer's job.
Flash flooding in the county is another cause: the county says most local flooding comes from intense, short storms, which also overwhelm roof drains and parking-lot drainage.
How do I protect stock, records and equipment?
Lift what you can safely onto shelves or pallets, photograph the area before and after moving anything, and tell the crew which items are most valuable. Unplug electronics only if the outlet is dry. Wet paper records can sometimes be saved if they are kept from drying curled, but that is specialist work to arrange early.
Keep a simple inventory with approximate values as you go, because the insurer will ask. Separate undamaged items from damaged ones, and do not throw anything away until it has been photographed and, if required, shown to the adjuster.
Perishable stock and food-contact surfaces after a water loss are a health matter. Ask the local health department what applies before reopening a food business.
