Five things that decide how big a water job turns out

Two houses with the same stain can be different jobs. What sets the size is rarely on the surface. These five drivers come from public pages by CDC, EPA, the University of Georgia's extension service and the Red Cross, and none of them carries a price. A contractor looks first, and any figure comes after the look.

One damp corner and a soaked first floor with a stain on the ceiling below are different areas to work. Water travels down through floors and along walls, so a stain in one room can lead to the next. EPA's brief guide counts both areas and items among the things to dry within 24 to 48 hours.

A split supply line sends in clean water. A drain that backs up does not. CDC says floodwater may contain sewage, and EPA says to call a professional experienced with sewage or contaminated water. How clean the water was changes what comes out, who does the work and what protective gear the job calls for. On a septic system, EPA adds that only trained specialists clean or repair tanks. The county health department lists Environmental Health at (770) 382-1920, and Bartow County's water department takes sewer service problems at (770) 387-5170.

On CDC's throw-away list after floodwater: drywall, rugs, cloth and wall coverings that cannot be disinfected. EPA puts carpet and ceiling tile on its list of porous materials that may have to be replaced after a soaking. Hard surfaces sit at the opposite end. How much of a room is porous is a large part of its size.

Water that hides is dried later than water that shows. The Red Cross treats a sagging wet ceiling as heavy and dangerous, a sign that water has gathered overhead. UGA Extension's checklist sends owners to the crawl space soil, the washer lines, the water heater and the downspouts. A contractor's meter is how hidden wet gets measured.

EPA and UGA Extension give 24 to 48 hours for drying. For a flooded house shut up for several days, CDC's advice is to assume mold. Time is the one driver an owner controls. Write down when the water began and photograph it first: Georgia's insurance commissioner asks that damage be photographed or filmed before temporary repairs, and FEMA's claim list asks for photos, a description of the damage and receipts. Then phone when you can.

Put them on the phone: where the water came from, how many rooms and floors it reached, what is soaked, whether anything is hidden or bulging, and when it began. Split pipes and supply-line floods and stained, dripping or bulging ceilings show two common starting points. When you are ready, call (678) 288-4775.