Water Damage Classification Criteria

Water Restoration Classification Levels

Water damage would be considered a disastrous occurrence. Different types of situations might cause it to occur, and these can be from a leaky roof to a sump pump failure. These different scenarios can cause differing amounts of water damage. However, how can you determined if one situation is more severe than another. The IICRC and the insurance setup guidelines to classify the different levels of water damage.

Class 1 Water Damage: This is the least amount of water damage that can occur, with it only affecting a minimum amount of area. There will be little or no soft material absorption. This is an ideal situation since it is the least costly of the water damage problems. Many times this is a small leak in a roof or possible letting a water fight occur in a home.

Class 2 Water Damage: This is the type of water damage can affect the room as a whole. The water has damaged the wood grained materials in the room from a structural standpoint this would include 2x4s, drywall, and all of the flooring. However, the height of the water has stayed below the 24 inch mark. When a sump pump fails and is quickly noticed by a property owner or manager this can be handled relatively expeditiously since the water can be removed and the area dried out before structure of the property is affected.

Class 3 Water Damage: In this situation the water damage has severely affected the building itself. The water could have come in when a ceiling collapsed or possibly when an overhead pipe burst. This is severe which can impact the safety of the individuals in the property. When this scenario occurs it is advisable to get your insurance company involved, since if it goes unattended the property could be unsalvageable.

Class 4 Water Damage: This would be determined as a total loss in most cases. This is when the fundamental structure of the property is compromised. Usually this is found in a severe flooding scenario, an example being a river flooding your property. All this creates a total loss scenario to the property owner since the building has become saturated in moisture to a point where its structural integrity has been removed.

All this factors in when determining how much water damage was done to your property. It is advisable to hire an IICRC certified Water Remediation firm. SI Restoration has been doing water damage control for over 20 years in the Maryland and DC area. Our crews can help mitigate most types of damage from your property.