Emergency
Water Removal
New Jersey & Staten Island · 24/7
If you have standing water right now: Shut off the water source if safely accessible. Shut off power to the affected area at the main breaker — never walk through standing water with live electricity. If sewage is present, treat it as a biohazard and keep children and pets out. Document everything with photos before mitigation begins. Then call Zoom Dry for 90-minute response anywhere across our 7 New Jersey counties or Staten Island.
Zoom Dry is New Jersey and Staten Island's IICRC S500 certified emergency water removal team, serving both markets since 1997. Truck-mounted extraction, LGR dehumidification, thermal moisture detection, and structural drying to ANSI/IICRC S500 dry standard. 90-minute response guarantee across Union, Middlesex, Hudson, Essex, Bergen, Somerset, Morris, and Monmouth counties in New Jersey, plus all Staten Island ZIPs. Direct insurance billing to NJ Manufacturers Insurance, State Farm, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, and every major carrier. Most homeowners pay only their deductible.
Live 24/7 · No voicemail · 90-minute response
The 24–48 Hour Window
& Your Duty to Mitigate
Water damage is a race against two clocks: the biological clock and the contractual one. Understanding both protects your property and your insurance claim.
The biological clock: mold colonization begins in 24 to 48 hours. Per ANSI/IICRC S500, the industry standard for professional water damage restoration, microbial amplification begins within 24 hours of water intrusion on porous organic materials — drywall paper, wood framing, carpet padding, subfloor. By hour 72, visible colonies can form. A flooded basement that sits untreated over a weekend becomes a mold remediation job on top of a water damage job, and the cost can triple. This is why response time is not a marketing claim. It is the single most important factor in limiting the scope and cost of your loss.
The contractual clock: your homeowners policy requires you to mitigate. Nearly every HO-3 homeowners insurance policy in New Jersey and New York contains a duty-to-mitigate clause. This is a contractual obligation requiring the policyholder to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a covered loss. New Jersey case law (see McNeilab, Inc. v. North River Ins. Co., 645 F. Supp. 525) has affirmed that when an insured takes reasonable steps to minimize damages from a covered event, the insurer must reimburse the policyholder for those mitigation expenses. The corollary: if you delay calling a professional restoration company and secondary damage (mold, structural rot, rising material costs) results, your carrier may deny coverage for that secondary damage on grounds of failure to mitigate.
This page is not about selling you urgency. It is about showing you that urgency is already built into your policy and your property. Our job is to execute against both clocks: arrive within 90 minutes, extract standing water immediately, set the drying protocol to IICRC S500 standards, and document every reading so your claim is airtight.
Our IICRC S500 Protocol
First 72 Hours, Step by Step
The ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration is the industry reference every insurance carrier, adjuster, and court recognizes. It defines drying goals, moisture targets, and Category 1/2/3 water handling. Here is exactly what we do in the first 72 hours, mapped to S500.
Inspection & Category Classification
Hour 0Thermal imaging to find hidden moisture behind walls and under floors. Penetrating and non-penetrating moisture meters establish baseline readings. We classify the water event as Category 1 (clean), 2 (gray), or 3 (black) per S500 Section 10. Category determines scope, PPE, disposable versus salvageable materials, and what your insurance will cover.
Water Extraction
Hours 0 to 2Truck-mounted extraction units remove standing water at up to 250 gallons per minute for severe floods. Portable submersible pumps handle deeper confined spaces. Wet-vac extraction on carpet and upholstery where salvageable. Full containment on Category 3 events to prevent cross-contamination. Contaminated materials bagged and tagged for insurance inventory.
Controlled Demolition & Structural Access
Hours 2 to 6S500-compliant flood cuts on saturated drywall (typically 2 feet above the waterline). Removal of ruined carpet padding, compromised subfloor, and contaminated insulation. We open wall cavities where moisture is trapped behind studs and under baseboards — the hidden-moisture vectors that cause secondary mold weeks later if skipped.
Drying System Setup
Hours 6 to 12LGR (low grain refrigerant) dehumidifiers sized to the affected cubic footage, balanced against commercial air movers in precise ratios. On a typical residential basement we deploy 8 to 12 air movers and 2 LGR units; larger events scale proportionally. Antimicrobial application on remaining structure in Category 2 and 3 events. Containment barriers seal the drying chamber.
Daily Moisture Monitoring
Hours 24 to 72Crews return every 24 hours for moisture meter readings at documented locations, psychrometric logs of chamber temperature and relative humidity, and equipment adjustments as materials release trapped moisture. All readings are logged to IICRC S500 standards and photographed — this becomes your insurance documentation file.
Dry Standard Confirmation
Hour 72+We confirm the structure has reached IICRC S500 dry standard — moisture content readings within normal range for each material type, consistent across a 24-hour monitoring period. Equipment comes off only when the structure is verifiably dry. Final documentation package goes directly to your insurance adjuster. Reconstruction begins through our partner Anajur Construction Corp.
What We Bring
On Every Emergency Call
Most competitors say "commercial-grade equipment." We list exactly what rolls up to your door. This is the equipment that determines how fast we dry your structure and whether your insurance claim survives audit.
Truck-Mounted Extractors
Heavy-duty truck-mounted vacuum units pull far more water far faster than portable pumps. Critical for severe flooding, basement emergencies, and any event where standing water exceeds a few inches. Capacity measured in gallons per minute, not marketing language.
LGR Dehumidifiers
Low grain refrigerant commercial dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air far more efficiently than conventional or home-grade units. Sized to the cubic footage and class of the affected structure per IICRC S500 drying calculations. Multiple units deployed on large losses.
Commercial Air Movers
High-velocity axial and centrifugal air movers position to create controlled airflow across wet surfaces, accelerating evaporation at the material surface where the dehumidifiers can then capture it. Quantity and position calculated per S500, not guessed.
Thermal Imaging Cameras
Infrared thermal cameras find hidden moisture behind drywall, under flooring, and inside wall cavities that penetrating meters cannot reach. Critical for Category 2 and 3 losses where missed pockets become mold colonies 30 days later. We document every thermal scan.
Moisture Meters
Pin-style penetrating meters measure moisture content inside drywall, wood framing, and subfloor. Non-penetrating capacitance meters detect subsurface moisture without damage. Every reading is logged to IICRC S500 documentation standards and becomes part of your insurance claim file.
HEPA Air Scrubbers
HEPA-filtered negative air machines maintain pressure differentials on Category 2 and 3 events, preventing airborne spore and particulate spread to unaffected areas of the property. Compliant with OSHA airborne particulate guidelines and IICRC S520 mold remediation protocols when applicable.
Category 1, 2, and 3 Water —
Why It Changes the Entire Job
The IICRC S500 standard classifies every water damage event into one of three categories based on source and contamination level. Category determines scope, PPE, what materials can be saved, what must be disposed of, and what your insurance will cover. Most restoration companies do not explain this. We do.
Source: Sanitary water. Broken supply lines, water heater leaks, overflowing sinks or bathtubs with clean water, appliance supply lines, rainwater through the structure before contamination.
Handling: Most materials salvageable with proper drying. Standard PPE. Rapid extraction and drying to IICRC S500 dry standard. Category 1 can escalate to Category 2 within 48 hours if left untreated — which is why response time is non-negotiable.
Source: Significantly contaminated water containing chemical, biological, or physical contaminants that could cause illness. Dishwasher and washing machine discharge, aquarium water, broken aquariums, toilet bowl water without feces, water from hydrostatic pressure, or Category 1 water that has sat untreated for 48+ hours.
Handling: Enhanced PPE. Antimicrobial application on all affected structural materials. Porous materials (carpet pad, drywall that has been wet more than briefly, insulation) typically disposed of. Containment barriers and HEPA filtration to prevent cross-contamination. Gray water left untreated escalates to Category 3 within 48 hours.
Source: Grossly contaminated water containing pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents. Sewage backups (including combined sewer overflows in urban New Jersey and Staten Island), flooding from rivers and streams, Arthur Kill tidal surge flooding, toilet overflows containing feces, and any water that has been stagnant in an unsanitary environment.
Handling: Full biohazard PPE for all crew. HEPA negative-air containment mandatory. Virtually all porous materials disposed of — including carpet, pad, drywall, insulation, and affected wood in many cases. Post-remediation verification testing where required. Visit our sewage cleanup page for full Category 3 protocol.
How We Handle Your Claim
Without the Runaround
Every restoration company says "we work with insurance." Few explain what that actually means. Here is the mechanical reality of how we bill your carrier directly on covered losses.
Carriers we bill directly:
How the mechanics actually work. When you call us and the loss is covered by your homeowners policy, we file a Work Authorization and Direct Payment Assignment on arrival — a one-page form that authorizes us to begin emergency mitigation and authorizes your insurance carrier to pay us directly for covered work. You sign nothing that obligates you to pay out-of-pocket beyond your policy deductible on a covered claim. We then produce a complete Xactimate estimate on the correct New Jersey or New York price list (including NJTR8X for New Jersey), submit it to your adjuster, and handle all back-and-forth negotiations on line items. You pay your deductible. We get paid by the carrier. That is the process.
Third-party administrators (TPAs) in New Jersey and Staten Island. Major carriers often route water damage claims through managed repair networks like Contractor Connection, Alacrity Solutions, or Sedgwick. We are fluent in TPA workflows and service level agreements, which means we produce documentation to their standards on first submission. This prevents the bureaucratic back-and-forth that costs homeowners days of drying time and sometimes coverage.
Carrier names are the property of their respective trademark holders and are listed here solely to indicate billing compatibility under nominative fair use. Zoom Dry is an independent restoration contractor, not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any insurance carrier.
7 New Jersey Counties
Plus All of Staten Island
Same crew, same equipment, same IICRC S500 protocols regardless of ZIP. Across Union, Middlesex, Hudson, Essex, Bergen, Somerset, Morris, and Monmouth counties in New Jersey, we respond to burst-pipe flooding, sump-pump failures, basement seepage, and the flash-flood surges that Hurricane Ida made a permanent planning assumption for in 2021.
Staten Island Water Removal —
Local Crews, Local Number
Staten Island operations run on a dedicated line and dedicated crews. Our operational base is on the South Shore, which means we dispatch without waiting for bridge traffic and without routing through a Manhattan or New Jersey call center. Response target is on-scene within 60 minutes to any Staten Island address — faster than our New Jersey guarantee because the geography allows it.
Staten Island's specific water hazards: pre-war housing stock with stone and brick foundations vulnerable to hydrostatic seepage; South Shore neighborhoods from Tottenville through Great Kills to Midland Beach still shaped by Hurricane Sandy's 2012 storm surge and the NY Rising Enhanced Buyout Program that followed; dense semi-detached construction where a single burst pipe or upper-unit overflow cascades to multiple units; combined sewer system in older North Shore neighborhoods producing basement backups during heavy rain events. All require IICRC S500 protocols applied to the specific building type.
We have served Staten Island alongside New Jersey since 1997, and the two markets operate under the same quality standard: truck-mounted extraction, LGR dehumidification, thermal imaging, documented moisture readings, and direct insurance billing. The difference is the phone number and the response geography.
Emergency Water Removal
Questions, Answered
90 minutes or less to any address in our New Jersey service area (Union, Middlesex, Hudson, Essex, Bergen, Somerset, Morris, Monmouth counties). 60 minutes or less to any Staten Island address because we dispatch from a South Shore operational base. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No answering service, no subcontracting. When you call, you reach our team directly.
In the industry the terms are often used interchangeably. Technically, extraction refers to the mechanical process of pulling water out of a structure using truck-mounted extractors, portable pumps, and wet-vacs. Removal is the broader emergency service that includes extraction plus structural drying, dehumidification, antimicrobial treatment, and documentation for your insurance claim. When a homeowner says "I need water removed," they almost always need the full emergency service, which is what we provide.
No. Your homeowners policy contains a duty-to-mitigate clause that requires you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a covered loss. Waiting for the adjuster while water damage spreads is exactly the failure mode the duty-to-mitigate clause is designed to prevent. Document everything by photo and video first, then call us. We begin emergency mitigation under a Work Authorization that gets filed with your carrier the same day. You do not need prior adjuster approval for emergency mitigation on a covered claim.
Standard HO-3 homeowners policies cover sudden and accidental water damage: burst pipes, water heater ruptures, appliance supply line failures, and water intrusion through the structure during storms. They do not cover rising groundwater, surface flooding from rainfall, sewer backup without the Water Backup and Sump Overflow endorsement, or flood damage from rivers or tidal waters overflowing. If your property is in a flood zone, you need a separate NFIP or private flood policy. We help identify which coverage applies to your specific loss during the inspection.
The extraction phase (pumping out standing water) typically completes in 2 to 6 hours depending on volume. Structural drying takes 3 to 5 days for a typical residential loss, measured against IICRC S500 dry standard with daily moisture documentation. Reconstruction (drywall replacement, flooring, cabinetry, permits, inspections) is a separate phase through our partner Anajur Construction Corp, typically 2 to 8 weeks depending on scope. Pre-war housing stock in older New Jersey and Staten Island neighborhoods often extends timelines due to asbestos abatement or lath-and-plaster complications.
You can pump out visible water with a sump pump or wet-vac, and for a small Category 1 event (a minor clean-water leak discovered immediately) that may be enough. But IICRC S500 drying requires calibrated psychrometric conditions that household equipment cannot produce. Missed moisture behind drywall or under subfloor becomes mold in 24 to 48 hours. Your insurance may also deny portions of your claim if professional mitigation was not performed, citing failure to mitigate secondary damage. For Category 2 or 3 events (gray or black water), DIY is never appropriate and is often a biohazard exposure.
ANSI/IICRC S500 is the industry reference standard for professional water damage restoration, published by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. It defines drying goals, moisture targets, Category 1/2/3 water classification, PPE requirements, and documentation protocols. Insurance carriers, adjusters, and courts recognize S500 as the baseline standard of care. When your claim documentation shows S500 protocols were followed and confirmed, disputes over scope and necessity largely go away. Our technicians are WRT (Water Damage Restoration Technician) and ASD (Applied Structural Drying) certified through IICRC.
Yes. We respond to commercial emergencies across our full service area including office buildings, retail, restaurants, multi-family residential, HOA-managed properties, and small industrial. Commercial losses often involve additional complications like business interruption claims, coordinated tenant notifications, and after-hours access constraints. We work with property managers and facilities teams directly. Commercial calls use the same 24/7 emergency lines as residential.