Commercial Water Damage Restoration in Syracuse

What makes a commercial water job different from a house?

A commercial job often involves more rooms, more people, stock and records that must be protected, and a shared structure that affects several parties. The method is the same, but the planning, the documentation and the communication are larger.

The crew plans the job around the operation. A shop that must reopen soon needs its floor and entry dried first, and an office with records needs them protected before the water reaches them. The scope is agreed with the owner and recorded.

In a multi-unit building, each tenant needs a clear account of what happened to its space. The readings are logged by unit, so each tenant and the owner can see the progress and the result.

How does a floodplain map affect a commercial building?

A commercial building inside a FEMA floodplain map area is subject to the same map rules as a house, and the repair may need a floodplain permit. The city's page lists the separate maps for each creek and the lake.

The map sets the zone for the address, and the zone shapes the rules for repair. A commercial owner should check the panel for the address and ask the office that issues floodplain permits which rules apply to the building.

The city attributes the higher flood risk on Onondaga Creek to lower channel capacity from sediment and to more intense short-duration storms. That picture applies to commercial property on the creek as much as to homes.

What records should a business keep after water damage?

Keep the readings, the photographs of the water line, the list of removed stock and equipment, the scope, the invoices and the insurer's correspondence. Those documents support the claim and any tenant or lease question.

The list of removed stock should show what was damaged and where it was kept. The photographs should show the room before and after the water, with a date on each. The scope shows the work that was agreed.

A business may also need a record for its lender or landlord. A single file with the readings and the invoices answers most of those questions without a new survey.

• Readings logged by room or unit at every visit
• Dated photographs of the water line and the damage
• List of stock and equipment removed or damaged
• Scope of work and invoices
• Insurer's correspondence and any tenant notices

How is commercial insurance handled differently?

Commercial policies have their own wording on water, flood, backup and business interruption, and the terms decide what is covered. Standard homeowner terms do not apply to a business policy, so the owner should read the business policy itself.

Ask the insurer to explain its position on flood, backup and interruption in writing. A commercial policy may have endorsements that a homeowner's policy does not, and those endorsements decide the claim.

For a dispute about the handling of an insurance claim, the New York State Department of Financial Services is the state regulator for insurers.

How do we reopen after a commercial water event?

Reopening depends on the drying, the repairs, any permits and the owner's own safety checks. The crew's readings show when the structure is dry, and the owner decides when the space can be used.

The drying must reach a dry level before the repair begins, and the repair must meet the permit requirements. Electrical and gas systems that were in the water must be checked by a technician before they are used again.

Plan the reopening with the crew, the trade and the office that issues permits, so that each step is ready when the one before it is complete.