Water Damage Restoration Intake Forms & Client Questionnaires

A homeowner calls at 2 AM because their basement has three inches of standing water. Before you dispatch a crew, you need to know the source — burst pipe, sump pump failure, sewer backup, roof leak, appliance supply line, or overland flooding — because that single answer determines the equipment you load, the personal protective equipment your crew wears, and whether you are dealing with clean water, gray water, or black water. A burst supply line is IICRC Category 1: clean water, standard extraction. A sewer backup is Category 3: grossly contaminated, full PPE, antimicrobial treatment, and likely demolition of affected drywall and insulation. Arriving without that classification wastes hours and puts your crew at risk.

The Water Damage Restoration intake form is built around the IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration. It captures the damage source, water category (1, 2, or 3), and the class of water damage (Class 1 through Class 4) based on the rate of evaporation and materials affected. It records the approximate volume of standing water, elapsed time since the loss event, ambient temperature and humidity, and whether the HVAC system was running — because a warm, closed building with Category 1 water that sat for 48 hours before you arrived is no longer Category 1. Microbial growth begins in 24 to 48 hours, and the form captures visible mold presence, musty odor, and areas of suspected hidden moisture behind walls or under flooring.

Insurance Documentation and Claims Coordination

Water damage restoration is one of the most insurance-driven trades. The majority of your jobs will involve a homeowner’s insurance claim, and the documentation you capture at intake directly affects whether the claim is approved, denied, or underpaid. The form captures the insurance carrier, policy number, claim number (if already filed), adjuster name and contact information, deductible amount, and whether the policyholder has already spoken with the carrier. It records whether the damage is from a sudden and accidental event (typically covered) or a gradual or maintenance-related cause (typically excluded), and it captures the policyholder’s description of the timeline — when they first noticed the problem, when the active water source was stopped, and when they called for restoration services.

For insurance purposes, the form also documents the condition of the property before the loss, structural modifications that may affect coverage (finished vs. unfinished basement, previous repairs), and whether the property has flood insurance separate from the homeowner’s policy. When the adjuster arrives, having this information organized in a structured format — rather than scattered across text messages and handwritten notes — means the scope of loss agreement happens faster and your invoices get paid without drawn-out disputes.

Affected Materials and Contents Inventory

The scope of a water damage job depends on what got wet, how wet it got, and how long it stayed wet. The form includes a materials assessment section covering flooring type (hardwood, laminate, LVP, carpet, tile, concrete), wall construction (drywall, plaster, paneling), insulation type (fiberglass, cellulose, spray foam), and whether the affected area includes finished cabinetry, built-in shelving, or trim work. Each material has a different drying protocol: hardwood floors may be saved with proper drying mats and monitoring, but laminate that absorbed water through the seams is a total loss. The form captures enough detail for your project manager to build an accurate Xactimate estimate before the drying equipment even arrives.

Contents inventory is the other half of the job the customer cares about most. The form includes a section for documenting affected personal property: furniture, electronics, clothing, documents, photographs, and irreplaceable items. It captures whether items are salvageable (pack-out, clean, and return), need professional restoration (document drying, electronics cleaning, textile laundering), or are total losses. For large losses, the form records whether a contents company has been engaged and whether the homeowner needs temporary housing — including hotel, rental property, or staying with family — and the timeline they expect to be displaced.

Emergency Response and Moisture Mapping

Water damage restoration is a race against microbial growth, secondary damage, and structural compromise. The form captures the emergency response timeline: when the loss occurred, when the water source was controlled, when the first call came in, when the crew arrived, and when extraction and drying equipment was placed. For insurance documentation, this timeline demonstrates prompt and reasonable action. It also captures the initial moisture readings from the first inspection — moisture meter readings on walls, floors, and ceilings at specific locations — establishing the baseline against which drying progress is measured. Without that baseline, you cannot demonstrate to the adjuster that your three days of drying equipment rental was necessary rather than excessive.

Intake vs. Client Questionnaire

The intake form is your internal project document. Your dispatcher or project manager fills it out during the emergency call, recording the loss description, damage classification, insurance details, access information, and initial scope assessment. It includes fields for crew assignment, equipment deployed, and project timeline estimates. The companion client questionnaire is what you send to the property owner — either immediately after the emergency response stabilizes the situation, or before a scheduled inspection for non-emergency losses. It asks the homeowner to describe the damage in their own words, provide insurance policy details, list affected contents, photograph the damage from multiple angles, and note any pre-existing conditions (prior water damage, known plumbing issues, previous mold remediation). The questionnaire includes authorization for emergency services, an acknowledgment that mold may be discovered during demolition, and consent for the restoration company to communicate directly with the insurance adjuster on the homeowner’s behalf.

Pricing

Each form is $12.99 for the complete set (intake + questionnaire), $9.99 for intake only, or $6.99 for questionnaire only. All PDFs are fillable in Adobe Reader and password-protected against editing.

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