Water Damage Scope Checklist: 40 Line Items to Review Before You Start
You get the call at 6 AM. Kitchen supply line failure, water running for hours before the homeowner noticed. You arrive, set up extraction and drying equipment, and start your initial scope. The adjuster will be out in two days. Between now and then, you need to identify every piece of scope on this job so nothing gets missed on the initial estimate or requires a supplementSupplements: Getting Paid for What the Adjuster Could Not SeeA supplement adds items to your existing insurance estimate after the original scope was written. Hidden damage behind walls, code upgrades flagged...
Read more → later. You have one chance to walk through systematically. This checklist is your walkthrough guide.
Primary affected room: 12 items
Start in the room where the water originated or where the primary damage is concentrated. These 12 items should be evaluated on every water loss in the main affected area.
| # | Scope item | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flooring removal and replacement | Identify material type (hardwood, LVP, tile, carpet) and measure full area. Check manufacturer moisture thresholds for salvageability | $3-$15 per SF depending on material |
| 2 | Subfloor evaluation and replacement | Pull back flooring at edges and seams. Take moisture readings of subfloor. OSB above 15% or plywood above 16% typically requires replacement | $3-$10 per SF |
| 3 | Baseboard removal and replacement | Check for swelling, delamination, and water staining. MDF baseboards absorb water and must be replaced. Solid wood may be salvageable if caught early | $2-$4 per LF |
| 4 | Drywall removal (2 feet or 4 feet) | Measure moisture readings at 12-inch intervals going up the wall. Cut drywall 12 inches above the highest moisture reading. Standard cuts are at 2-foot or 4-foot height | $2-$5 per SF |
| 5 | Insulation replacement | All fiberglass batt insulation exposed to water must be replaced. Check wall cavities after drywall removal. Document type and R-value | $1-$3 per SF |
| 6 | Anti-microbial treatment | Apply to all exposed framing, subfloor, and wall cavities after demo. This is a separate line item from mold remediation | $1-$3 per SF |
| 7 | Contents manipulation | Moving furniture, appliances, and personal items to access work area. Photograph items before moving. Document weight and quantity | $150-$600 per room |
| 8 | Cabinet toe-kick damage | Remove toe-kick panels and inspect. Particleboard toe-kicks absorb water and swell. Often requires full base cabinet replacement when toe-kick damage is severe | $50-$200 per linear foot |
| 9 | Door and door frame evaluation | Check bottom of door frames for swelling, especially MDF or composite materials. Hollow-core doors that absorb water must be replaced | $150-$400 per door |
| 10 | Paint (full room) | When more than two walls are affected or drywall replacement exceeds 50% of wall area, full-room painting is warranted for uniform finish | $300-$800 per room |
| 11 | Texture matching | Identify existing wall texture (knockdown, orange peel, skip trowel, smooth). New drywall must match existing texture. This is separate from drywall installation | $1-$3 per SF |
| 12 | Window and door trim replacement | Check all trim in the affected area. MDF trim swells and cannot be salvaged. Solid wood trim may be salvageable if dried within 48 hours | $3-$7 per LF |
Kitchen-specific items: 6 items
Kitchen water losses have more scope per square foot than any other room because of the density of fixtures, appliances, and finish materials. These 6 items are specific to kitchen water damage.
| # | Scope item | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Appliance disconnect and reconnect | Dishwasher, refrigerator (water line), disposal, range (gas line). Each requires separate D/R. Document make and model | $75-$250 per appliance |
| 14 | Cabinet evaluation (repair vs. replace) | Check construction: plywood vs. particleboard. Particleboard cabinets that absorb water swell and delaminate. Document construction grade for like-kind replacement | $200-$600 per LF for replacement |
| 15 | Countertop removal and replacement | When base cabinets are replaced, countertops must come off. Document material grade (laminate, granite, quartz) and edge profile for like-kind matching | $25-$150 per SF depending on material |
| 16 | Plumbing fixture assessment | Check faucet, disposal, dishwasher connections, and supply lines. Shut-off valves exposed during demo may need code-required upgrades | $75-$250 per fixture |
| 17 | Under-cabinet lighting | If cabinets are replaced, existing under-cabinet lighting may need to be removed and reinstalled or replaced | $50-$150 per fixture |
| 18 | Backsplash damage | Check tile or material behind the sink and stove area. Water damage to the wall behind the backsplash often requires removal and replacement | $10-$30 per SF |
Bathroom-specific items: 5 items
Bathroom water losses trigger specific code requirements that don't apply in other rooms. Pay special attention to moisture-resistant materials and ventilation.
| # | Scope item | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Moisture-resistant drywall | Code requires green board or cement board in wet areas when drywall is replaced. Standard drywall in bathrooms should be upgraded to moisture-resistant when walls are opened | $0.25-$0.75 per SF upcharge |
| 20 | Toilet removal and reset | When flooring is replaced in a bathroom, the toilet must come up and be reset with a new wax ring. Inspect flange condition during removal | $75-$200 per toilet |
| 21 | Vanity removal and replacement | Particleboard vanity cabinets are especially vulnerable. Check underside and back panel for swelling. Document construction quality | $200-$1,500 per vanity |
| 22 | GFCI outlet installation | All bathroom outlets must have GFCI protection. If any outlet is replaced or if electrical work is performed in the bathroom, all outlets must meet current code | $100-$200 per outlet |
| 23 | Exhaust fan replacement | If the existing fan was exposed to moisture or if electrical work triggers code review, the fan may need to meet current CFM and ducting requirements | $100-$300 per fan |
Adjacent rooms and common areas: 5 items
Water doesn't respect room boundaries. Check every room that shares a wall, floor, or ceiling with the primary affected area. Adjacent room scope is the most commonly missed category in water damage claims.
| # | Scope item | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Adjacent room flooring | Take moisture readings along the shared wall. Water travels under baseboards and along subfloor seams. Check 6 to 10 feet into adjacent rooms | $3-$15 per SF |
| 25 | Shared wall drywall | The other side of a wet wall is often wet too. Take readings on both sides of every shared wall. Interior wall cavities act as moisture channels | $2-$5 per SF |
| 26 | Hallway and transition areas | Water follows the path of least resistance. Hallways connecting the affected room to other areas often have subfloor damage under hard surfaces | $3-$10 per SF for subfloor |
| 27 | Closet interiors | Closets on shared walls are frequently missed. Pull back carpet or check flooring along the shared wall. Contents in closets may need to be moved | $100-$400 per closet |
| 28 | Ceiling below (two-story homes) | In two-story homes, water from an upstairs bathroom or kitchen damages the ceiling below. Check for staining, moisture, and structural integrity | $2-$5 per SF for drywall, plus paint |
Code compliance triggers: 4 items
Building codeYour Walls Are Open. Now the Inspector Wants $5,000 in Upgrades.Nobody warned me about this one. When the drywall came down on my claim, I thought we were just replacing what got damaged. Then the building inspe...
Read more → requirements are not optional. When repairs expose existing conditions that don't meet current code, the inspector will require upgrades. These items are covered under the ordinance or law provision of the homeowner's policy and should be in every estimate where applicable.
| # | Scope item | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Polybutylene or galvanized pipe replacement | When demo exposes outdated supply lines (gray poly-B pipe or corroded galvanized), code requires replacement with PEX or copper | $200-$600 per fixture |
| 30 | Electrical code upgrades (GFCI/AFCI) | Any electrical work in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, or bedrooms triggers current GFCI and AFCI requirements for exposed circuits | $100-$250 per circuit |
| 31 | Smoke and CO detector upgrades | If electrical work triggers code review, inspectors may require hardwired interconnected detectors in homes with battery-only units | $75-$150 per unit |
| 32 | Energy code insulation | When wall cavities are opened, insulation must meet current energy code R-values when walls are closed back up | $1-$3 per SF |
Overhead, profit, and general: 4 items
These final items are the ones that separate a $25,000 estimate from a $35,000 estimate. They are legitimate, necessary, and frequently left off.
| # | Scope item | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Overhead and Profit | Count the trades on the job: demo, plumbing, electrical, drywall, flooring, painting, cabinetry, tile. Three or more trades = O&P warranted | 20% of base repair cost |
| 34 | Permit and inspection fees | Required for electrical panel work, plumbing rerouting, structural modifications. Check local requirements | $200-$1,500 |
| 35 | Temporary protection | Covering floors, countertops, cabinets, and fixtures in adjacent areas during demo and construction | $100-$400 |
| 36 | Final cleaning | Construction cleanup after all work is complete. Dust removal, surface cleaning, debris removal | $200-$600 |
Mitigation-specific items: 4 items
If your company handles both mitigation and reconstruction, make sure these mitigation line items are captured before the adjuster arrives. Emergency services are billable and should be documented from the moment you arrive on site.
| # | Scope item | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Water extraction | Document volume extracted and equipment used. Truck-mount extraction, portable extraction, and hard surface extraction are different line items | $2-$5 per SF |
| 38 | Structural drying equipment | Document number and type of air movers, dehumidifiers, and any specialty equipment. Duration of drying period. Daily monitoring with moisture readings | $25-$75 per day per piece of equipment |
| 39 | Emergency board-up or tarping | If the water source required emergency access (cutting into walls, removing fixtures), document the emergency response and materials | $200-$1,000 |
| 40 | Mold assessment | If drying takes more than 48 hours or if mold is visible, document with photos and recommend professional assessment. Mold remediation is a separate scope | $300-$800 for assessment |
Using this checklist on site
Walk through the affected area with your phone or tablet open to this checklist. For each item, do three things. First, determine whether it applies to this job.
Second, if it applies, document it with a photo and a moisture reading where relevant. Third, add it to your estimate with a scope line that describes what you found, why it is necessary, and the quantity. Not every item on this list will apply to every job.
A small bathroom water loss might only trigger 15 of these items. A large kitchen loss with adjacent room impact might trigger 30 or more. The value of the checklist is that it forces you to look for everything systematically instead of relying on habit.
The contractors who consistently capture the most scope are not smarter or more experienced. They simply have a system that doesn't let them skip steps. ScopeOwl automates most of this process by identifying scope items from your job site photos, but this checklist gives you a manual backup for every walkthrough.
Quick-check your estimate
- Print or save this checklist to your phone for use on every water loss
- Walk the entire affected area with a moisture meter before scoping
- Document every item on this list with photos and moisture readings
- Check adjacent rooms, not just the room where the water originated
- Review this list against your estimate before submission
- Flag any items you discover after demo as immediate supplement candidates
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