First steps after a leak or flood in Pasadena
Census, FEMA and NOAA figures for the Pasadena area, and what to do with them.
FEMA's National Risk Index expects inland flooding to cost about $141 a year for every $100,000 of building value in Pasadena's ZIP codes.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Written estimate before work starts
- Water removal, drying and repair
What happens when you call
Call (833) 728-2327
Say what is wet, where the water came from and whether it is still running. The call is answered any hour.
Stop the source
If water is still coming in, you are walked through the shutoff valve or the breaker first.
Inspection and written estimate
The crew checks the water category, measures moisture in walls and floors, photographs the damage and writes the estimate before work starts.
Written for homeowners in the Pasadena area.
In Pasadena, 37% of homes were built before 1950, when walls were often finished in plaster rather than drywall.
What matters most in Pasadena
In Pasadena, 37% of homes were built before 1950, so the valve that stops a leak may be older than anyone living in the house. If the leak is at a sink, toilet or washer, close the small valve behind that fixture first. If water is coming from a wall or ceiling, go to the main shutoff and turn it slowly clockwise until the flow stops.
Census figures also show 12% of households moved in since 2021. If you are one of them, learn where the main valve and the electrical panel are before a leak happens. Once the water is off, switch off breakers for rooms where water touches outlets, cords or baseboard heaters.
Next, take photos of where the water started and how high it reached, then move rugs, books, boxes and electronics to a dry room. With 58% of homes rented and 44% in buildings of 5 or more units, tell the landlord or building manager in the same hour, because water in one unit often reaches the ceiling below.
Speed decides how much material has to be cut out. Within hours, drywall wicks water upward and flooring channels it into the subfloor, and the EPA's advice is to dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours. Water mitigation starts with pumping and moisture readings so the drying reaches what you cannot see. Phone as soon as the water is off and the photos are taken, because calls from the Pasadena area are answered 24/7.
What to do, in order
Do these in order, and only what is safe to do.
- Shut off the water at the main valve or the fixture valve.
- Turn off power to wet rooms at the breaker if you can reach it without stepping in water.
- Photograph every wet room, the source and the water line.
- Lift furniture off wet carpet and move papers, photos and electronics to a dry room.
- Call (833) 728-2327 for extraction and drying, and tell your insurer.
- Keep people and pets away from sewage or floodwater.
Local figures for Pasadena homes
Figures for Pasadena, home to about 136,462 people.
44% of homes in Pasadena are in buildings with five or more units.
58% of homes in Pasadena are rented, against 54% across Los Angeles County. If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager about the leak right away.
- 141 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueLos Angeles County: 164
- 62,853 Housing units
- 136,462 Residents
- 37% Homes built before 1950Los Angeles County: 24%
- 44% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsLos Angeles County: 36%
- 58% Homes that are rentedLos Angeles County: 54%
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates; FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, claims from 2016 to 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates v1 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, nearest weather station; FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to 2025.
What Pasadena homes add to the list
Pasadena's older housing changes where you look first. With 37% of homes built before 1950, against 24% across Los Angeles County, many houses still have galvanized supply pipe, cast iron drains and a main shutoff in a meter box near the sidewalk. A curb key or large wrench helps. Inside, check the supply lines on toilets, sinks and the washer, where a cracked hose can run for hours. Old cast iron drains can also crack or clog, and a backup through a floor drain or tub is a Category 3 job that calls for sewage cleanup.
Census figures show 44% of Pasadena homes are in buildings with 5 or more units and 58% are rented. In those buildings the leak you see may start a floor or two up, so tell the building manager, ask for access to the unit above, and photograph your ceiling before anyone opens it.
Pasadena averages 7 days a year with an inch of rain or more, against 4 for the county, so storm water at doors, window wells and low patios is a real winter risk. FEMA's National Risk Index puts the city's yearly inland flood loss at 141 per $100,000 of building value, a little under the county's 164. Freezing is rare, at about 3 nights a year countywide, but a pipe in an uninsulated exterior wall or crawlspace can still split on one of them.
Raised wood floors over a crawlspace soak from below, which can turn a short leak into floor repair after water damage. Check your policy too: outside flood water is usually excluded, and only 0.5% of county homes carry federal flood insurance.
What not to do in the first hours
Some first moves make the damage worse. Stay out of water that may touch live wiring, and keep away from a ceiling that bulges or drips. A shop vacuum rated for water is fine for a small spill; a household vacuum is not. Turning the heat up does not dry a house; it moves moisture into rooms that were dry. Photograph damaged things before they go to the curb. Leave wet walls open and unpainted until moisture readings show they are dry. Clean-water carpet often comes back with carpet drying when work starts within a day or two.
What Pasadena callers ask first
Should I run fans to dry water damage myself in Pasadena?
Is it safe to turn the power back on after water damage?
Where is the main water shutoff in a Pasadena house?
How long can water sit before mold starts in a Pasadena home?
Can I stay in my Pasadena home during water damage drying?
More Pasadena guides
the Pasadena water damage cost guide
Price ranges, cost drivers and estimate checks for Pasadena homes.
guide to insurance and water damage for Pasadena
Which kinds of water damage insurance usually pays for in Pasadena, and how to document a claim.
Pasadena guide to flood and storm water risk
Flood risk, flood insurance claims and storm water in Pasadena, from FEMA and NOAA figures.
Pasadena guide to burst and frozen pipes
Why pipes burst in Pasadena homes, what freezing nights and older plumbing mean, and what to do first.
One call for water damage in Pasadena
Answered 24/7, with a written estimate before any work starts.