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First steps after a leak or flood in Marietta

Census, FEMA and NOAA figures for the Marietta area, and what to do with them.

In Marietta's ZIP codes, the average building payment on a flood claim was $27,692 over 2016 to 2025, compared with $32,660 across Georgia.

Call (833) 728-2327
  • Calls answered 24/7
  • Written estimate before work starts
  • Water removal, drying and repair

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Technical drawing of water removal: basement pump-out, carpet and pad extraction and hard floor water removal.
What water removal includes: basement pump-out, carpet and pad extraction and hard floor water removal.

Your call, step by step

  1. 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.

  2. Stop the source

    If water is still coming in, you are walked through the shutoff valve or the breaker first.

  3. 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.

Call (833) 728-2327

Written for homeowners in the Marietta area.

53% of homes in Marietta are rented, against 33% across Cobb County. If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager about the leak right away.

First, in Marietta

Marietta has a much larger rental market than the rest of Cobb County. Census figures show 53% of homes are rented and 40% sit in buildings with 5 or more units, against 33% and 22% countywide. In an apartment, the first hour has two jobs: stop the water you can reach, and tell the building manager right away.

Close the valve behind the toilet, sink or washer if that is the source. If water is coming through the ceiling or a wall, the shutoff may be in a utility closet or near the water heater, or controlled by maintenance, so call the maintenance line while you look. Then switch off breakers for any room where water reaches outlets or light fixtures. A sagging ceiling can hold water, so keep people out from under it.

Get pictures of the ceiling, the walls and every wet item while everything is still in place. The landlord's policy covers the building while a renters policy covers belongings, so photos protect both claims. Then carry electronics, rugs and papers to a dry room.

Ceiling drywall soaks up water from the unit above and can sag within hours, and the EPA advises drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours. With 15% of households new since 2021, knowing where your unit's shutoff is can save real time. Calls from the Marietta area reach the local restoration company 24/7, and it handles drying and ceiling water damage repair.

Before the crew arrives

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.

Marietta housing and weather figures

The city of Marietta counts about 61,773 residents, by the Census; the figures below are its own.

40% of homes in Marietta are in buildings with five or more units.

35% of homes in Marietta were built before 1980.

  • 53% Homes that are rentedCobb County: 33% Marietta53%Cobb33%GA35%
  • 40% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsCobb County: 22% Marietta40%Cobb22%GA16%
  • 26,868 Housing units
  • 61,773 Residents
  • 35% Homes built before 1980Cobb County: 28% Marietta35%Cobb28%GA32%
  • 76 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueCobb County: 72 Marietta76Cobb72GA70

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.

Marietta specifics

Census figures show 15% of Marietta households moved in since 2021, and a new resident often has not yet found the main shutoff. Find it before you need it. In a house, it is usually where the line enters, in a basement, crawl space or garage, or at the meter near the street. In an apartment, and 40% of local homes are in buildings with 5 or more units, you may control only the valves under sinks and behind toilets, so call the manager and, if water is coming from above, knock on that door.

Older homes need a lighter hand. With 35% of homes built before 1980, older gate valves can stick or snap, so turn them slowly and call the water utility if one will not close. Photograph the source and the damage before you move anything.

Cold nights change what you watch for. Marietta averages 62 nights a year at or below 32 degrees and 7 at or below 20, by NOAA climate normals. A pipe in an exterior wall can freeze, split and leak only after it thaws, so check walls and ceilings along outside walls the morning after a hard freeze. On those nights, open sink cabinets on outside walls and let faucets drip.

If storm water reaches a basement or crawl space, keep the power off to those areas and treat the water as Category 3. Burst pipe cleanup and storm cleanup start the same way in the Marietta area: stop the water, cut the power, take photos, then call.

What to leave alone until help arrives

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.

Marietta questions after a leak

Should I run fans to dry water damage myself in Marietta?

For a small clean-water spill on a hard floor, yes. For water that soaked carpet pad, ran into walls or came from sewage or outside, extraction and dehumidifiers are needed; household fans leave water inside the structure.

Is it safe to turn the power back on after water damage?

Not in rooms where water reached outlets, cords, the electrical panel or appliances until they have been checked. Leave the breakers for wet rooms off and ask the crew or an electrician before restoring power. Never stand in water to reach a breaker.

Where is the main water shutoff in a Marietta house?

Look where the supply line comes in: a basement or crawl space wall facing the street, near the water heater, a utility room, or the meter box at the curb, which may need a meter key. Turn clockwise to close.

How long can water sit before mold starts in a Marietta home?

Mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours on wet drywall, carpet pad and wood, according to the EPA. That is why extraction and drying start as soon as possible, and why wet materials that cannot be dried in that window are often removed. Warm, humid rooms move faster than cool, dry ones.

Can I stay in my Marietta home during water damage drying?

With a clean-water leak, most people stay home while the equipment runs. With sewage or floodwater, the affected area is sealed off and some households move out for a few days. Ask the crew what the water category means for your Marietta home.

More Marietta guides

The Marietta guides index

One call for water damage in Marietta

Calls answered 24/7. The estimate is in writing before work begins.

Call (833) 728-2327Calls answered 24/7
Call (833) 728-2327, answered 24/7