IICRC S500: ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration

About this source

The restoration industry's consensus standard for drying out buildings after water damage. It defines the categories of water (how contaminated it is) and the classes of water intrusion (how much has to be dried), the terms most water-damage estimates and insurance scopes use. For visible or suspected mold it points to the S520. Not law in Texas.

Copyrighted by the IICRC. We summarize it in our own words with page citations and never reproduce its text. Buy the standard from the IICRC to read it.

Chapters and where we cover them

We don't reproduce this standard. These topics explain each chapter in our own words, with page citations.

• Intro: Introduction: how the Reference Guide relates to the S520 Standard p. 8
• Ch. 1: Principles of Mold Remediation pp. 9–12
• Ch. 2: The Fungal Biology of Indoor Environments pp. 13–17
• Ch. 3: Health Effects from Indoor Exposure to Mold in Water/Moisture-Impacted Buildings pp. 18–32
• Ch. 4: Building and Material Science pp. 33–49
• Ch. 5: Equipment, Tools and Materials pp. 50–69
• Ch. 6: Safety and Health pp. 70–79
• Ch. 7: Administrative Procedures, Documentation, and Risk Management pp. 80–92
• Ch. 8: Inspection and Preliminary Determination pp. 93–100
• Ch. 9: Limitations, Complexities, Complications and Conflicts pp. 101–104
• Ch. 10: Indoor Environmental Professionals and Assessments pp. 105–108
• Ch. 11: Structural Remediation pp. 109–126
• Ch. 12: HVAC Remediation pp. 127–133
• Ch. 13: Contents Remediation pp. 135–150
• Back matter: Industry Acronyms pp. 151–152
• Back matter: Glossary of Terms pp. 153–186
• Back matter: Conversion Charts p. 187
• Back matter: Sources and Source Acknowledgements pp. 188–189
• Back matter: Index pp. 191–194

Topics that cite this source

• Category 1, 2 and 3 water: how dirty was the water? The water-damage industry sorts water by how contaminated it is, judged by where it came from and what it picked up on the way. The category decides how much can be... Best practice
• Class 1 to 4 water intrusion: how much has to be dried? Where the category describes how dirty the water is, the class describes how big the drying job is: an estimate of how much water has to be evaporated, made at the... Best practice
• The five principles of water damage restoration The S500 organizes every water job around five principles, and all of them depend on getting there fast. First, protect the health and safety of workers and... Best practice
• What grows after water damage — and why speed matters Bacteria and fungi live in ordinary household dust and on building materials, and in a dry, routinely cleaned home they cause no trouble. Once water gets in or... Best practice
• Health risks from water damage and sewage The S500 treats microbial contamination after water damage as a public health problem for both occupants and workers. Floodwater brings soil bacteria and fungi that... Best practice
• Building science: how water moves through a house Drying works with physics, not against it. Heat moves toward cold, wet moves toward dry, high pressure moves toward low, and everything heads for equilibrium. A... Best practice
• When a water job turns up mold or asbestos Buildings that stayed wet a long time, or are wet over and over, can grow mold. The S500 says that when restorers find mold during a water job, any work that could... Best practice
• The OSHA rules behind water-damage and mold work There are few laws written specifically for water-damage restoration or mold remediation, but general workplace safety law still applies. The S500 bases its safety... Best practice
• Basic safe work habits on contaminated jobs On top of specific hazards like asbestos, sewage and confined spaces, the S500 lists everyday habits for anyone working in a contaminated area. No eating, drinking or... Best practice
• How a water-damage inspection should be done Before arriving, a restorer gathers what they can from the owner or their agent — the kind of building and how it's used, where the water came from and when, whether... Best practice
• The water-damage restoration workflow, step by step The S500's procedures put its five principles of water-damage restoration into practice: keep workers and occupants safe, document and inspect, stop further damage,... Best practice
• Cleaning up after contaminated water (Category 2 or 3) When the water is Category 2 or 3, the S500 says remediation comes before drying. The same applies when the building holds Condition 2 or 3 mold, a trauma or crime... Best practice
• Contracts, change orders and paperwork on a water-damage job The S500 expects a restoration company to run jobs on written paper: a signed work authorization from the owner (or their authorized agent) before any work, which can... Best practice
• When a water-damage job doesn't go to plan (S500) The S500 sorts project problems into four kinds and expects the restorer to understand them and tell the right people. Before non-emergency work starts, known or... Best practice
• Antimicrobials on water-damage jobs (S500) The S500 treats antimicrobials (biocides) as a supplement to cleaning, not a substitute: they come in when cleaning alone can't finish decontamination. Used wrongly... Best practice
• First steps after a clean-water leak (Category 1) With clean (Category 1) water, the S500's first job is getting liquid water out: soak it up, drain it, pump it or extract it, before any drying equipment goes on.... Best practice
• How restorative drying works (S500) The S500 frames drying as managing two things at once — the air inside the building and the moisture inside its materials and contents — which takes three skills:... Best practice
• Saving your belongings after water damage In the S500, "contents" means personal property and fixtures that aren't part of the building plans: furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, food and the rest.... Best practice
• HVAC systems after water damage An HVAC system that gets wet can quit, run poorly, or push humid air through the whole house. If Category 2 or 3 water reaches it, it can carry that contamination... Best practice