Shut the water main or have your maintenance person do it, cut power to wet areas, and call (413) 603-1274. We fix the pipe and dry the space to get you open again as fast as possible.
Why speed matters more for businesses
A burst pipe at a business costs twice: once for the damage and again for every day you are closed or working around it. Wet inventory, ruined ceiling tiles and soaked carpet in a waiting room can shut a business down. Getting the pipe fixed and the drying started on the same visit is how downtime stays short.
Buildings we work in
- Shops, offices and medical and dental offices
- Restaurants and food businesses
- Churches, halls and nonprofit buildings
- Apartment buildings and mixed-use buildings with stores below
- Mill conversions and older brick buildings
- Warehouses and buildings in business parks
What we do
- Stop the water and fix the pipe. Supply lines, valves and fixtures repaired and tested. Sprinkler systems are restored by your sprinkler contractor. See fire sprinkler pipe burst.
- Extract. Standing water removed from floors, carpet and storage areas.
- Protect inventory and equipment. Moved away from the water and documented.
- Dry the space. Equipment sized for the area, placed to let you keep working where it is safe.
- Document for insurance. Photos, moisture logs and lists of damaged stock.
- Repair ceilings, walls and floors once dry.
Commercial buildings in Chicopee
Chicopee has a lot of older commercial space: brick mill buildings along the Chicopee River and the canal, storefronts with apartments above on Front Street and in Chicopee Falls, churches and halls, and newer buildings near Westover and Memorial Drive. Older buildings often have pipes in unheated loading areas, stairwells and exterior walls. Mixed-use buildings add a twist: water from an apartment upstairs can close the business below.
Insurance
Commercial property policies usually cover sudden water damage. Business interruption coverage may pay for lost income while you are closed, if your policy includes it. Report quickly and keep records of damaged stock and lost days. See how to document water damage for insurance. General information only.
Make a water plan before winter
Most commercial water losses get worse because nobody on site knows what to do in the first ten minutes. A one-page plan posted near the time clock or office makes a big difference:
- Where the main water shut-off is, with a photo, and who has the key to that room
- Where the fire sprinkler control valve is, and a note that only the fire protection contractor or fire department should close it
- The electrical panel location and which breakers serve the basement or ground floor
- Names and numbers: owner, property manager, plumber, insurer, and a water damage company
- What to move first: stock on the floor, computers, records
- Who is allowed to approve emergency work
Documenting a business loss
Business owners usually have two parts to a water claim: the property damage and the income lost while closed or slowed down. Keep records from day one: photos of damaged stock with counts, the dates and hours you were closed or limited, sales records for the same period last year, and extra costs such as temporary space or overtime. If the building is leased, check your lease to see whether the landlord or the tenant insures and repairs which parts of the space. Tell your landlord in writing right away.
Restaurants and food businesses
Water in a kitchen or food storage area raises food safety questions. Food or packaging that touched dirty water usually has to be thrown out, and the area must be cleaned and sanitized before reopening. Contact the Chicopee Health Department if you are unsure what is required before you open again.
Getting open again sooner
Businesses rarely have to stay fully closed while a building dries. Wet areas can be sealed off with plastic and kept under negative air while the rest of the space stays open, and noisy equipment can run overnight and be turned down during business hours. Tell us when your busy times are and what areas you cannot lose, and the drying plan is built around that. See structural drying.
Commercial questions
Can we stay open during drying?
Often, in the dry parts of the building. We place equipment and barriers to keep customers and staff away from work areas.
Can you work around our business hours?
Ask when you call. Drying equipment runs around the clock once it is set, and noisy or disruptive work can often be scheduled around your business hours.
How do we prevent it next winter?
Keep heat in every space with water pipes, check stairwells and loading areas, and replace old shut-off valves. See pipe freeze protection.
Water in your business? Call now
Call (413) 603-1274 now. Locally owned in Chicopee. See areas we serve.