How Home Emergency Line works
Home Emergency Line is an independent referral service. We connect homeowners with independent local companies that are registered and insured. We do not perform restoration, plumbing or repair work, and we are not affiliated with any government agency, utility or insurer.
What our referral service does
Water damage is time-sensitive and most people face it a few times in their lives at most. We do two things to help:
1. Free, sourced guides
We publish step-by-step guides for the first hours after a burst pipe, leak, sewage backup or flood, plus local water utility emergency numbers, cost ranges and insurance basics. Every fact links back to a public source such as the U.S. EPA, the American Red Cross, NOAA, city utilities or the Idaho Department of Insurance. See our editorial policy.
2. One call to a local company
When our local phone line is live in your area, one call connects you with an independent water damage company that serves it, or with a referral partner that connects you with one. You do not have to search, compare and call five companies while water is on the floor.
What happens when you call
- A short recorded message tells you the call may be recorded for quality and that you will be connected with a local provider.
- You say or confirm what is going on, for example "water damage happening now", so the call goes to the right kind of company.
- You are connected to an independent company that serves your area, or to a referral partner that connects you with one.
- You speak with that company directly about timing, the work and the price. Any agreement for work is between you and that company.
How our referral service is paid
Calling is free for homeowners. The companies and referral partners we connect callers with pay us for calls and referrals. That is how we keep the guides free and without paywalls.
Payment does not change the guides
Safety steps, costs and insurance facts in our guides come from the cited sources, not from the companies that pay us. We do not sell placements inside guide text, and we do not publish reviews or testimonials written by us or by paying companies.
What we do not do
- We do not perform restoration, plumbing or repair work, and we do not employ the technicians who do.
- We do not give insurance or legal advice and cannot promise what your insurer will pay.
- We are not a government agency, utility or insurer, and we are not an emergency service. For danger to people, call 911.
- We do not guarantee the work of any company. Check them before you sign anything (below).
How to check any company before work starts
Registration and insurance
In Idaho, contractors must register with the Idaho Contractors Board for jobs over about $2,000, and registration requires liability insurance. Look up the company at dopl.idaho.gov. Plumbers in Idaho hold a separate plumbing license.
Questions to ask
- Are your technicians IICRC-certified in water damage restoration?
- When can someone be on site, and who will it be?
- Will you record daily moisture readings and photos for my insurer?
- Will you give me a written, itemized estimate before repairs beyond emergency drying?
- Are you asking me to sign an assignment of my insurance benefits? What does it allow you to do?
Quick answers
Is calling Home Emergency Line free?
Yes. Calling is free for homeowners. The companies and referral partners we connect callers with pay us for calls and referrals.
Do you do the restoration or plumbing work?
No. We are an independent referral service. The work, the price and any contract are between you and the company you speak with.
Can I choose a different company?
Always. You are never obliged to hire anyone you are connected with, and you can use our guides without calling at all.
Are calls recorded?
Calls may be recorded for quality and billing. A recorded message tells you this at the start of every call, before you are connected.