Revised Standard Published For Water Damage Restoration

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) announced the publication of a newly-revised, ANSI-approved ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration (5th edition, 2021).  

The standard describes the procedures to be followed and the precautions to be taken when performing water damage restoration in residential, commercial, and institutional buildings, and the systems and personal property contained within those structures.

Water damage restoration consists of the following components for which procedures are described in the standard:

- Principles of Water Damage Restoration

- Microbiology of Water Damage

- Health Effects from Exposure to Microbial Contamination in Water-Damaged Buildings

- Building and Material Science

- Psychrometry and Drying Technology

- Equipment, Instruments, and Tools

- Antimicrobial (biocide) Technology

- Safety and Health

- Administrative Procedures, Project Documentation, and Risk Management

- Inspections, Preliminary Determinations, and Pre-Restoration Evaluations

- Limitations, Complexities, Complications, and Conflicts

- Specialized Experts

- Structural Restoration

- Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Restoration

- Contents Evaluation, Restoration, and Remediation

- Large or Catastrophic Restoration Projects

- Materials and Assemblies

“I am confident the ANSI/IICRC S500: 2021 release will help many in the water damage restoration profession," said Brandon Burton, IICRC Standards chairman. "The changes made were an effort to take an already well-established and respected standard one step further in clarity, while addressing many changes in our continuously growing and maturing industry. Although the changes made can be found in each section of the document, the greatest efforts were made to the organization and flow of the standard.”