Make the house safe, then document it
Stop more water if you can do it safely. Shut off the supply for a plumbing leak. Stay out of standing water near electricity. Then photograph before you clean up: each room, the source if you can see it, and belongings before they are moved. A written list of damaged items belongs with the photos.
Do not throw damaged materials away until they are photographed, if you can store them without a safety problem. If something is a hazard, note why you removed it and keep the pictures.
Call your insurer
Report the loss to the company that wrote the policy, or to the agent who can start that report. Ask how they want the notice given, and ask what deadline your policy uses. Many policies say notice should be prompt. They do not all use the same number of days, so the policy or the insurer is the source for that, not a contractor.
Write down the claim number, the name of the person you spoke with, and what they told you to do next. Ask whether they want an adjuster to see the damage before permanent repairs, and what temporary protection they expect in the meantime.
Limit further damage
Homeowners policies commonly require you to protect the property from further damage and to keep records of reasonable costs. Yours may say it differently. Read the conditions, or ask the insurer. Stopping the water, tarping an opening, and drying wet materials are the usual meaning of that duty. They are not a promise that the policy will pay for them.
Keep receipts. Photograph the temporary work. Avoid permanent repairs that hide the damage before the adjuster has seen it, unless the insurer tells you to proceed or leaving it open would make the loss worse. If you have to cover something, photograph it first.
Meet the adjuster
The adjuster works for the insurer. Be there if you can. Walk the rooms with your photos, point out damage that is easy to miss, and ask what was measured. You can share the packet you made. You can also ask, in writing, for anything you do not understand.
A public adjuster is a separate license: someone a homeowner can hire to represent them with the insurance company. Elite Restorations is not a public adjuster. We are the contractor. We can photograph the conditions and do the drying and the repairs. We do not negotiate the claim, and we do not tell you what the policy owes.