What a contents pack-out is
Short answer
A contents pack-out in Oklahoma City means moving furniture and belongings out of water-damaged rooms so floors and walls can be dried and repaired, with every item photographed and listed. Wet items are cleaned and dried, ruined items are documented for your claim, and everything else is stored and returned when the rooms are ready.
What the job involves
Why belongings move before drying can work
Drying needs open floors and walls. Furniture on wet carpet keeps it from being floated, boxes against a wall hide a wet bottom plate, and anything sitting on a damp floor keeps soaking water up.
Moving things also protects them. Wood furniture stains carpet and swells, cardboard boxes collapse, and paper and photos keep wicking water the longer they sit.
The inventory is the part people thank us for later. Every item that moves gets photographed and listed, so nothing goes missing and your claim has a record of what was damaged.
What drives the price
What a contents pack-out costs depend on
Pack-out cost depends on volume and how long things stay out. Pack-out pricing isn't published locally in a way we'd rely on, so it's estimated at the walkthrough.
How much moves
One bedroom is a small job; a whole floor of belongings is a large one.
Cleaning needed
Dry items just need storage; wet ones need drying and cleaning.
Storage time
Longer repairs mean longer storage.
Special items
Pianos, safes, electronics and artwork need extra handling.
Moving furniture off wet floors
For small jobs, moving furniture to a dry room in the house is enough. We block legs, cover upholstery, and stage pieces so they don't block air movers or the path to the equipment. Heavy items like pianos, gun safes and large dressers are moved carefully or blocked in place when moving them isn't safe. Anything moved is noted so it goes back where it came from when the floor is dry.
Off-site contents drying
When several rooms are affected or repairs will take a while, contents are packed, labeled by room and taken to a dry, secure space. Wet items are separated from dry ones on the way out. There, furniture, textiles, books and documents are dried and cleaned as each material needs, and items that can't be saved are photographed and set aside for your decision. Everything comes back labeled to the room it left from.
Photo inventory
Every box and every piece is photographed and listed as it leaves, with the room it came from and its condition. Damaged items get a second photo showing the damage. That list becomes the contents portion of your claim, and it's how we make sure the same number of things come back as went out. You get a copy, and we walk through it with you on the return. Fragile or valuable items get extra photos from more than one side.
On the visit
What a contents pack-out includes
- Walkthrough to agree on what moves
- Photos and a room-by-room inventory
- Packing and labeling by room
- Separating wet items from dry
- Drying and cleaning wet contents
- Documentation of items that can't be saved
- Secure storage while rooms are repaired
- Return and placement by room
Local conditions
After the big storms
The May 20, 2013 tornado destroyed about 1,150 homes across Moore, and losses on that scale show why contents work matters: belongings that survived a storm can still be ruined by the rain that follows through a damaged roof. Most of our pack-outs are far smaller, a flooded bedroom or a basement-level den, but the steps are the same. Get things off the wet floor, photograph them, and keep them dry until the house is ready.
Step by step
How a contents pack-out runs
- 01
Walk through with you
We agree on what moves, what stays, and anything you want handled personally.
- 02
Photograph and label
Every item is photographed, labeled by room and listed before it moves.
- 03
Pack and move
Items are packed and moved to a dry room or off-site storage, wet separated from dry.
- 04
Clean and dry
Wet items are dried and cleaned by material; ruined items are documented.
- 05
Return and reset
Once the rooms are repaired, everything comes back labeled to its room.
Timing
How long belongings are out
For a small job, furniture may only move to another room for the few days drying takes. For larger losses, contents usually stay out until repairs are finished, which can be a few weeks. We give you the expected timeline at the start and tell you if repairs push it back.
Straight answers
Questions about this job
No. Only what's in the way of drying or repairs, or what got wet. Many jobs only need furniture moved within the house.
Yes. Medications, documents, valuables and anything you need day to day should stay with you. Tell us at the walkthrough.
They're photographed and listed for your claim and set aside. Nothing is thrown out without your OK.
Many can be air-dried or frozen to stop damage until they can be handled. Tell us early which ones matter most.
When the water loss is covered, moving, cleaning and storing contents is commonly part of the claim. The inventory supports it.
Every item is on the inventory with a photo, and we check it off on the return with you.