The True Day 45 Protocol

Our documented six-step water damage response methodology, applied to every emergency call in South Jordan and Salt Lake County.

Published September 27, 2026 · Version 1.0 · Authored by Michael Bass, Owner, True Day Water Damage Restoration · Utah Contractor License #960332-3505 · IICRC Certified Firm #927354-5258

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What the True Day 45 Protocol Is

The True Day 45 Protocol is our published, documented, repeatable six-step response methodology for every water damage emergency we respond to. It is the operational commitment behind our 45-minute arrival guarantee and the framework that governs every project from the first ringing phone to the final documented dry certificate. Most restoration companies describe their process in general terms — “we respond quickly,” “we dry your home,” “we work with insurance.” The True Day 45 Protocol is different because it is specific, ordered, measurable, and enforceable. Every step has a defined trigger, a defined action, and a defined completion criterion. If we skip a step, we have failed to execute the protocol — and you can hold us to it. This page documents the full protocol so you know exactly what to expect when you call True Day at (385) 247-9359. It is also our published standard for other restoration professionals, insurance adjusters, and property managers who want to understand how a real emergency response should be structured.

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Step 1 — Live Answer

Trigger: Your phone call to (385) 247-9359. Standard: Answered live by a human within 3 rings, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No voicemail. No automated menu. After hours, a live answering service takes your call and pages the on-call technician. Action: The person answering — often Michael Bass himself — takes your address, the nature of the water event, and any immediate safety concerns. They give you a specific technician’s name and estimated arrival time before you hang up. Why it matters: Emergency water damage does not wait for business hours. A call that goes to voicemail at 2 AM is a call that produces an additional 6 to 8 hours of moisture migration before response begins. Live answering is the difference between a 3-day drying project and a 10-day mold remediation project.

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Step 2 — Dispatch

Trigger: Call intake complete. Standard: The named technician leaves our office at 11268 S 2865 W within 5 minutes of the call ending. Emergency response vehicle is loaded and staged for immediate deployment at all times. Action: The technician confirms equipment inventory on the vehicle for the damage type described (extraction, drying, containment if Category 3), reviews the address, and begins the drive. If the technician is on another job, another technician is dispatched or the project is coordinated to ensure the arrival guarantee is met. Why it matters: A restoration company that dispatches from a regional call center 30 miles away cannot meet the 45-minute arrival guarantee anywhere except by accident. True Day dispatches from South Jordan itself, which is why our arrival times are structurally shorter than any out-of-city competitor.

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Step 3 — 45-Minute Arrival

Trigger: Dispatch complete. Standard: True Day technician on-site at your property within 45 minutes of the call being answered. Written into every service agreement. If missed under normal conditions, your emergency inspection is free. Action: The technician arrives with a fully-loaded emergency response vehicle including FLIR thermal imaging camera, calibrated penetrating moisture meters, portable water extractor, industrial air movers, LGR dehumidifier, HEPA containment materials, PPE for Category 3 events, and standard demolition tools. They walk in ready to assess and begin extraction, not to schedule a return visit. Why it matters: Every hour of delay increases the affected square footage of moisture migration, increases the risk of mold colonization (which begins at 24 hours), and increases the total restoration cost. Fast arrival is not a marketing claim — it is the difference between a manageable event and a major project. The full terms of the arrival guarantee are published at our Response Time Guarantee page.

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Step 4 — Moisture Map

Trigger: Arrival on-site. Standard: Complete moisture footprint documented using FLIR thermal imaging and calibrated penetrating moisture meters, with monitoring points established at all wet locations, before any equipment is placed or any scope is submitted to your insurance carrier. Action: Technician performs FLIR thermal scan of affected and adjacent areas, identifies wet zones on the thermal image, confirms with direct moisture meter readings at multiple points, and documents the moisture map with photos, meter readings, and category assessment (Category 1 clean water, Category 2 gray water, Category 3 black water per IICRC S500 standard). This moisture map becomes the baseline for your insurance carrier’s Xactimate scope and the reference for daily drying progress verification. Why it matters: The moisture map is the single most consequential document in the entire restoration project. Once the affected area is dried and reconstructed, the moisture scope that existed on day one cannot be re-established from evidence — it can only be inferred. The map we establish in Step 4 is what your insurance carrier compensates you for, and what future homeowners buying your property will see in disclosure documents. Getting Step 4 wrong or skipping it leaves you with an unproveable scope and a partial claim payout.

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Step 5 — Daily Documented Drying

Trigger: Extraction complete and drying equipment deployed. Standard: Calibrated penetrating moisture meter readings recorded at all monitoring points every day the equipment is running. Daily report generated and shared with the homeowner and, if requested, directly with the insurance adjuster. Action: Technician visits the property daily (Monday through Friday, plus weekend visits when the drying stage requires it), reads all monitoring points, adjusts equipment placement or capacity as the vapor load decreases, and documents readings in the project file. Homeowner receives an end-of-day text or phone summary with current readings, work completed, and next-day plan. Why it matters: Structural drying is a measurable engineering process, not a matter of “wait a few days and see.” Species-specific dry standards for framing (typically 6 to 12 percent depending on wood species), drywall (dry at 0.5 to 1.0 percent), and OSB subflooring (dry below 10 percent) are documented in the IICRC S500 standard. Daily verification prevents the two most common restoration failures: (1) declaring the project complete before actual dry standard is reached, which produces mold colonization 2 to 8 weeks after reconstruction; and (2) leaving equipment running longer than necessary, which inflates the insurance claim and the homeowner’s disruption.

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Step 6 — Dry Certificate

Trigger: All monitoring points at species-specific dry standard for two consecutive daily readings. Standard: Written Dry Certificate issued to homeowner and to insurance carrier upon documented completion. Certificate names the moisture standard achieved at each monitoring point, dates of achievement, equipment deployment, and completion signatures. Action: Technician issues the Dry Certificate as a formal document. If the project scope includes reconstruction (drywall, flooring, finish work), that phase begins after the Dry Certificate is issued — not before, and never overlapping with active drying. If reconstruction is being performed by another contractor, they receive the Dry Certificate as their prerequisite for beginning their scope. Why it matters: Every project needs a defined endpoint. The Dry Certificate is that endpoint — a documented statement that the drying phase is complete to industry standard, verifiable by any third party (independent industrial hygienist, insurance adjuster, buying agent during future sale, mold assessor). It also unlocks the reconstruction phase, marks the completion of the mitigation portion of your insurance claim, and starts the clock on our written Limited Workmanship Warranty coverage. Full warranty terms are published at our Warranty page.

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What the True Day 45 Protocol Is Not

The True Day 45 Protocol is a mitigation and drying framework — it is not a total-project framework. It does not include:

• The reconstruction phase — which begins after Step 6 and follows separate contractor scope, timeline, and warranty terms.
• Mold remediation — which follows the separate ANSI/IICRC S520 standard when a moisture event has progressed to microbial colonization. See our mold remediation page.
• Category 3 sewage cleanup beyond drying — which requires additional PPE, containment, and post-remediation clearance testing beyond the drying protocol scope. See our sewage cleanup page.
• Structural or foundation repairs — which require separate structural engineering consultation and follow separate Utah building code requirements.

Each of those specialized scopes has its own documented protocol and standard.

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Every Step, Every Time

The True Day 45 Protocol applies to every emergency response we make. It applies to the 2 AM Sunday call as it applies to the 10 AM Tuesday call. It applies to the small kitchen appliance leak as it applies to the full basement flood. It applies to the homeowner paying out of pocket and to the homeowner working through insurance. If you receive service from True Day that does not follow this protocol on any step, we consider that a project failure on our part. Email info@truedaywaterdamagerestoration.xyz or call Michael directly at (385) 247-9359, and we will make it right.

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The Six Steps at a Glance

Step	Standard	Completion Criterion
1 — Live Answer	Answered live 24/7 within 3 rings, no voicemail	Technician name and ETA given to caller
2 — Dispatch	Vehicle departs office within 5 minutes of call end	Named technician en route with loaded equipment
3 — 45-Minute Arrival	On-site within 45 minutes of call, written guarantee	Technician at property with response vehicle
4 — Moisture Map	FLIR + calibrated meters documented at all wet points	Moisture map complete with photos and readings
5 — Daily Documented Drying	Daily readings at all monitoring points, homeowner + adjuster updates	All points at species-specific dry standard for 2 consecutive days
6 — Dry Certificate	Written certificate issued to homeowner + carrier	Certificate signed and delivered, warranty period begins

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Related Reading

• Water Damage Restoration Services
• 45-Minute Arrival Guarantee (Full Written Terms)
• Written Limited Workmanship Warranty
• Free Inspection Policy
• Equipment We Bring to Every Job
• How to Verify a Restoration Company
• Facts About True Day
• About Michael Bass, Owner

Protocol version 1.0 — Published September 27, 2026 · Next review: October 2026