Drying Log / Moisture Readings Documentation
The day-by-day moisture-reading record a restoration crew keeps for every affected material and room throughout a drying job, per IICRC S500, the paper trail proving a structure was actually returned to a dry standard before it gets closed back up.
Why it matters
Without a drying log, there's no way to prove how many days of equipment rental and labor a job actually required, which is exactly the kind of line item an insurer disputes first when a bill looks high.
On a real project
A five-day drying job logs moisture readings for the subfloor, drywall, and framing in each affected room every day, showing the numbers trending down toward a dry standard until the final reading confirms it, before equipment is pulled and the job is closed.
Who this matters most to
An Insurance Restoration Estimator submits the drying log alongside the invoice to justify billed equipment days to the insurer.
Where this goes wrong
A restoration company submits a final invoice for a multi-day drying job without a supporting drying log showing daily moisture readings. The insurer's adjuster disputes the number of drying days billed, since there's no documentation proving equipment was actually needed that long, and cuts the payment down to a guessed, shorter timeline.