Kitchen in a Houston home with water spreading across the tile floor from an open sink cabinet where a supply line split

Burst Pipes Repair and the Water Damage Left Behind

A pipe bursts and the water keeps coming. First close the main shutoff if it is safe to reach. A plumber repairs the pipe; a water damage restoration company dries the walls, floors and cabinets. Call the free line at any hour to reach a local restoration company.

Call (832) 662-4107 Burst pipe repair cost

Burst pipes repair is really two jobs

When people search for burst pipes repair, they usually need two different trades, and knowing which is which saves hours.

The first job is the pipe. A plumber finds the break, cuts out the damaged section and replaces it, or reroutes the line if the break is somewhere hard to reach. That is plumbing work, and it needs a plumber, not a drying company.

The second job is everything the water touched. Drywall soaks water up from the bottom, carpet pad holds it like a sponge, and the particleboard in cabinet bases swells. A water damage restoration company removes the water, opens up what it must, dries the structure with dehumidifiers and air movers, and measures until the materials are dry. That second job is what this line connects you to.

Water Damage Pro Houston is neither a plumber nor a restoration company; it is a no-cost number to call. It answers at any hour and transfers your call to an independent, locally owned restoration company that serves your part of greater Houston. The company looks at the wet rooms, writes its estimate, handles the drying and bills you or your insurer as you arrange.

Sagging stained ceiling drywall in a Houston hallway below an upstairs bathroom where a pipe burst, with a bucket on the floor

The first ten minutes after a pipe bursts

Do these in order, and only if each one is safe. Water is coming in until the shutoff is closed, so that comes first.

1. Close the main shutoff

Turn the main water shutoff valve to the off position if you can reach it safely. Many homes have a house valve where the line enters the home, often near an outside faucet, in the garage or in a utility closet; if you cannot find one, the valve at the meter box stops the water too. In the City of Houston, the line from the meter to the house belongs to the property owner; the line from the street to the meter belongs to the city.

2. Keep away from power

Never walk into standing water near outlets, cords or appliances, and never touch an electrical device while standing in water. Switch power off at the breaker only if you can reach the panel while standing on a dry floor. If water is coming through a ceiling light or the panel is in a wet area, leave the area and call CenterPoint Energy or an electrician.

3. Photograph, then call

Take photos and video of the broken pipe, the wet rooms and damaged belongings before anything is moved or thrown out. Move valuables and photos to a dry room. Then call a plumber for the pipe, this line for the drying, and your insurer to report the loss.

If you smell gas at any point, leave the house now and call 911 and CenterPoint Energy's gas leak line (713-659-2111) from outside. Do not flip switches on the way out.

House leak or city water emergency?

A lot of Houston searches for an emergency water shutoff or the city water emergency number come from people who are not sure whose leak it is. The difference decides who you call.

Who to call for different kinds of leaks in Houston
What you see	Whose problem it usually is	Who to call
Water bubbling up in the street, a broken main, a leak before the meter	The water utility	In the City of Houston, 311 or 713.837.0311 (24 hours) or online at Houston 311. Elsewhere, your city water department or MUD.
A wet spot in the yard between the meter and the house	The property owner (private service line)	A plumber
A burst pipe inside a wall, ceiling, cabinet or attic	The property owner	A plumber for the pipe, a restoration company for the drying
A leak under the slab	The property owner	A plumber who does leak detection, then a restoration company if floors or walls got wet
Water near an electrical panel, or a gas smell	A safety emergency	911, and CenterPoint Energy from outside

Houston 311 lists water and sewer leaks among the most common reasons people call, and its line is answered around the clock. Outside the city limits, many neighborhoods get water from their own city or from a municipal utility district (MUD), a local water district with its own operator. The name and contact for yours are on your water bill; look before you need it.

If a private leak ran up your water bill, the City of Houston water billing site has an adjustment request form. Ask what proof of the repair it needs, and keep the plumber's bill and every receipt.

The February 2021 freeze and why Houston pipes are exposed

Houston rarely sees a hard freeze, and in many homes water lines run through attics, exterior walls and garages, sometimes with little insulation. In February 2021, the winter storm the National Weather Service tracked across Southeast Texas brought extreme cold together with long power outages. Homes lost heat, pipes froze and split, and many houses found the damage only when the ice thawed and the water started running. Some homes went days without water service, and the City of Houston kept a citywide boil water notice in place from February 17 to 21. The storm became federal major disaster DR-4586.

The lesson for the next cold snap is about timing. A frozen pipe often does not leak until it thaws, so check the attic, the garage and the cabinets under sinks on exterior walls as the weather warms. If you see water coming through a ceiling, close the main shutoff before you do anything else.

The first 48 hours guide walks through what to do once the water is stopped, hour by hour.

Exposed water line running through the attic of a Houston home above pink insulation, with a split section and a wet stain on the decking

Slab leaks on Houston slab foundations

Many Houston area homes sit on a concrete slab foundation, poured directly on the ground, and many have water lines that run under or through that slab. When one of those lines leaks, nothing bursts dramatically. Water spreads under the floor and finds its way up slowly.

Signs that point to a slab leak

A water bill that jumps with no change in use
The sound of running water when every fixture is off
A warm spot on the floor (a hot water line)
Damp or lifting flooring, or carpet wet in one area with no source above
A water meter that keeps turning with everything off

Who handles which part

A plumber with leak detection equipment finds the leak and decides whether to repair it under the slab or reroute the line through the walls or attic. If water has already soaked flooring, baseboards or the bottom of walls, a restoration company dries them. Slab moisture is slow to dry and is the kind of dense material the IICRC places in its hardest drying class, so ask the company how it will measure when the slab is dry before the floor goes back down.

Because a slab leak can run for weeks before anyone notices, it raises an insurance question too. The Texas Department of Insurance says most policies cover sudden and accidental water damage but not gradual leaks. Ask your insurer how it treats a slab leak, whether it pays to access the pipe, and what proof it wants.

What the restoration company does after the pipe is fixed

Finds where the water went. Water from a burst pipe travels inside walls, under cabinets and through ceilings. A moisture meter, a tool that reads how wet a material is, maps the wet area beyond what you can see.
Sorts the water. Water from a clean supply line starts as Category 1, clean water, under the IICRC S500 standard. The standard notes that clean water can degrade to Category 2 or 3 as it sits, which is one reason the start time matters.
Removes water and wet materials. Standing water is extracted. Wet carpet pad, swollen trim and drywall that cannot be dried in place may come out.
Dries and checks. Dehumidifiers and air movers run, and the company takes readings until the materials reach normal levels. The EPA says drying within 24 to 48 hours usually prevents mold.
Hands off to repair. Once dry, drywall, paint, floors and cabinets are replaced. That is water damage repair, often estimated separately.

Pipe fixed, or the water at least shut off? Call the free line and get connected with an independent local restoration company. It looks at the wet areas in person and gives you its own estimate before drying starts.

Call (832) 662-4107

Questions to ask before drying starts

Where did the water travel, and will you show me the moisture readings?
What category did you assign, and does that change what has to be removed?
How many days do you expect drying to take, and how will you decide it is done?
Is your estimate in writing, and does it cover drying only or repairs too?
If you find mold, what happens next and who does that work?

For what plumbers and drying companies typically charge, and what pushes the price up, see the burst pipe repair cost guide. If mold has already appeared, read mold remediation and check any mold license on TDLR.

Check the mold license first. In Texas, mold assessment and mold remediation are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). In most cases visible mold under 25 contiguous square feet can be cleaned by people without a license; larger jobs generally call for a licensed mold assessment consultant to write the remediation protocol and a separate licensed mold remediation contractor to do the work. Ask for both license numbers and look them up on the TDLR license search (opens in a new tab). The line does not check licenses for you.

Getting connected

Call the line, say that a pipe burst, whether water is still coming in and where in greater Houston you are. The automated assistant transfers you to an independent, locally owned restoration company. If no one there can pick up, the company receives your name, number, area and problem to call you back.

Dial the numberAn automated assistant picks up (832) 662-4107 at any hour, holidays included.
Say what happenedA burst pipe, a flood, a roof or appliance leak, a sewage backup or mold, whether water is still coming in, and where in greater Houston you are.
Get connectedYour call is transferred to an independent, locally owned water damage restoration company, which hears a short summary first.
Work with that companyIt inspects, quotes, does the work and bills you or your insurer as you arrange. If it misses the call, it gets your name, number, area and problem to call you back.

About this line: Water Damage Pro Houston is a free phone line, not a restoration company. It answers your call and connects you with an independent local water damage restoration company, which inspects, quotes and does the work, and which you pay directly. Companies may pay a referral fee. The line never charges you. Read how the line works.

Common questions

Do I call a plumber or a restoration company when a pipe bursts?

Usually both, in that order of jobs but often at the same time. A plumber finds and repairs the broken pipe. A water damage restoration company removes the water, dries the drywall, floor and cabinets and checks moisture so mold does not start. This line connects you with an independent local restoration company; it does not send plumbers or do plumbing. Close the main shutoff first if it is safe to reach.

How do I report a water leak in Houston, Texas?

If the leak is on the City of Houston side, such as water bubbling up in the street, a broken main or a leak between the main and your meter, report it to Houston 311 by dialing 311 inside the city or 713.837.0311 from anywhere, or online through Houston 311. If the leak is on your side of the meter or inside the house, it is yours to fix: close your shutoff and call a plumber. In a town with its own water utility or a MUD, call that utility instead.

How often do pipes burst in homes and apartments?

No public agency publishes a reliable count for Houston, so be wary of anyone who quotes one. What is known is the causes: freezing, which is rare in Houston but caused widespread bursts in February 2021; old or corroded pipe; a failed fitting or braided supply line under a sink, toilet or washer; high water pressure; and shifting soil under slab foundations. In an apartment, a burst in the unit above can soak yours, so tell management right away and photograph the damage.

Is burst pipe water damage covered by homeowners insurance?

The Texas Department of Insurance says most homeowner and renters policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, such as a burst pipe, but not slow leaks or seepage over time, or the mold from them. Call your insurer, ask what your policy covers for this loss and what the deadline is to report it.

What should I do if the city water goes out or there is a boil water notice?

Follow the notice from your water provider until it says the notice is lifted. During the February 2021 storm, the City of Houston kept a citywide boil water notice in place from February 17 to 21. When water service comes back after a freeze, walk the house and watch for new leaks, because a pipe that split while frozen often leaks only when pressure returns.

Pipe burst and the floor is wet? Call the free line

Tell the automated assistant what happened and whether water is still coming in. Your call is passed to an independent, locally owned Houston-area water damage restoration company, which comes out, looks at the damage and sets its own price.