Homeowner guide
A pipe burst. Here is what to do first.
How to stop the water, limit the damage, and keep it from happening again in the next freeze.
Start here
Shut off the water
Every minute a burst pipe runs, more water reaches walls, floors and ceilings. Shutting it off is the first job.
Most homes have a main shutoff valve where the water line enters the house, often near the water heater, in the garage or on an exterior wall. There is also a valve at the meter box near the street. Find yours and make sure it turns before you need it.
If the burst pipe is on the hot side, turn off the water heater too. If water is near outlets or the electrical panel, read the safety steps in what to do in the first hour before you go in.
Next
After the water is off
- Open a faucet at the lowest point of the house to drain the lines.
- Take photos and video of the break and everything the water reached, before you clean up.
- Move belongings out of wet rooms and off wet floors.
- Get standing water out with towels or a wet vacuum.
- Call your insurance company to report it, and call a water damage restoration company to start drying.
- Get the pipe repaired before the water goes back on.
Cold snaps
Why freezes hit Central Texas homes hard
Central Texas homes are built for heat. Pipes often run through exterior walls, attics and unheated garages with little insulation, so a hard freeze that would be routine further north can split them. The February 2021 freeze showed how quickly that happens across the Austin metro.
A frozen pipe often does not leak until it thaws. If a pipe froze overnight, watch it closely as temperatures rise.
Before the next freeze
- Insulate pipes in the attic, garage and exterior walls.
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor spigots.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Let faucets on outside walls drip during a hard freeze.
- If you travel, keep the heat on, and know how to shut off the water.
The hidden part
Why a burst pipe needs drying, not just a repair
Fixing the pipe stops new water. It does not dry what is already wet. Water from a burst line travels into wall cavities, under flooring and into the ceiling below. If those materials are closed up wet, they keep damaging the house from the inside.
We measure moisture inside walls, floors and cabinets, open only what has to be opened, dry the structure and keep checking until materials are back to normal. Then the same team rebuilds. See how that works on our water damage restoration page.
Call (512) 838-4236, someone answers, day or night.