What to Do When a Pipe Bursts

Should I call the plumber or the water damage company first?

Stop the water first — that comes before either call. Then it depends on the state of the pipe: if water is still flowing from a break, the plumber fixes the source; the water damage provider extracts and dries what escaped. In practice most burst-pipe homes need both, close together. The number on this site, (000) 000-0000, covers the water damage side; ask them how they would sequence it with your plumber.

Which valve shuts off all the water to my house?

The main shut-off, usually near the front of the house where the water line enters, or at the meter box by the street. Every adult in the home should know where it is and be able to turn it — test it on a calm day, not during a flood. After closing it, open a low tap to drain pressure from the lines.

Is it safe to walk through the water to reach the valve?

Be careful. Water and electricity are the danger pair: if water is near outlets, appliances or your breaker panel, keep out and turn the power off at the panel only if you can reach it without standing in water. If you cannot reach the valve safely, use the meter box at the street, or call for help rather than wading in.

Should I start mopping up, or wait for the crew?

Start what is safe: move belongings out of the water, lift furniture onto blocks or foil-wrapped feet if you have them, and remove standing water with towels or a wet/dry vacuum if the water is clean and nowhere near electricity. Do not let cleanup delay the call — extraction and drying are measured from when the water stops spreading.

What if I cannot find the shut-off valve?

Try the meter box near the curb — the meter has a valve on the house side. If you cannot open the box or turn the valve, call your city’s water department non-emergency line or a plumber for guidance, and say clearly that water is running into the home. Learning the valve’s location today, before an emergency, is the real fix.

It’s a freeze and every company says they’re fully booked. What do I do meanwhile?

This happens in every hard freeze — during the February 2021 storm, companies across North Texas were booked out for days. Meanwhile steps that genuinely limit damage: keep the main water off or partly off, drain the lines, keep documenting with photos, run fans and a dehumidifier on clean-water areas if it is safe, move belongings out of wet rooms, and stay on the callback/waiting lists — cancellations open up as the thaw progresses. When your turn comes, your photos and notes from day one are exactly what the provider and your insurer need.

Local facts

• The City of Southlake’s own freeze guidance tells residents to know their shut-off valve before a freeze — the first-hour skill that mattered most in February 2021.
• During Winter Storm Uri, the homes that fared best were the ones where someone closed the valve quickly.
• The curb meter box is the backup shut-off when the house valve cannot be reached.

This website connects callers with independent local water damage providers. It is a referral service and does not perform the work itself.