Frozen, split, and slab pipes · Denton County
Burst Pipe Water Damage Restoration in Denton, TX
A burst pipe can release hundreds of gallons before you reach the shutoff. Our burst pipe water damage crews in Denton TX extract the water, open and dry the walls, ceilings, and floors it soaked, and rebuild once your plumber repairs the line. Call as soon as the water is off.
- 24/7 emergency response
- Ceiling and wall cavity drying
- Works alongside your plumber
- Insurance claim help
Pipe just broke?
What to do in the first 30 minutes
- Minute 1Close the main water shutoff. If you cannot find it, the city or water supplier can shut the meter. Keep the number for your water utility on the fridge.
- Minute 5Turn off power to wet rooms at the breaker if you can do it from a dry spot. If water is coming through a ceiling light, stay out of that room.
- Minute 10Open a faucet at the lowest point of the house to drain the lines. If a water heater lost its supply, turn off its gas or power.
- Minute 15Take photos and video of the break, the water, and every wet room. Save the broken fitting or section of pipe if the plumber removes it.
- Minute 20Call a plumber for the pipe and call us at (940) 274-9880 for the water. We can start drying while the plumber works.
- Minute 30Report the claim to your insurer. Move valuables and anything on the floor out of wet rooms.
A sagging, bulging ceiling is holding water. Keep people out from under it. Do not push on it. Our crew can drain it in a controlled way.
Why burst pipe damage is often worse than it looks
Supply lines are under pressure, so a split pipe keeps pouring until someone closes the valve. And pipes run where you cannot see: in attics, inside exterior walls, under slabs, and above ceilings. By the time water shows on a floor, it may have already filled insulation, run down the inside of two or three walls, and spread under flooring.
A pipe that breaks in the attic is the worst case. Water soaks the insulation, pools on the ceiling drywall, and comes down through light fixtures and seams. That is a Class 3 loss under the IICRC standard, meaning ceilings, walls, and floors are all wet. It needs more drying capacity and usually some ceiling removal.
The good news: water from a supply line starts as Category 1, clean water. If we reach it quickly, more carpet, drywall, and trim can be dried and kept. After a day or two, that changes, which is why the call matters more than the cleanup you can do yourself.
Signs a pipe has burst or is leaking inside a wall
Not every burst pipe announces itself with a spray of water. Many start as a split that leaks inside a wall or ceiling for hours. Call us, and a plumber, if you notice any of these:
- Sudden drop in water pressure at several fixtures, especially during or after a freeze.
- Sound of running water when every tap and appliance is off.
- Wet spots or stains on a ceiling, often round and spreading, or a ceiling that sags.
- Damp baseboards or carpet along an exterior wall.
- Water meter still moving with all water use stopped.
- Frost on a pipe you can see, or no water at all from a faucet during a freeze, which means it may be frozen and could split.
If a pipe is frozen but not yet leaking, keep the faucet open and warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer or space heater kept at a safe distance. Never use an open flame.
Know your pipes
Pipe materials in Denton County homes and how they fail
Homes here were built across many decades, so plumbing varies from street to street.
| Pipe type | Where you find it | Common failure | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galvanized steel | Older homes, often pre-1970s | Rust from the inside, pinhole leaks, clogs | Brown water, low pressure, leaks at threads |
| Copper | Many homes from the 1960s on | Pinhole leaks, splits when frozen, slab leaks where it runs under concrete | Green stains at joints, warm spots on floors |
| Polybutylene (gray plastic) | Some homes from roughly the late 1970s to mid 1990s | Fittings and pipe can become brittle and fail without warning | Gray pipe at the water heater or under sinks; ask a plumber |
| CPVC | Many homes from the 1980s and later | Becomes brittle with age and heat; cracks when bumped or frozen | Cream or tan pipe that cracks at fittings |
| PEX | Most newer homes | Tolerates freezing better, but fittings and crimp rings can leak | Drips at manifolds and fittings |
Supply lines to toilets, faucets, and ice makers also fail often. They are short braided or plastic hoses that age out. A plumber can tell you what your house has and whether any of it is near the end of its life. Read more about water damage problems in older Denton homes.
Denton County
What Winter Storm Uri taught us about pipe breaks
North Texas homes are built for heat, not deep cold. Pipes run through unheated attics and exterior walls, and many have little insulation. That is fine most winters, but a long hard freeze exposes every weak spot.
Winter Storm Uri, from February 11 to 20, 2021, did exactly that. The City of Denton reported 16 water main breaks during the storm, and a boil water notice ran from February 17 to 20 after system pressure dropped. Burst pipes flooded residence halls and other buildings at UNT, plus about a dozen Denton ISD facilities and buildings at TWU and Argyle ISD.
Many home pipes did not leak until the thaw. Ice holds a crack closed. When it melts and pressure returns, the water pours out. If a freeze is forecast, check for leaks as temperatures rise, not only when they fall.
Our process
How we restore burst pipe water damage
Trace the water
We follow the water from the break to every place it reached using thermal imaging and moisture meters: inside walls, under cabinets, into the room below, and across the slab.
Extract and open up
Standing water is extracted. Wet insulation comes out of the attic. We drain bulging ceilings and cut small, planned openings so trapped water can get out and air can get in.
Dry the cavities
Air movers, LGR dehumidifiers, and sometimes injection drying push dry air into wall and ceiling cavities. That keeps more drywall in place than a full tear-out.
Repair and close
Once readings are dry and your plumber has repaired the line, we replace insulation, drywall, texture, paint, and flooring.
Slab leaks: the burst pipe you cannot see
Not every pipe break is loud. In slab-on-grade homes, which are most of the homes in Denton County, some water lines run under or through the concrete foundation. When one of those lines leaks, water rises into flooring from below.
Much of the county sits on black clay soils that swell when wet and shrink during drought. That seasonal movement can stress under-slab plumbing, and a leak can make the soil around it swell further. Warning signs include a warm spot on a tile floor (hot water line), damp carpet with no visible source, hardwood cupping near the middle of a room, cracks in tile, the sound of running water with every fixture off, and a water bill that jumps.
A plumber finds and repairs the leak, often with electronic leak detection. Our part is the water damage: pulling up wet flooring, drying the slab and any walls it wicked into, and replacing flooring. Slab repairs can take longer to dry than a typical leak, because concrete is a Class 4 material that holds water deep inside.
Cost and insurance
What affects the cost of a burst pipe claim
Where it broke
An attic break that soaks ceilings in several rooms costs more than a break under a sink. Slab leaks add flooring removal.
How long it ran
Minutes versus hours makes a huge difference in how many rooms are wet and how much material comes out.
What got wet
Hardwood, particleboard cabinets, and plaster cost more to dry or replace than tile and painted drywall.
Plumbing repair is billed by your plumber; drying and rebuild are billed by us. The water damage cost calculator gives a rough range for the water damage side.
Most Texas homeowners policies cover the sudden and accidental release of water from a burst pipe. The policy often pays for the water damage and for tearing out and replacing part of the house to reach the pipe, but not always for the pipe itself. Many policies expect you to have kept the home heated if you were away during a freeze. Slow leaks that went on for weeks are usually excluded, and under-slab damage may need a foundation endorsement. Coverage depends on your policy. We can work directly with your insurance company and document the loss with photos and daily moisture logs.
Preventing the next burst pipe
- Before a freeze: disconnect garden hoses, cover outdoor spigots, open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, and let faucets drip.
- When you travel in winter: keep the heat on and have someone check the house, or shut off the main.
- Attic lines: ask a plumber or insulation contractor about insulating exposed pipes.
- Know your shutoff: test the main valve once a year so it turns when you need it.
- Consider a leak sensor or automatic shutoff valve near the water heater and washer.
See also winter pipe burst risks for Denton homes.
Service area
Burst pipe cleanup in every city we serve
- Denton Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Corinth Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Lake Dallas Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Argyle Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Krum Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Ponder Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Little Elm Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Lewisville Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Flower Mound Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Carrollton Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Coppell Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Northlake Burst Pipe Cleanup
- Justin Burst Pipe Cleanup
FAQ
Burst pipe questions
Do you fix the broken pipe?
No. A licensed plumber repairs the pipe. We handle the water damage: extraction, drying, and rebuilding walls, ceilings, and floors. We coordinate timing with your plumber so drying starts right away.
Should I call the plumber or the restoration company first?
Shut off the water first. Then call both. The plumber fixes the line; we start extraction and drying. Waiting for the plumber before calling us lets water keep soaking in.
Why did my pipe start leaking after the freeze ended?
Ice inside a cracked pipe holds the crack closed. When it thaws and pressure returns, water flows out. That is why many freeze leaks appear during warm-up.
Does homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe in Texas?
Usually the sudden water damage is covered, subject to your deductible. The pipe repair itself, long-term leaks, and some slab damage may not be. Check your policy and report the claim quickly.
How do I know if I have a slab leak?
Common signs are a warm spot on the floor, damp flooring with no visible source, a water meter that moves with everything off, and a sudden jump in your water bill. A plumber can confirm it with leak detection.
Will my ceiling need to be replaced after an attic pipe break?
Not always. If we drain it and dry it fast, sound drywall can often stay. Sagging, stained, or crumbling sections are replaced, and wet insulation above is usually removed.