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What to Do When a Pipe Bursts: The First 60 Minutes
Shut off the main water valve first. Then drain the lines, make wet rooms electrically safe, photograph everything, and call a plumber and a restoration company. What you do in the first hour decides how big the job gets. Need help now? Call (972) 947-2040.
Minutes 0–5
Stop the water
- Shut off the main. Garage wall, near the water heater, or the meter box at the curb (may need a meter key).
- Can’t find it? The curb meter box shutoff stops all water to the house.
- Open the lowest faucet (a tub spout or outside hose bib) to drain the water left in the lines.
Step-by-step help finding it: how to shut off your water.
Minutes 5–15
Make it safe
- Turn off breakers for wet rooms if you can reach the panel without standing in water.
- Stay out from under sagging, wet ceilings.
- Unplug and move electronics only if they’re not sitting in water.
- Keep kids and pets away.
Minutes 15–30
Document everything
- Wide photos and video of every wet room, then close-ups.
- Photos of the broken pipe and where it is.
- Keep the broken section of pipe for your insurer, as the Insurance Council of Texas recommends.
- Note the time you found it and the time you shut the water off.
Minutes 30–60
Get help moving
- Call a plumber to repair the line.
- Call (972) 947-2040 for water removal and drying.
- Report the claim to your insurer and write down the claim number.
- Move furniture, rugs and valuables out of wet areas; put foil under furniture legs.
What happens next: burst pipe repair and cleanup. Insurance: does insurance cover burst pipes in Texas?
Not your pipe?
Water in the street instead?
If water is coming up near the meter or in the street, or neighbors lost pressure too, it may be a city main. See main break or my pipe?.
FAQ
Burst pipe first-hour FAQs
What is the first thing to do when a pipe bursts?
Shut off the main water valve. In most Richardson slab homes it’s in the garage, near the water heater, or in the meter box by the curb. Then open the lowest faucet to drain the lines, turn off breakers for wet rooms if it’s safe, and photograph everything.
Should I call a plumber or a water damage company first?
Both, usually. The plumber fixes the pipe; a restoration company extracts the water and dries the house. Call the plumber first if water is still flowing and you can’t stop it at the main.
Should I call my insurance company right away?
Report the claim the same day if you can, after the water is stopped and you’ve taken photos. Starting the drying right away is expected; you don’t need to wait for the adjuster to prevent further damage.
Sources for this page
Last updated October 2026.
Water still on the floor?
Shut off the main and call.