A burst pipe can put dozens of gallons of water into your home every minute. What you do in the first half hour makes the difference between a manageable repair and a whole-room rebuild. Here's the exact order of moves — no panic, just steps.
Minute 1–3: Shut off the water
Your first job is to stop the flow. Go straight to your main water shut-off valve and close it. In Cibolo homes it's usually near the water entry point — by the meter at the street, in the garage, in a utility room, or on an exterior wall. Turn it clockwise until it stops.
If you can't find the main or it won't budge, close the nearest fixture stop (the small valve under a sink or behind the toilet closest to the leak). Every minute the water is off is a minute of damage you're not paying for.
Minute 3–8: Protect people and electrical
Keep everyone away from any water near outlets, appliances, or the electrical panel. If water is spreading toward electrical equipment and you can safely reach the breaker, cut power to the affected area. Never stand in water to reach an electrical panel.
- Move people and pets out of the flooded area
- Lift furniture, electronics, and rugs out of the water
- Open a path so the plumber can reach the shut-off and the break
Minute 8–15: Call a plumber and drain the lines
Call for emergency help. Our 24/7 emergency plumbers answer any hour and target a 60-minute response across the Metrocom. While you wait, open the lowest faucets in the house (and outdoor spigots) to drain the remaining water in the pipes away from the break — this reduces how much keeps dripping.
Minute 15–30: Document and start drying
Once the water's off and it's safe, photograph everything — the burst, the standing water, and the damaged belongings. This documentation matters if you file an insurance claim. Then start removing standing water with towels, a mop, or a wet/dry vac, and get air moving with fans.
The EPA points to a 24–48-hour window to begin drying wet materials before mold takes hold, so starting now protects your home. Our burst pipe repair team will handle the permanent fix and can coordinate with restoration pros for extraction and drying.
Why pipes burst in the Cibolo area
Two causes dominate here. The first is age — corroded galvanized steel and old copper eventually fail. The second is freeze: hard freezes like Winter Storm Uri in 2021 split exposed and poorly insulated pipes across Schertz, Selma, and the surrounding Metrocom. If your home has aging supply lines, ask us whether a whole-home repipe would end the cycle of repairs.
The bottom line
Shut off the water, protect people from electrical hazards, call a plumber, document the damage, and start drying — in that order. Move fast and a burst pipe stays a repair, not a renovation. When you're ready, we're one call away at (831) 290-4327.
What a Plumber Catches That a Mop Won't
The water you can see is rarely the whole story. When a supply line lets go, water travels along the top plate of a wall, down inside cavities, and under cabinets and flooring before it ever shows on the surface. We use moisture meters to map how far it spread and thermal imaging to find wet material behind drywall, so the drying targets the real footprint — not just the puddle. Skipping that step is how a 'fixed' leak turns into warped floors and mold three weeks later.
We also check the failure point itself. A pipe that burst from a freeze often has more damage upstream and down, and corroded galvanized rarely fails in just one spot. Repairing only the visible break on an old system frequently means another call within the month — which is why we tell you honestly when a section replacement or a repipe is the smarter fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you shut off the main water supply, turn off the water heater too so it doesn't run dry and overheat — switch a gas unit to 'pilot' or turn off the electric breaker to it. We can advise over the phone.
Sudden, accidental water damage from a burst pipe is often covered, but it depends on your policy and the cause. Photograph everything and we'll provide a written scope of the source and repair for your claim.
It depends on the location of the break, how much pipe is damaged, and whether it's an after-hours emergency (emergency labor in this area runs roughly $140–$275/hr). An accessible section is far cheaper than an in-wall or under-slab break. We stop the water first, then give you a written price before the repair.
Only cautiously. Turn it on slowly and watch the repair and the surrounding area for any weeping. On older pipe, one failure often signals more, so if pressure drops or you hear water, shut it off and call. A pressure test confirms the whole line is sound before you rely on it.
Cibolo Pro Plumbing
Licensed Texas plumbers (TX Master Plumber (TSBPE)) based in Cibolo, serving the Metrocom for 15+ years. Have a question about your home's plumbing? Call (831) 290-4327.
