We get the call most weeks. Usually around 1 or 2 in the morning. Sometimes it's a homeowner who woke up to the sound of running water. Sometimes it's a property manager whose tenant just texted them a panicked photo. Almost always, it's a Frisco neighborhood — Stonebriar, Phillips Creek Ranch, Frisco Lakes, somewhere off Preston or Lebanon.
If you're reading this with water on the floor right now, skip to step one. Otherwise, this is what you should know before it happens.
Step one: shut off the water. There's a main shutoff valve where the water line comes into your house. In most Frisco builds from the last 20 years, it's in the front yard near the meter (look for a green or black plastic lid in the grass), or in the wall of the garage near the water heater. Turn it clockwise — righty-tighty — until it stops. If it's stuck or the handle won't turn, the meter itself has a shutoff at the curb, and the city has a key for it. The non-emergency line for Frisco public works is on the back of your water bill.
If the leak is at a fixture — under a sink, behind a toilet, at a hose bib — you might be able to get away with shutting off just that fixture. Look for the angle stop valves on the supply lines. Same direction: clockwise to close. If the valve is corroded shut or the handle breaks off in your hand (it happens with cheap chrome stops more often than you'd think), go to the main.
Step two: kill the power to the affected area. If water has gotten near outlets, light switches, or anything electrical — especially if it's coming through a ceiling — flip the breakers for that part of the house. Don't stand in water and reach for an outlet. Use a flashlight if you need one. Most of the time the leak is contained and this isn't necessary, but if water is coming through a ceiling, treat it like there's a live circuit in there until you know there isn't.
Step three: get the water out of the way. Towels first, then a wet/dry vac if you have one. The longer water sits on flooring or drywall, the more damage you're looking at. If you have hardwood floors, every minute matters. Laminate is more forgiving but will still swell at the seams within a few hours.
Step four: take photos. Before you clean anything up, take photos of the leak source, the standing water, the affected ceiling or wall, and anything that's already damaged. If this turns into an insurance claim, those photos are worth more than any plumber's invoice.
Step five: call. If it's after hours, our 24-hour line is (972) 244-3080. We have a plumber on call most nights — Frisco is part of our regular service area, so we're usually there inside an hour for true emergencies. If we can't get to you, we'll tell you that on the phone, not after you've waited two hours.
A few things we get asked at 2 in the morning that are worth answering now.
Why is it leaking now? The two most common causes in Frisco homes are pinhole leaks in copper supply lines (almost always in attics or interior walls) and water heater failures. Frisco has reasonably clean water, but the chlorine and pH levels still pit copper over a long enough timeline. Most of the homes built between 2000 and 2010 are coming due for their first round of supply-line failures.
Will the city water authority help? Not for stuff inside your house. The line that runs from the meter to your home is your responsibility. Anything before the meter is the city's. So if there's water bubbling up in your front yard between the curb and the foundation, call the city. If it's anywhere from the foundation in, that's a private plumber call.
Is this an emergency or can it wait until morning? If you've shut off the water successfully and there's no active leak — meaning no water actively coming out of anything — you can probably wait until morning. The damage that's done is done. We'll come at a normal hour and we won't charge you an emergency rate. If the water is still flowing and you can't stop it, that's an actual emergency. Call.
What about my neighbor's plumber? We get this question too. If you've got someone you trust, use them. Most of our Frisco emergency calls are from people who don't have a regular plumber yet, or whose regular plumber doesn't take after-hours calls. Both are normal. We're licensed (RMP #44457), insured, and we'll give you the same honest answer at 2 a.m. that we'd give you at 10 a.m.
The last thing — and this is the boring one nobody wants to hear at 2 in the morning — is that most of these emergencies are preventable. A water heater that's eight or nine years old will warn you before it fails: rusty water, popping noises during heating, a slightly damp pad underneath. Pinhole leaks usually leave water staining on a ceiling for days or weeks before they let go. If you see anything off, get it looked at while it's still a small problem.
If you're in Frisco and you need an emergency plumber tonight, call (972) 244-3080. If you're reading this in advance, save the number — you'll be glad you did the next time it's 1:47 a.m. and the kitchen ceiling has a wet spot.
