Local water risks
What causes water damage in Dallas and Dallas County?
Dallas sits on the Trinity River system, on expansive prairie clay, and in the path of both severe thunderstorms and hard winter freezes. Those three facts explain almost every water call in the city.
The Trinity River and its levee system shape flood risk across Dallas, and its tributary creeks, including White Rock Creek, flood in intense storms when runoff overwhelms channels and street drainage. Severe thunderstorms bring a second wave of damage: roof leaks, hail-damaged shingles that let rain in, and street flooding that pushes water into garages and ground floors. Underground, Dallas clay soil swells when wet and shrinks when dry, shifting slab foundations and stressing buried supply lines until they crack. Inside, the usual suspects do the rest: water heaters, washing machine hoses, dishwasher lines, and upstairs bathrooms in two-story homes. Then there is winter. The February 2021 freeze split pipes across North Texas, and every hard freeze since has reminded Dallas homeowners that attic and exterior-wall pipes need protection before a cold snap, not after one.
Dallas buildings add their own complications. Downtown and Uptown high-rises and mid-rises share plumbing stacks, so one failed line can damage units above and below the source, and the source is rarely the unit that reports the leak. Suburban homes hide water under large slab floors and behind brick veneer. In both cases, the visible stain is usually the smallest part of the loss. Our crews map moisture with meters and infrared cameras on the first visit, because finding the full footprint early is what keeps a drying job from turning into mold remediation and reconstruction.
The water damage calls our Dallas crews answer most often:
- Trinity River tributary flooding, including White Rock Creek, after intense storms
- Street and garage flooding when severe thunderstorms overwhelm drainage
- Slab leaks on expansive North Texas clay foundations
- Burst pipes in attics and exterior walls during hard winter freezes, including the February 2021 freeze
- High-rise and mid-rise stack leaks in downtown and Uptown buildings
- Roof leaks after hail and severe thunderstorms
- Water heater bursts, appliance hose failures, and upstairs bathroom overflows