Shut the water off
If a pipe is spraying, or a ceiling is dripping from a line you cannot see, turn off the main water valve. It is usually at the meter or where the line enters the house. Turn it clockwise. A single fixture may have its own valve under the sink or behind the toilet. Use that only when you are sure the break is on that one supply.
Stay out of standing water near outlets, appliances, or the breaker panel. If you cannot find the shutoff, or the water keeps coming after it is turned, call for help. Do not guess at a gas valve.
Open faucets and leave the heat alone
After the main is off, open faucets so the pressure can drop and the lines can drain. Start with a faucet on the lowest floor. Open both hot and cold if you do not know which line failed. If the pipe is frozen but has not burst, an open faucet gives the thaw somewhere to go.
- Do not thaw a pipe with a torch or an open flame.
- If the water supply is off, turn the water heater off so it is not heating an empty tank.
- A hair dryer on a reachable frozen spot is enough. Keep it away from water.
Photograph it before you clean up
Once the water is stopped, take pictures before you move belongings or throw anything away. Wide shots of each wet room, close shots of the break if you can see it, and the path the water took. A short list of what got wet is as useful as the photos.
Your insurer decides what the policy covers. We do not. The photos are for your records and for whoever you ask to dry the house. If you want a room-by-room packet you can fill out yourself, the insurance photo log on this site is free to use.
When to call for water mitigation
Towels and a household fan are enough for a small puddle on a hard floor that you caught immediately. Call for drying when the water got into the building, not only onto it.
- A ceiling is sagging, stained, or still dripping after the water is off.
- Drywall, insulation, or carpet stayed wet.
- Water reached the slab and you cannot see how far it traveled.
- The break is in an attic or a wall you should not open yourself.
- You are not sure the electrical system is safe.
Mitigation is the work that stops more damage: extract the water, dry the structure, and keep a record. In Houston humidity, a room that looks dry can still hold moisture in the wall or the slab. Drying is a different job from the rebuild, and it should happen first.