Bexar County, TX
Water Damage and Burst Pipe Cleanup in Bexar County
About 100,000 water leaks throughout the city: that was SAWS President and CEO Robert Puente's count after the February 2021 freeze, and pipes burst again in the January 2024 arctic blast. When a hard freeze leaves water damage in a Bexar County home, we get the water out, dry what it soaked and check the framing and drywall with a moisture meter before we call it done, day or night.
Communities we serve in Bexar County
Each city page covers what's local there; the freeze advice below applies anywhere in the county, and we cover all of it from our San Antonio base.
After the plumber fixes the pipe
These services deal with the water a broken pipe leaves in floors, walls and cabinets, and with mold if that water sat too long.
Two pipe-bursting freezes, three years apart
The 2021 numbers still stand out. That February, SAWS was taking about 3,500 calls a day, and the City waived permit fees for emergency plumbing repairs, the San Antonio Report wrote. FEMA's initial notice for DR-4586, dated February 19, 2021, named Bexar County among the 77 Texas counties designated for Individual Assistance.
Then came January 2024. During that arctic blast, some San Antonio ISD campuses had leaks from burst pipes, the district told parents, and SAWS told customers to shut off the water at their property's shutoff valve and call a plumber, Hoodline reported.
Our take: two freezes like that in three years make a pattern, not a fluke. If you own a home here, plan for freeze-season water damage in Bexar County the way you'd plan for summer heat.
Valve first, plumber second, water third
SAWS spells out the first move. After a February 2022 freeze, the utility reported no outages on its own system but warned that customers' pipes may have frozen and could leak as they thawed. Its first step for a leak is to shut off the water at the valve near your meter.
Next, a plumber fixes the break; plumbing isn't something we do. Our work starts with the water that already soaked into carpet pad, subfloor, drywall and cabinet bases, and that's what burst pipe water damage cleanup covers. Emergency water extraction comes first. Structural drying follows, and readings from the wet materials tell us when it's finished. Our water damage restoration page has the rest. We help document the damage and work with your insurance carrier throughout the restoration process.
Where we work in Bexar County
San Antonio is our home base, and the San Antonio restoration page goes deeper on the city itself. Our Converse page covers mold remediation in Converse alongside water damage. Schertz, which crosses into Bexar County, has its page with the rest of Guadalupe County. We also serve Timberwood Park, Universal City, Live Oak, Helotes, Fair Oaks Ranch, Selma, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights and Windcrest.
Past the county line, we cover Comal County to the north, neighboring Guadalupe County and Kendall County in the Hill Country. See all of our service areas for the full list. Wherever the house sits, water damage in Bexar County gets the same order of operations after a freeze: valve, plumber, then us.
Water on the floor after a freeze?
Close the valve and get a plumber on the pipe. Then call us for the water: we're available 24/7 anywhere in Bexar County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shut the water off first, if you can reach the valve safely. During the January 2024 arctic blast, SAWS told customers to close the shutoff valve at their property and then call a plumber, and that order still makes sense. The plumber repairs the pipe.
We come next, for the water that reached floors, walls and cabinets. We pull it out, dry the structure and keep taking moisture readings until everything reads dry. The pipe repair itself is never part of our job.
SAWS points to the shutoff valve near your water meter. Its February 2022 freeze guidance says to remove the cover, clear out any debris, then rotate the valve a quarter turn clockwise to stop the water. Find yours on a mild afternoon, not at 2 a.m. with water spreading across the kitchen floor.
Yes. FEMA's initial notice for DR-4586, dated February 19, 2021, covers the severe winter weather that began February 11 and lists Bexar County among the 77 Texas counties designated for Individual Assistance. That's the public record. Aid questions go to FEMA; eligibility isn't something we weigh in on. Our part after any freeze is the cleanup itself.