First: shut off the water
Find your main shutoff now. In most Florida homes it's where the water line enters the house, often on an outside wall near the front hose bib, or in the garage near the water heater. If you can't find it, the curb valve at the meter box near the street can be closed with a meter key. Turn off the water heater too if the leak is on the hot side. Then call (850) 220-7022.
Why pipes fail in Florida homes
Florida pipes rarely burst from cold, but they fail for plenty of other reasons:
- Polybutylene supply lines. Gray plastic pipe was widely installed from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s and is known to become brittle and fail at fittings. Many Florida homes from that era still have it.
- Aging galvanized and cast iron. Older homes may have corroded galvanized supply lines or cast iron drains that crack from the inside.
- Supply line and fitting failures. Braided hoses to toilets, faucets, washers and ice makers are a leading cause of indoor water losses.
- Water heaters. Tanks corrode through, often in garages or interior closets where water spreads across the slab.
- Slab leaks. Pipes running under the concrete floor can leak for weeks before anyone notices.
- Hard freezes. They're rare, but North Florida, including Tallahassee, Pensacola and Jacksonville, gets freezes that can split exposed pipes in attics, exterior walls and outdoor plumbing.
Who fixes the pipe, and who fixes the damage
Repairing the pipe itself is plumbing work, done by a licensed plumber, either our partner or one you already use. SwiftFlow handles everything the water touched: extraction, opening only what needs opening, drying, and putting walls and floors back. We coordinate the plumber so you aren't managing two schedules on the worst day of your month.
Drying in place when we can
A clean-water pipe burst caught early is the best-case water loss. Instead of tearing out whole walls, we can often remove baseboards, drill small holes low in the drywall, and push dry air into the cavity. Cabinets can sometimes be dried with their toe-kicks removed. That keeps repairs smaller and cheaper, but it only works while the water is still clean. See structural drying and dehumidification for the equipment behind it.
Signs of a hidden slab leak
- A warm patch on tile or concrete floors (hot-water line under the slab)
- The sound of running water when every fixture is off
- A water bill that jumped without a change in use
- Damp grout lines, lifting flooring or swollen baseboards with no leak above
Burst Pipe Repair: common questions
Do you repair the pipe itself?
Pipe repairs are done by a licensed plumber, either our partner or yours. We coordinate that work and handle the water damage: extraction, drying and repairs to walls, floors and cabinets.
Will insurance cover a burst pipe?
Sudden pipe bursts are commonly covered under homeowners policies. Damage from a slow leak over a long period is often excluded, and some policies don't pay for the failed pipe itself, only the resulting damage. Your adjuster makes the call; we document the timeline.
Do you have to tear out my walls?
Not always. With clean water and a fast response, we can often dry wall cavities in place by removing baseboards and drilling small vent holes. Drywall that's been wet too long, or that absorbed dirty water, is replaced.
Burst Pipe Repair near you
We provide burst pipe repair in all 29 Florida metro areas we serve: