Water heater leak repair in homes and rentals across Texas, from Houston, TX to El Paso, TX. We find whether the water is coming from the relief valve, drain valve, a fitting or the tank, fix it, and replace the heater when the tank has failed. Calls answered 24/7.
We do water heater leak repair across Texas on tank and tankless heaters. The job starts with finding the source: the relief valve, the drain valve, a fitting on top or the tank itself. Valves and fittings are usually a part swap; a tank that leaks through its shell has to be replaced, and that decides the cost.
Builds up on the floor of the tank
Hard water leaves minerals that settle as sediment at the bottom of the tank, and that layer speeds up corrosion at the base. In San Antonio, TX, the water utility SAWS lists typical hardness at 15 to 20 grains per gallon, while Austin Water reports an average near 5.4 in Austin, TX.
Shows up at the relief valve discharge pipe
Water expands as it heats. On a closed system with no working expansion tank, that extra volume pushes the pressure up until the temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve opens and drips. High incoming pressure from the street does the same.
The joints above the tank, at the cold inlet and hot outlet
The short nipples and dielectric unions on top (fittings that keep the steel tank and copper pipe apart) corrode over the years. A weeping joint grows white or green crust, and its water runs down the jacket so it looks like a tank leak from below.
Exposed lines in attics, garages and outdoor closets
NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals count 10.1 nights a year at or below freezing in Houston, TX and 42.0 in El Paso, TX. Lines feeding a heater in an unheated attic or garage can split in a hard freeze, and they often don't leak until they thaw.
The tank shell, usually at the base or a seam
A storage tank is glass-lined steel, and the anode rod inside corrodes first to protect it. Once the rod is used up, the steel itself starts to rust. A tank leaking from its shell can't be patched, so the heater has to be replaced.
We sort leak calls by where the water shows up, because that points to the part that failed. Each one ends with the part fixed or, when the tank itself is leaking, a new heater.
Water at the base comes from the drain valve, from condensation or from the tank. We dry the area and watch where it returns. A dripping drain valve gets replaced, while water seeping from under the jacket means the tank has failed.
Leaks on top are usually fittings: a loose or corroded nipple, a dielectric union, the cold shut-off valve or the anode rod port. We tighten or replace the joint and make sure nothing is running down inside the jacket.
A dripping relief valve is either reacting to high pressure or heat, or it has worn out. We test house water pressure and the expansion tank first, then replace the valve if it is the fault. A relief valve is never plugged or capped.
A tankless unit has no tank to rust through, so its leaks start at the water connections, its relief valve or the heat exchanger inside the cabinet. We trace the drip on the wall unit and repair the connection or the failed part.
When the tank itself is leaking, the fix is a new heater. We disconnect and drain the failed unit and install a replacement that fits how much hot water the home uses, gas or electric, tank or tankless.
Our whole business is leaking water heaters, so every visit starts with one question: where is the water coming from.
Every call we take is about a water heater: the tank, its valves, its fittings and the lines that feed it. That is the only work we do.
We point out the failed part and explain what caused it, so you know whether the same leak is likely to come back on the next tank.
When a relief valve drips, we read the house water pressure with a gauge and check the expansion tank, and only then swap the valve. A new valve on a system with too much pressure starts dripping again.
A photo can show where the water is, but rarely what failed. On the call we tell you what we can judge from your description and what has to wait until we see the heater.
Most leaks give a warning before the floor gets wet. Each of these signs is something you can check yourself in a minute.
Look into the pan under the heater. Standing water or a rust ring means something above it has been dripping, even when the floor around it is dry.
Touch the end of the pipe that runs down from the relief valve. A damp tip or a white mineral crust shows the valve has been opening.
Run hot water only into a white cup, then cold water into another. Rust-colored hot water next to clear cold water points to corrosion inside the tank.
Shine a flashlight on top of the heater. White or green crust on the pipe joints means a fitting has been weeping for a while.
On a gas heater, listen at the burner door while it runs. A hiss or sizzle can be water dripping onto the flame from a leak above it.
Press the carpet, baseboard or drywall next to a closet or garage heater. Soft or damp material means water has been reaching it for some time.
Where the water shows up points to the part that failed and whether it can be repaired. Our guide walks through every leak source explained in more depth.
| Where you see water | Usual source | Repairable? | Typical national cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dripping from the pipe on the side of the tank | T&P relief valve, or pressure that is too high | Yes, a new valve or a pressure fix | $100-$250 for a new relief valve, parts and labor |
| Around the spigot near the base | Drain valve | Yes, the valve is replaced | $100-$200 |
| On top of the heater or running down the jacket | Nipples, dielectric unions or the shut-off valve | Usually, the joint is repaired | Within the $50-$600 typical leak fix |
| Seeping from under the jacket at the base | The tank shell has corroded through | No, the heater is replaced | $600-$2,500 for a tank-style heater, installed |
| At the connections of a wall-hung unit | Tankless water fittings or relief valve | Usually | Priced after we see the unit |
The part that failed decides it: valves and fittings get repaired, and a leaking tank gets replaced. We also cover deciding between repair and replacement step by step.
A leaking relief valve, drain valve, nipple or union is a part swap. The tank stays in place and keeps whatever life it has left.
Rust weeping from the shell or water coming from under the jacket means the steel has corroded through. No patch holds on a tank under pressure, so the heater comes out.
Rusty hot water, a loud sediment rumble and a second leak within a short time all point to a tank near the end of its life. A repair on that tank buys little time.
A relief valve that starts dripping soon after a new heater goes in usually points to high pressure or a missing expansion tank. We correct the pressure, and the new heater stays.
We work on all three types. The type changes where leaks start and what you shut off first, and the installed costs are national survey ranges for a replacement.
| Type | Typical installed cost (national) | Where leaks usually start | What to shut off first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas tank | $700-$2,700 | Relief valve, drain valve and the tank base | The cold supply and the gas control on the heater |
| Electric tank | $500-$3,500 | Relief valve, drain valve and the element gaskets | The cold supply and the heater's breaker |
| Tankless | Priced after we see the install | Water connections and the relief valve | The cold supply, then the gas or the breaker |
Most leak repairs cost a fraction of a new heater. These are national survey ranges plus two Texas city permit fees, and our guide to what a leak repair costs goes further.
| Item | Typical range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Fixing a water heater leak | $50-$600 | Where the leak is and how bad it has become |
| T&P relief valve replacement | $100-$250, parts and labor | Access to the valve and its discharge pipe |
| Drain valve replacement | $100-$200 | Sediment in the tank and the valve type |
| Plumber labor | $50-$150 per hour; a call-out fee near $50, sometimes waived if you hire | Hours on site |
| Replacing a failed tank heater, installed | $600-$2,500 tank-style; $900-$3,000 across all types | Fuel type, size, venting and where the heater sits |
| Old unit removal, when billed separately | $75-$500 including dumping fees | Attic or closet access |
| City permit for a replacement | $40 in McKinney, TX; $20 for the first heater in Arlington, TX and $7.50 for each extra | Each city sets its own fee |
Texas law treats water heater work as plumbing, and many cities want a permit when a heater is replaced. These rules are worth knowing before anyone touches the tank.
Texas Occupations Code section 1301.053 exempts appliance dealers from plumbing licensing for installation and service work, with one exception: water heaters. Work on a water heater stays under the state plumbing license law.
The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners says Master Plumber license numbers begin with M, and its license search shows whether a license is valid with insurance on file. We explain checking a Texas plumber's license in our guide.
The board tells homeowners to ask the city plumbing inspection office whether a job needs a permit. Fort Worth, TX requires a plumbing permit to change or repair a water heater, and McKinney, TX and Arlington, TX publish their fees.
In Houston, TX, a replacement needs a permit, which only a master plumber on the city's registration list can pull, followed by an inspection. San Antonio, TX lets a licensed plumbing contractor replace an existing heater first and certify it under a Limited Service and Repair permit.
We take water heater leak calls from homes and rentals anywhere in Texas. These ten cities have their own page.
Cities we cover across Texas
Half the homes in San Antonio, TX were built in 1985 or earlier, according to the Census Bureau, so original shut-off valves and fittings at the heater are often due for a look. See our San Antonio water heater leak repair page.
The Houston Permitting Center needs no plan review for a single-family water heater permit, and the permit stays valid for 180 days. See our Houston water heater leak repair page.
Austin, TX amends the Uniform Plumbing Code and declined Appendix L, which would require treated water to heaters where hardness reaches 10 grains per gallon. See our Austin water heater leak repair page.
Half the homes in Dallas, TX were built in 1981 or earlier, according to the Census Bureau, the oldest median of the ten cities here. See our Dallas water heater leak repair page.
In Fort Worth, TX, the city water utility reports hardness of 6 to 9 grains per gallon, enough to leave sediment worth flushing out. See our Fort Worth water heater leak repair page.
El Paso Water describes the water in El Paso, TX as moderately hard to hard, so mineral buildup on the tank floor and the drain valve is common. See our El Paso water heater leak repair page.
The North Texas Municipal Water District, which supplies Plano, TX, calls its treated water moderately hard because of minerals in Lavon Lake. See our Plano water heater leak repair page.
Arlington, TX can add a penalty equal to the permit fee when a water heater goes in without a permit. See our Arlington water heater leak repair page.
The NOAA station at the McKinney, TX airport averages 47.8 nights a year at or below freezing, so heater lines in attics and garages need insulation. See our McKinney water heater leak repair page.
Conroe, TX requires contractors to hold a state license and register with the city before they can submit a permit. See our Conroe water heater leak repair page.
A leak call follows the same six steps from the first ring to a dry heater. Our about page covers how our leak calls work in more detail.
The person answering asks where the water is, whether the heater is gas or electric, and talks you through closing the cold supply. Smell gas? We tell you to get out of the house and call your gas utility first.
We dry the jacket and fittings, then follow the water from the top of the heater down to the drain valve and the base. A drip from above can pool like a tank failure, so we check every joint before judging the tank.
A gauge goes on a hose bib to read house pressure, and we test the expansion tank if the system has one. A relief valve on an over-pressured system drips again, whatever else gets replaced.
We show you the failed part, say whether it can be repaired or the tank has to go, and go over the options with you before any work starts.
For a valve or fitting, we drain the tank down as needed, swap the part and seal the joint. For a failed tank, we install a new heater to the local code, and a replacement usually needs a city permit and inspection.
We refill the tank, bleed the air out at the hot taps, let the heater come up to temperature and check every joint and the relief valve again for drips.
These steps are safe for most homeowners and stop most of the water. Our guide has the full first-steps checklist for every type of heater.
Turn the valve on the cold pipe above the heater clockwise until it stops. That keeps new water from entering the tank.
On a gas heater, set the gas control to off. On an electric heater, switch off its breaker before more water spreads.
Get everyone outside, don't touch light switches, and call your gas utility from outside. We come out once the gas side is safe.
Lift boxes, rugs and anything stored near the heater, and put a bucket or towels where the water is running.
Photograph the water, the label on the heater and any drip you can see. They help on the call and for your own records.
Never cap or plug a dripping relief valve. It is the part that keeps the tank from building up dangerous pressure.
How much water there is and where it comes from tells you whether to call now or wait for business hours.
Steady water from under the jacket means the tank has failed. Close the cold supply and call now.
A relief valve discharging a steady stream points to overheating or very high pressure. Turn off the heat and call now.
Water spreading toward outlets, the breaker panel or an electric heater's wiring is a shock risk. Switch off the breaker and call now.
A pan catching slow drips, a damp relief pipe tip or crust on a fitting can wait for a daytime visit. Check the pan every few hours.
Our calls are answered 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. Close the cold supply, then call us about the leak.
Call (512) 325-0362
These are the questions Texas owners and landlords bring us when a water heater leaks, from who can legally do the work to the landlord hot-water rule.
Call a water heater leak service like ours, and ask for the plumber's license number. Texas Occupations Code section 1301.053 keeps water heater installation and service under the state plumbing license law.
Usually the worn-out heater itself is not, because most homeowners policies treat a tank that fails with age as wear and tear. Water damage from a sudden leak is a separate question, so check your policy or ask your insurer.
Yes, in your own homestead. Texas Occupations Code section 1301.051 lets a property owner do plumbing in their homestead without a license. Cities still require permits: Houston, TX issues a homeowner's permit only for the homestead you live in.
No. The IRS says the section 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit is not allowed for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a heat pump water heater installed in 2026 earns no 25C credit.
Yes, when the leak leaves the home without hot water. Texas Property Code section 92.052 requires a landlord to make a diligent effort to repair a hot water supply that cannot reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit, after tenant notice and with rent current.
No. A dripping relief valve is opening because pressure or temperature is too high, or because the valve is worn. An expansion tank and correct pressure usually solve the first cause, and we cover keeping the next tank dry.
Yes, though they have no tank to rust through. Leaks show up at the water connections, the relief valve or the heat exchanger, and our guide to leaks on tankless units shows where to look.
No. A gas heater full of cold water can drip condensation onto the burner until the tank warms up. If the puddle comes back with the heater hot, check for the early signs of a leaking tank.
Tell us where the water is coming from and whether the heater is gas or electric, and we will talk you through shutting it off. Our Texas water heater leak guides cover each leak source in more depth.
Call (512) 325-0362