What to Do When a Pipe Bursts

Close your home's main shut-off valve, usually near the water meter in the basement, crawlspace, utility room or garage. Turn it clockwise until it stops. If it will not move, the Town's water line is 720-733-6000 for an emergency shut-off at the curb stop or meter pit.

If water is near outlets, cords, the electrical panel or appliances, stay out of the water. Turn off breakers for wet rooms only if you can reach the panel while standing on a dry floor. If a ceiling is sagging, keep out from under it.

Open faucets on the lowest floor to drain water left in the pipes. If the house will be without water for a while, turn off the water heater as the manufacturer instructs.

Take photos and video of the water, the broken pipe and damaged items before anything is moved. Note the time. Your insurer will ask for these.

Move electronics, papers, photos and rugs to a dry room. Put foil or blocks under furniture legs. Do not use a household vacuum on water.

A licensed plumber repairs the pipe. A restoration company removes the water and dries the house. Call (720) 731-0398 to reach a local provider; many can arrange the plumber too. The work starts with water extraction and structural drying.

A leak from above often shows as a bulge in the ceiling. Place a bucket under it, keep people out from under it and turn off power to any light fixture nearby. If it is safe, a small hole at the lowest point lets water drain in a controlled way instead of bringing the ceiling down.

Close the valve if you can, take photos, move your belongings and call your landlord or property manager right away. Your renter's insurance may cover your belongings; the building is usually the owner's responsibility.

Waiting until morning to call, running fans from the garage instead of real drying equipment, throwing away damaged items before photographing them, and closing up walls before they are dry. Each one makes the job bigger.

Expect the provider to confirm the water is off, look at the source, measure moisture in floors and walls, take photos, explain what needs to happen and how the price is set, then start extraction and set drying equipment. You will get a plan for daily checks.

Once the house is dry, the repairs begin. Keep all paperwork, readings and receipts together for your claim.

Save the number for a local restoration provider, your insurer's claims line and the Town's water line in your phone now. In an emergency you will not want to search.

If the house will be without water for more than a short time, turn off the water heater following its label so the elements or burner do not run on an empty tank. Unplug the washer and dishwasher if water reached them, and do not use them until they have been checked.

If the burst is upstairs, check the ceiling and walls of the floor below right away. Move furniture and electronics out of the room under the leak, and put buckets or towels where drips appear. Water that travels down through a ceiling soaks insulation and drywall that will need drying too.

Many bursts are not in the wall at all but at a toilet, sink or fridge supply line. Each fixture usually has a small shut-off valve behind it. Close it to stop the leak and keep water on for the rest of the house.

Once the plumber leaves, it is tempting to patch the wall right away. Wait until drying is finished and readings are normal. Closing a wet wall traps moisture and leads to mold.

Water spreading across a floor feels urgent, and it is. But the order matters more than speed: valve, safety, drain, photos, then help. Following it keeps people safe and keeps the damage smaller.

Report the claim early. Ask what they need, whether they want to send an adjuster before work starts and how they handle emergency mitigation. Most insurers expect you to take reasonable steps to stop further damage, which is exactly what extraction and drying are.

Questions about what to do when a pipe bursts? Call (720) 731-0398 to reach a local Castle Rock provider, 24 hours a day.