Water Damage Restoration in Tucson, AZ
LeakHelpLine is a referral service, not a restoration contractor. When you call, you will be connected with an independent local provider, who may pay us for the referral. Providers set their own prices and terms.
Smell gas? Leave the building and call 911 or your gas utility. This line is for water damage only.
A Tucson Water backflow assembly can make the plumbing a closed system that puts pressure on a water heater, and Operation Splash sets barricades where a wash will cross a road.
If you need water damage restoration in Tucson, stop the water you can reach safely, then call the number on this page. That call connects you with an independent local provider.
First steps in the next hour
Close the valve at the leaking fixture when you can reach it and stay dry. If the leak is not at a fixture, close the main shutoff. A break on the utility side goes to Tucson Water. Reach them through the water contact page. Keep your feet out of water if outlets or appliances may be live. Ready.gov says to turn off electricity only if it is safe to do so. Shut off power at the breaker only if the panel is dry and safe to reach. Photograph the rooms from dry flooring, carry valuables to a dry place, and after the power is safe, let outside air in. Leave fans off while you are standing in water.
What happens when you call
Calling connects you with a local water damage restoration company. The company asks about the damage and sets up a visit. Providers set their own prices and terms. LeakHelpLine is a referral service, not a contractor.
Why water damage happens in Tucson
A wash and a roof torn off in a storm do not leave the same mess.
Wash flooding
From July 27 to July 31, 2006, moisture from Tropical Storm Emilia and an upper low brought five nights of heavy rain. The National Weather Service Tucson office says mountain gauges in the Catalinas and Rincons recorded 4 to 10 inches, the valley floor recorded 3 to 7 inches, and flows along Rincon Creek, Agua Caliente Wash, Tanque Verde Creek, Rillito Creek, and the Santa Cruz River flooded homes and structures.
The office’s flood history names Tucson among the hardest-hit cities in the October 1983 flood from Tropical Storm Octave. Across the region, water, mud, and debris severely damaged or destroyed over 1,300 homes.
On August 8, 2024, KGUN 9 reported that a mid-July 2024 monsoon storm ripped the roof off an apartment complex in midtown and that water came inside.
Washes, barricades, and monsoon rain
City of Tucson Operation Splash pre-deploys barricades where water will run across roadways. If a barricade is up, or a dip is running, do not drive through it. The Pima County Regional Flood Control District says normally dry rivers and washes can rise overnight or in minutes. It is particularly dangerous to be in a low-lying area or near a wash (National Weather Service).
More than 130 miles of major watercourses, plus smaller tributaries, cross eastern Pima County, with over 230,000 acres of mapped 100-year floodplain beside them. If wash water reaches the house, stay out of it and keep children and pets away. Do not start cleanup until you and the power are safe. Tucson averages 5.69 inches of rain from June 15 through September 30.
A backflow assembly and a closed water heater
A backflow assembly makes your plumbing a closed system. Some single-family customers, along with commercial and multi-family customers, must have these assemblies on a Tucson Water connection. Pressure from heated water in the tank, or from attic pipes warmed by the sun, then has nowhere to escape. That pressure can rupture or distort a hot water tank, or collapse a flue inside the tank. A thermal expansion tank is required on a closed system.
If that tank leaks or bursts, shut the water supply if you can reach the valve and stay dry. Keep power away from the water. Do not step in it if an outlet or the heater may be energized. Replacing a tank water heater with the same type and size needs a permit and an inspection (permit exemptions). LeakHelpLine does not replace the tank.
Drying a Tucson home
The 1991-2020 normals give the city 10.61 inches of precipitation a year, with July, August, and September the wettest months at 2.21, 1.98, and 1.32 inches. A soaked wall still has to be dried.
Tucson neighborhoods include:
- Armory Park
- Barrio Viejo
- Blenman Elm
- Dunbar/Spring
- El Presidio
- Iron Horse
- Jefferson Park
- Rincon Heights
- Sam Hughes
- West University
ZIP codes: 85701, 85705, 85706, 85708, 85710, 85711, 85712, 85713, 85714, 85715, 85716, 85719, 85734, 85747, 85748, and 85756.
Questions Tucson homeowners ask
Which shutoff do I use?
Use the valve at the leaking faucet, toilet, or appliance when you can stay dry. Use the main shutoff when the leak is not at one fixture.
Who do I call for a leak on the Tucson Water main?
Call Tucson Water.
What should I do if a wash is running?
Stay out of the water, and do not drive a dip that is flowing. Operation Splash sets barricades where water crosses roads.
What if sewage backs up into the house?
Keep people and pets away, and do not mop it yourself. Call the number on this page for cleanup.
My water heater burst. What now?
Shut the water supply if you can reach it and stay dry, and keep power away from the water. On a closed system, pressure from the hot water tank can rupture the tank, which is why a thermal expansion tank is required. Replacing the tank needs a permit and an inspection.
Questions to ask a provider
Ask how dryness will be measured, what photos and moisture readings they will give you, and which tasks are cleanup rather than a later repair.
Insurance: what to know
Photograph the damage, stop the water if it is safe, read your policy, and contact your insurer. Many homeowner policies treat sudden and accidental water damage differently from gradual leaks or flooding; check your policy or ask your insurer.
Drying after the water is gone
A room that got wet still has to be dried. The EPA says mold may begin growing within 24 to 48 hours of water exposure.
What a water damage restoration company does
The company removes standing water, dries the building, and checks moisture in walls and floors. Water extraction is the removal of standing water. Water mitigation is the work of stopping more water and drying what got wet. A surface can look dry while the wall behind it is still wet, so drying continues after the water you can see is gone. Water damage cleanup is the wash-down after the water is gone. Repairs such as drywall or flooring are often a separate job. LeakHelpLine does not do that work.
Types of water damage
Clean water
Water from a supply pipe starts clean. It can still soak floors, walls, and cabinets. Water removal of that standing water waits until you are clear of it and the power is safe.
Gray water
Gray water carries soap, food, or dirt, as with a washer or dishwasher overflow. Limit contact, and keep children and pets out of that room until it is cleaned.
Ceiling leaks
A drip from overhead can be a pipe, a roof, or a fixture above. Stay out from under the ceiling if it sags.
Sewage backup
Black water is sewage, also called Category 3 water. Do not touch it, and keep children and pets away.
Slab leaks
A slab leak is a pipe under the concrete slab. Signs are a warm spot on the floor, water sounds with the taps off, or a floor that stays damp. Close the main shutoff if you can stay dry, keep power away from the wet floor, and call.
LeakHelpLine is a referral service, not a restoration contractor. When you call, you will be connected with an independent local provider, who may pay us for the referral. Providers set their own prices and terms.