Water bubbling up in the yard? Shut it off at the meter.
Plano’s meter box is near the curb, between the sidewalk and the street. The City’s instructions: there’s a single valve with an arrow on top. Turn it one half turn clockwise until the arrow points away from the meter. If water is coming up in the street, or from the meter itself, report it to the City: 972-941-7105 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or 972-727-1623 after hours. If the leak is on your side, call us at (682) 284-0966.
To meet the federal Lead and Copper Rule, Plano inventoried more than 81,000 water service lines. For each address, the City split the line into the public side, from the main to the meter, and the private side, from the meter to the home. That private side is what this page is about. It’s buried in your yard, it’s yours to maintain, and every gallon that leaks out of it goes through your meter first.
Leak under the house instead of the yard? See slab leak repair in Plano. Pipes inside the walls failing? See our repiping and water line services.
Plano homes and their water lines
Census data (American Community Survey 2020–2024) counts about 117,700 homes in Plano, with a median build year of 1993. About 64% were built between 1970 and 1999. Plano buys its treated water from the North Texas Municipal Water District, which Plano helped found in 1951, and delivers it through its own mains and meters.
Plano water lines by era
East Plano
About 14% of homes. The original yard line is 45 to 55 years old unless it’s been replaced. In older neighborhoods, trees, driveways and decades of soil movement have all had time to work on it.
Mid-city subdivisions
About 22% of homes. Polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe, was installed in some U.S. homes from 1978 to 1995, including yard service lines. A class-action settlement covered homes plumbed with it in those years. If your line is gray plastic, have it checked.
Plano’s biggest decade
About 29% of homes. Many of these homes also have irrigation systems tied in near the meter. A leaking sprinkler valve or line can look like a service line leak, so we check both.
Legacy and later
Roughly 31% of homes. Newer lines leak less from age and more from damage: a fence post, a landscaping project, or a fitting at the house that worked loose as the soil moved.
Whose water line is it? The City’s side vs. yours
Plano draws the line at the meter. The public side, from the water main to the meter, is the City’s. The private side, from the meter to your home, is yours. Plano’s City Manager put it this way when the City launched its service line program: many residents don’t realize they’re responsible for the water and sewer lines between the house and the point of utility maintenance.
- Leak at or before the meter? Water coming up in the street or out of the meter box itself is usually a City repair. Report it before you hire anyone.
- Leak between the meter and the house? That’s private plumbing. A licensed plumber locates and repairs it.
- Look up your line. Plano’s service line inventory map shows the recorded material for each address on both the public and private sides.
- Utility locates don’t cover your line. We call Texas 811 before we dig so buried utility lines get marked, but your private water line has to be traced by the plumber.
Signs of a yard leak
- A wet or soft spot in the yard that stays wet in dry weather, or a strip of grass greener than the rest.
- The meter dial keeps moving with every faucet, toilet and the irrigation turned off.
- Your hourly use never drops to zero. Plano’s customer portal shows hourly water usage. Steady use overnight is a sign of a leak.
- Lower water pressure throughout the house.
- A jump in your water bill with no change in how you use water.
Plano’s utility office says toilets are the most common source of water leaks, so check those too. A running toilet won’t make the yard wet, though.
How a Plano water line repair works
Confirm the side
We check the meter and isolate the house and irrigation to confirm the leak is on your side of the meter.
Pinpoint it
We trace the line and listen for the leak with acoustic equipment, so we dig one hole instead of a trench.
Written price first
Repair the leak, or replace the line if it’s old, polybutylene or has leaked before. You get upfront written pricing for each option before any work starts.
Permit and inspection
For a replacement, we pull the City of Plano permit, pressure-test the new line and get it inspected.
Plano permits for water line work
What the City of Plano requires
- A permit to replace a water line. On the City’s list of work that needs a permit: replacing water or sewer lines. Repairs like swapping faucet washers are exempt.
- Pipe the City accepts on its side: Plano’s Water and Sewer Design Manual calls for 1-inch and 2-inch services in HDPE or copper. We use material approved by the plumbing code for the private side.
- Code: the 2021 International Plumbing Code, as amended by Plano (adopted 2022).
- Building Inspections: 1520 K Avenue, Suite 140, 972-941-7140.
We pull that permit ourselves: Staggs Plumbing is registered with the City of Plano as a plumbing contractor. After the repair, keep your invoice: Plano says a bill adjustment may be available once a leak is repaired, and you apply on the City’s High Consumption & Leaks form.
Where yard leaks show up in Plano
| Where we find it | What we usually do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fitting at the meter connection on your side | Replace the fitting or the first section of line | The connection moves every time the soil swells and shrinks |
| Middle of the yard, under grass or a flower bed | Dig one access hole and repair the section | Clay soil and roots can damage buried pipe over time |
| Under a driveway or sidewalk | Reroute or replace the line instead of breaking concrete, if possible | A new path can be cheaper and faster than demolition |
| Where the line enters the house | Repair at the foundation and check the main shutoff | Soil movement against the slab stresses this joint |
| Polybutylene or a line with repeat leaks | Replace the line from the meter to the house | One repair rarely holds when the whole line is failing |
Yard leak in Plano? Start here.
In this order:
- Turn off the water at the valve in the City’s meter box near the curb, or at your home’s main shutoff if you have one. Use a meter key from a home improvement store if the lid won’t lift.
- Turn off irrigation too. Plano’s irrigation valve box is usually a green rectangular box near the meter. The controller is usually in the garage.
- Open a faucet at the lowest point in the house to drain the pressure, as the City recommends.
- Water coming from the street or the meter? Call the City: 972-941-7105 days, 972-727-1623 after hours.
- On your side? Call us at (682) 284-0966. We find the leak and give you upfront written pricing before any work starts.
Plano neighborhoods we serve
We fix water lines across Plano’s 75023, 75024, 75025, 75074, 75075, 75093 and 75094 ZIP codes, from the older lots of east Plano to the newer neighborhoods near Legacy West.
Our office is in downtown Plano, on F Avenue, and we’ve repaired Plano plumbing since 1990.
Plano water line questions
Who pays to fix a water line leak in Plano?
It depends on which side of the meter it’s on. The City of Plano is responsible for the public side, from the water main to the meter. The private side, from the meter to the home, belongs to the property owner. A leak between the meter and your house is yours to repair.
How do I shut off my water in Plano?
The City’s meter box is near the curb, between the sidewalk and the street. Inside is a single valve with an arrow on top. Turn it one half turn clockwise until the arrow faces away from the meter. Some newer homes also have a main shutoff in the garage.
Do I need a permit to replace a water line in Plano?
Yes. Replacing a water line is on Plano’s list of work that needs a permit. We pull it, pressure-test the new line and schedule the inspection.
Will Plano adjust my bill after a leak?
Plano says a bill adjustment may be available once a leak is repaired. Check the eligibility rules and apply on the City’s High Consumption & Leaks form, and keep your plumber’s invoice.
How can I tell what my water line is made of?
Plano’s service line inventory map shows the recorded material for each address, for both the City’s side and yours. Records aren’t always complete, so we also look at the pipe where it comes out of the ground.
How do you price water line repair?
You get upfront written pricing before any work starts, for a repair and for a full replacement when both make sense. Financing is available.
