Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions Tucson and Pima County homeowners ask most when they pick up the phone. Each answer comes first, then the detail.

Rain stopped an hour ago but the ceiling is still dripping. Why?

The roof is holding a pond. A flat roof with parapets drains through a few scuppers, and one plugged with leaves or a tennis ball keeps inches of water sitting on the coating long after the cell moves off. That water finds the seam and keeps coming until the roof drains or dries. Roof leak water damage work starts on the roof, not the ceiling.

The cooler is on the roof and there is a brown stain spreading under it. What now?

Turn the cooler off at the switch and close the small supply line at the valve, usually a quarter-turn at a hose bib or under the unit. A stuck float or a cracked pan runs water down the parapet and into the ceiling for hours. Then read about ceiling water damage repair and do not poke the bulge.

There is a warm patch of tile in the hall and the water bill jumped. Is that a slab leak?

Probably, and hard water is the usual reason. Tucson's supply is mineral-heavy, and copper lines set in the slab in the 1950s through 1970s pinhole from the inside. Close the valve at the water heater to see if the meter slows, and read about leak detection before anyone opens the floor.

Water is on the saltillo right now. What do I do first?

Close the valve at the meter box by the sidewalk or the riser by the front wall, and kill the breaker for any outlet the water reached. Move what you can carry, open the cabinet doors, and photograph every wet room before anything goes outside. Then call and describe what you see.

The wash behind the house came into the garage. Is that the same as a pipe leak?

No. Wash water carries silt, motor oil from the street, and whatever the storm drains picked up, so porous materials it touched usually come out instead of being dried. Monsoon flood cleanup treats it as contaminated water. Keep the kids and the dog out of the garage until the silt is gone and the floor is treated.

We ran the ceiling fan and swamp cooler and the floor looks dry. Are we done?

Not yet. Tile and stucco dry on the face while grout, underlayment, and the low foot of the drywall hold water, and a swamp cooler adds moisture to the air instead of removing it. Structural drying runs dehumidifiers and air movers until the meter says the materials are back to their dry number.

Do Tucson houses really have pipes that freeze?

Yes, a few nights a year. Hose bibs, cooler supply lines, and pipes run through an unheated attic or along an exterior wall are exposed, and in early February 2011 a four-day freeze split lines across the whole city. Burst pipe water damage covers what a split line does to the rooms below it.

Does an Arizona homeowners policy pay for a slab leak?

It depends on the wording, and nobody on this site has read your policy. Many policies treat a sudden burst or a failed water heater as covered and treat a slow slab leak or a roof that ponded for years as gradual damage or maintenance. Ask the provider to log readings and photos so the adjuster has a dated record.

My water heater sits in an outdoor alcove. Can it still soak the house?

It can. The alcove shares a wall with a bedroom or the laundry room, and a failed tank pushes water under the sill plate and along the slab into the house. Water heater leak cleanup meters the wall on both sides, not just the alcove floor.

Will the rebuild need a Tucson or Pima County permit?

Not for pumping and drying. Replacing drywall, plumbing, roofing, or wiring inside Tucson usually needs a permit from Planning and Development Services, and outside the city it goes through Pima County or your town. When the rebuild calls for a permit, the provider is the one who files for it.

How do I check whether the plumber or the roofer is licensed in Arizona?

Look the company up on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors site before you sign. Every plumber, roofer, and general contractor working in Arizona needs a state license, and the search shows the license class, its status, and any complaints. The About page links the lookup. Providers represent their own credentials.

Can anyone tell me what this will cost before they see the house?

No, and neither can this site. The number depends on where the water came from, how long it ran, and what it soaked, and none of that is known until someone meters the house. Ask for the scope in writing before any work starts.

The house is in an HOA in Oro Valley. Does the crew handle the rules?

Ask when you call. Most Oro Valley, Marana, and Sahuarita subdivisions have an HOA that limits where a trailer or dumpster can sit and for how long. The provider will say what has to sit on site and for how long, and the management company can sign off before the equipment shows up.

What to have in hand when you dial the Tucson line

The address, a callback number, and a plain description: where the water is, whether it is still coming, and whether it came from the roof, the slab, the cooler, an appliance, or a wash. Say if there is standing water right now, and mention a gate code if the crew will need one. Call (520) 422-6139.

Still Have Questions?

Call us at (520) 422-6139. We are happy to help.

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