What to Do When a Pipe Bursts in Your Georgetown Home
Water spraying from a wall or ceiling? Here is the order that limits the damage: main valve, water heater, drain-down, photos, then a proper repair, plus where Central Texas shut-offs hide.
Alta Vista Plumbing · since 1999
Georgetown, TX Plumber for Repairs, Leaks, Drains & Water Heaters
Water on the floor, a drain that won’t clear, or a heater that quit before the morning shower. Alta Vista Plumbing has handled plumbing service in Georgetown, TX since 1999, for homes and businesses alike. Call, tell us what you see, and get a quote before any work starts.
- 4.7 on Google · 436 reviews
- Georgetown plumbing since 1999
- Family-owned
- Homes and businesses
4.7
average from 436 Google reviews
1999
the year we started in Georgetown
Homes & businesses
residential and commercial plumbing
Repair to install
repairs, replacements, maintenance, installs
Services
Plumbing repairs and installs for Georgetown homes and businesses
Fifteen services, one phone number. Pick the problem that matches what you are seeing, or call and describe it. Most visits start with a symptom, a drip, a gurgle or a cold tap, and end with the cause found and fixed.
Water where it shouldn’t be? Start here.
Burst pipes, sewer backups, slab leaks and dead water heaters all get worse by the hour, and the first ten minutes matter more than the next ten hours. The emergency plumbing page lists what to shut off first.
Water heaters
Gas and electric tanks diagnosed, repaired or replaced, with the city permit pulled when a new heater goes in.
Emergency plumbing
Burst pipes, sewer backups and leaking water heaters: stop the water, call, and get an honest arrival time.
Burst pipes
Frozen, split or burst pipes found, cut back to sound pipe, repaired in PEX or copper and pressure-tested.
Slab leaks
Slab leaks pinpointed before concrete is cut, then fixed by spot repair, reroute or tunnel, whichever suits the house.
Sewer lines
Backed-up mains cleared, filmed and repaired, from root-cut clay tile to a full new lateral.
Everything else we fix and install
Plumbing service
One call for leaks, drains, water heaters, softeners and fixtures across Georgetown and Williamson County.
Drain cleaning
Kitchen, tub and main-line clogs cleared by cable or water jet, with a camera check when the sewer backs up.
Tankless heaters
Tankless units sized to your peak demand, plumbed for easy descaling and fed by a gas line that can keep up.
Water softeners
Softeners sized to your water and household, tied into the loop with a bypass and an air-gapped drain.
Toilets & faucets
Running toilets, dripping faucets and jammed disposals fixed, and fixtures you bought installed properly.
Leak detection
Hidden leaks in walls, slabs, yard lines and sprinkler zones traced and marked before anything is opened.
Repiping
Replace polybutylene, galvanized or leak-prone copper with new PEX or copper, permitted, inspected and patched.
Gas lines
Leak repair, pressure tests and new gas lines for ranges, dryers, water heaters, outdoor kitchens and generators.
Water lines
Leaking or failing main water line found, repaired or replaced from the meter to the house, with trench or bore.
Commercial
Repairs, replacements and finish-out plumbing for restaurants, offices, retail centres and the managers behind them.
Why Alta Vista Plumbing
Why Georgetown keeps calling the same plumber
No slogans. These are the things our customers point to, in their own reviews.
Family-owned since 1999
The Maldonado family has lived in Georgetown since 1978 and opened the company in 1999. We still work out of 78628, and we know which neighbourhoods were built in which decade, and with which pipe.
4.7 from 436 Google reviews
Hundreds of neighbours have rated our work publicly, good days and bad. Read the reviews before you call; that is what they are for.
Options before the quote
Reviewers keep mentioning it: we explain what failed and what the choices are, repair or replace, and give the price before any work begins.
Small jobs get the same care
A toilet bought at Lowe’s, a kitchen faucet or a garbage disposal gets the same set-up, testing and clean-up as a slab leak or a repipe. Reviewers mention swapped toilet seats, registered disposals and floors left cleaner than we found them.
Homes and businesses
Our listing has said “residential or commercial” from the start: houses, rentals, restaurants, offices and retail centres. Landlords and property managers get the same crew for the rental and for their own home.
Permits handled
Water heater replacements, repipes and gas lines need a city permit in most of the area. We file it and meet the inspector, so the work is on record when you sell.
A Georgetown family business, started here in 1999
Alta Vista Plumbing is a Georgetown family business. The plumbing trade came from a father who moved the family here in 1978 and taught his sons the work. In 1999 Steve Maldonado earned his Texas master plumber license and opened the company, first as Alta Vista Services. Our Google listing still describes the work plainly: repairs, service, replacements, maintenance and installation, residential or commercial.
The trade was handed down in the family, and the customers noticed it. Reviewers describe the owner and his son finishing a job together. They mention office staff who answer and follow up, and crews who explain the problem in plain terms before they quote. That is the business we still run.
Most of our work is ordinary and essential. Think of a running toilet in Sun City, a water heater swap in Wolf Ranch, or a main-line clog in a 1980s ranch house. Some of it is bigger, like rerouting supply lines during a remodel or tracing a hot-water leak under a slab. You can read more about the company, and where we work, on our About page.
Whatever the job, the order is the same. We find the cause, explain the options and quote the work before it starts. When a city permit is required, we pull it, and we test everything and clean up before we leave.
Local know-how
Hard water, moving clay and the 2021 freeze: plumbing the Georgetown way
Three local conditions shape most of the repairs we make.
Start with the water. Georgetown Utility Systems rates its supply hard to very hard. That means roughly 10–11 grains per gallon from the Lake Georgetown and Southlake plants, and about 19 from the Park and Southside plants. That mineral load is why tank heaters rumble with sediment, tankless units need descaling and aerators crust over. A water softener sized to your household slows all of it down.
Then the ground. Homes west of I-35 sit on Edwards limestone, where digging a yard line can mean breaking rock. East of the interstate, Blackland Prairie clay swells in wet springs and shrinks by August, and that movement works on the pipes inside slab foundations. It is the reason we fix slab leaks in some subdivisions far more often than in others.
Housing age matters as much as geology. Old Town around the courthouse square has the oldest piping in the city. Sun City, the active-adult community built from the mid-1990s on, is now replacing original water heaters and fixtures. Wolf Ranch and the newer subdivisions are on their first round of builder-grade repairs.
Finally, cold. Central Texas freezes are rare, which is exactly why so many pipes run through unheated attics and exterior walls. Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 split pipes in attics, exterior walls and hose bibs across the county. Insulating exposed lines, covering hose bibs and knowing where your main shut-off is are the cheapest repairs you will never need. Our burst pipe repair page covers the rest.
Service areas
Plumbing across Williamson County, from Georgetown outward
Georgetown is home base. These nearby communities each bring their own plumbing patterns, from very hard well water and septic lines to polybutylene supply pipe and slabs on shifting clay.
Williamson County
Limestone west of I-35, clay to the east, and private wells on rural lots.
Round Rock
1970s–80s neighbourhoods in the polybutylene era, about 15 minutes south.
Hutto
Newer homes on heaving clay with first-generation water heaters now due.
Leander
Crystal Falls and Travisso on shallow limestone along the 183A corridor.
Liberty Hill
Hard well water and septic out SH 29, plus Santa Rita Ranch.
Jarrell
Sonterra and newer I-35 subdivisions, on WSC water or private wells.
Weir
Acreage on FM 971 with long yard lines and septic tie-ins.
Serenada
Large-lot 1970s–80s ranch homes just north of town, many on septic.
Florence
Farm-town homes and well systems up SH 195.
Cedar Park
Buttercup Creek-era homes with polybutylene ready for a repipe.
Brushy Creek
MUD-served slab homes where water heaters and PRVs are due.
Further out, along I-35 into Bell County, east toward Taylor and Elgin, and west to Lake Travis and the Highland Lakes, we also serve Taylor, Granger, Bartlett, Pflugerville, Austin, Wells Branch, Manor, Salado, Belton, Temple, Harker Heights, Killeen, Nolanville, Morgan's Point Resort, Lago Vista, Jonestown, Bertram, Burnet, Rockdale, Elgin, Lakeway. See every area we serve.
Reviews
What our customers wrote on Google
Six reviews, quoted exactly as written, covering water heaters, a slab leak, freeze damage, a softener, a sewer clog and a new toilet. The full set is on Google.
4.7 average from 436 Google reviewsRead our Google reviews
Alta Vista was the third plumbing company that I called to get an estimate to have a new water heater installed. I wasn’t satisfied with the first two plumbers that came out to provide an estimate so I continued to look for another plumber which is when I found Alta Vista. When I spoke to Steve, the owner of Alta Vista, I was impressed by his friendliness and availability to come out to provide an estimate. I was hoping that I had finally found a plumber who was honest, trustworthy and would do quality work. When Steve came out to provide me with an estimate, he was super nice, patient in answering my questions and knowledgeable. Steve provided me with a couple of options for water heaters and took his time explaining them to me. His quote was also very reasonable. I decided to give my business to Alta Vista. When he and his crew arrived to remove our old water heater and install the new, they were all very friendly, polite and professional. Jared did the actual install of the new water heater, and he was very accommodating, easy to talk with and did a great job. I’m so glad to have found an honest, trustworthy and knowledgeable plumber in the Georgetown area. I will definitely use Alta Vista for future plumbing issues and will not hesitate to recommend them to friends and family members.
We were without water over super bowl weekend due to a hot water leak under the slab near the master bathroom shower. I called multiple plumbing co. Monday and only Alta Vista could help us that day. Lydia came out and in about three hours had the leak uncovered and repaired! Very happy with her work!! Thank You!
Reply from Alta Vista Plumbing
Anytime our fellow man in need, we always try our best to go out and give our 100%. I hope we can in the future, build a working relationship with all your plumbing needs. Thanks again for your rate Mr. Hanson. and again, i'm happy we were there to help.
I contacted AVP Services when I knew they were probably the busiest they would be for the foreseeable future, after a prolonged freeze, before the snow and ice were gone. I knew I needed help because a stream of water was flowing slowly across my driveway, still surrounded by 6 inches of snow and ice on either side. I had the water turned off for only a day before Steve arrived on a Sunday afternoon to make a "temporary fix" and restore water, while waiting to securing parts for the final repair. I greatly appreciated his help with keeping the water on while waiting for the necessary parts. I highly recommend this business, very accommodating and competent.
Reply from Alta Vista Plumbing
Mr. Adams. We are always happy to help where we can and do our part to keep a functioning household going. A lot of folks suffered hardships with this past storm and at least restoring water to a home was important to us. Glad we could be of help. We really appreciate your support and recommendation. Please keep us in mind in the near future for any plumbing needs.
The entire experience was wonderful! They are friendly, extremely knowledgeable, accommodating, and thoroughly professional. They replaced our water softener and did an outstanding job. We are hiring them back to replace our kitchen faucet. We absolutely cannot say enough good things about the company and the quality of the work. We recommend them 100% , no questions asked!
Reply from Alta Vista Plumbing
Hi Kate Fields! Thanks so much for your feedback! We're really glad you enjoyed our service. Please let us know if we can help you with anything further and thank you for taking time out of your day to leave us this super kind review.
I was in a panic. Our main sewer clogged up, meaning no water, toilet, nothing. I went to Whataburger to use their restroom. Lydia showed up within 10 minutes of her scheduled appoint, diagnosed the issue and fixed it. I am so happy to use my own plumbing. P.S. I thought the price was very fair.…
Mr. Daniel Maldonado was excellent. He knows his job, friendly, and very informative. He removed our old toilet and installed a new one in an expedient and professional manner. I am highly recommending him. Thank you so much for Alta Vista Plumbing Services and Mr Daniel Maldonado.
Reply from Alta Vista Plumbing
Thank you Joel for taking the time to review us! Daniel is a strong part of this team and we Greatly value him as well. We'll be sure to share your positive review with him, We greatly appreciate your business!
From the blog
Plumbing guides for Georgetown homeowners
Plain answers to the questions we hear most, written for local houses and local water. Start with the freeze and hard-water guides; they prevent more repairs than they describe.
Georgetown's Hard Water: What It Does to Heaters, Fixtures and Softeners
The city measures 10–11 grains per gallon from two plants and about 19 from two others. Here is what that mineral load does to water heaters, tankless units, fixtures and softeners.
Blackland Clay and Slab Leaks: Why East Williamson County Foundations Move
East of I-35 the ground under a slab swells after rain and cracks open in summer. What USDA soil science says about Blackland clay, and how it breaks pipes under the floor.
Contact
Call Alta Vista Plumbing in Georgetown
Phone is the fastest way to reach us. Tell us what you see, where in the house it is, and whether the water is shut off. If you can, have the age of the water heater or the year the house was built handy; both change what we bring. Prefer to read first? The contact page has directions and more ways to find us.
Alta Vista Plumbing Services, LLCGeorgetown, TX 78628(512) 988-5119
Serving Georgetown and Williamson County, TX
Map of Alta Vista Plumbing in Georgetown, TX
FAQ
Questions Georgetown homeowners ask before they call
Which areas does Alta Vista Plumbing serve?
Georgetown first, including Sun City, Wolf Ranch and Old Town. Then the rest of Williamson County: Round Rock, Hutto, Leander, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Cedar Park and the rural communities between them. We also reach North Austin, Pflugerville and Manor in Travis County, the Bell County towns along I-35 up to Temple and Killeen, and Burnet County out SH 29. The service areas page lists every community.
How long has Alta Vista Plumbing been in business?
Since 1999. The company started in Georgetown and has worked from the 78628 ZIP code ever since. In that time we have worked in every generation of local housing, from Old Town homes near the courthouse square to Sun City and the newest subdivisions. We know what each era tends to fail, and why.
Is Georgetown’s water hard enough to need a softener?
Yes, for most homes. The city rates its water hard to very hard, from about 10–11 grains per gallon up to about 19 depending on the treatment plant serving your street. At those levels scale builds quickly in water heaters and fixtures. A softener sized to your household slows that wear considerably. Plumb it on a loop that skips the hose bibs and irrigation, and descaling a tankless heater becomes a rarer chore.
What should I do first if a pipe bursts?
Shut off the water at the main valve, usually near the front foundation or at the curb box by the meter. If the leak is near the water heater, turn off its gas or breaker too. Open a low faucet to drain the lines, move valuables, take photos for insurance, then call (512) 988-5119.
Will you install a toilet or faucet I bought myself?
Yes. Many of our Google reviews come from customers whose Lowe’s toilet or store-bought faucet we installed. Have the box and parts on site. If the fixture does not fit the existing rough-in, flange or shut-off valve, we explain why before starting. You hear the options first, so nothing gets cut or forced.
Do you work on restaurants and offices?
Yes. Commercial work has been part of the business from the start: grease traps, restroom fixtures, water heaters and tenant finish-out plumbing for restaurants, offices and retail spaces. One long-time reviewer manages several commercial centres in Austin. See our commercial plumbing page for details.
Leak, clog or cold shower? Call Alta Vista Plumbing.
One call reaches the Georgetown plumber neighbours have reviewed 436 times. Planning a bigger job instead? Same number, and we will book a quote.
- 4.7 on Google · 436 reviews
- Georgetown plumbing since 1999
- Family-owned
- Homes and businesses
Alta Vista Plumbing Services, LLCGeorgetown, TX 78628(512) 988-5119