Home emergency playbook
Water main break or geyser in the yard
Conservative first steps for homeowners before cleanup, repair, or contractor dispatch. When safety is uncertain, leave and call first.
Immediate steps
- Call the utility emergency line first before hiring private repair.
- Keep people, pets, and vehicles away from the geyser, sinkhole, or saturated strip of yard.
- Move cars and stored items out of low areas only if you can stay on firm dry ground.
- If water is entering the house, close the interior main valve and tell the utility the break is also flooding inside.
Do not do this
- Do not walk into a washed-out spot that may hide a void under grass or pavement.
- Do not drive across flowing water in the driveway, sidewalk, or street gutter.
- Do not dig to expose the pipe before utility locating and ownership are confirmed.
Who to call
- Call 911 if anyone is injured, trapped, in medical distress, or if fire, shock, collapse, or active crime is present.
- Call the utility emergency line before private repair when gas, electric service, public water, sewer main, or buried lines may be involved.
- Call a plumber for pipe, fixture, water heater, sewer, or private water-line repair after immediate hazards are controlled.
Damage mitigation
- Photograph the water path, meter area, and any soil collapse from a porch, window, or other stable spot.
- Place sandbags or rolled towels at thresholds when surface water is approaching doors.
- Keep the utility ticket number and written statement showing whether the failed section is public or private.
Prevention
- Call 811 before fence posts, mailbox work, tree planting, or drainage trenches near the service route.
- Keep meter lids visible so crews can find and isolate the line quickly.
- Review mature tree roots and driveway settlement where the water service crosses the yard.
Typical cost band
Often low or no cost when the public utility owns the problem; high when a private service line or buried pipe must be excavated.
Insurance note
Yard excavation, driveway damage, and private service-line repair may require utility records plus separate service-line or exterior underground coverage.
Related ProFix resources
Plumber emergency guideTrade-specific dispatch, utility-first, and after-hours cost guidance.Troubleshooting encyclopediaSymptoms, maintenance intervals, contracts, and warranty norms.National FAQHiring, licensing, scams, permits, and DIY boundaries.Cost calculatorPlan the permanent repair after the emergency is controlled.