When a pipe fails or a drain backs up, you want answers fast. This page pulls together the local contacts, city rules, and simple prevention steps that actually help San Antonio homeowners. Bookmark it. From Alamo Heights to Schertz, these are the things worth knowing before something goes wrong.
San Antonio Water System (SAWS) handles most water and sewer service in the city and many nearby areas. If you see water bubbling up in your yard, a spike in your bill, or a sewer smell near the street, call SAWS first. They own the meter and the main up to your property line. Everything past that line is yours.
For natural gas, CPS Energy runs the service in and around San Antonio. If you smell gas, get everyone out of the house, leave the door open, and call CPS Energy from outside. Do not flip switches on your way out.
Outside city limits, in spots like Boerne, New Braunfels, or parts of Helotes, your water may come from a separate district or a well. Check your bill to see who bills you for water. That tells you who to call for a main-side problem.
The City of San Antonio requires permits for a lot of plumbing work: water heater swaps, repiping, gas line changes, sewer line work, and new fixtures on new lines. Minor repairs like a faucet washer or a running toilet usually don't. When in doubt, the Development Services department can tell you.
A licensed plumber pulls the permit under their own license and handles the inspection. That protects you. If someone offers to skip the permit to move faster, that's a sign to slow down. Unpermitted gas and sewer work can haunt you when you sell the house.
If you live in Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, or one of the smaller cities like Schertz or Converse, those towns run their own permitting. Call your city hall, not San Antonio's.
Texas licenses plumbers through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. You can look up any plumber by name or license number and confirm they're active and in good standing. It takes about a minute.
Ask for the license number before work starts, not after. A real plumber will give it to you without blinking. Match the name on the license to the person standing in your kitchen.
Reading local reviews helps too, but the license check is the part people skip. Do that one first.
When a pipe bursts, seconds count. Find your main water shut-off now, while the sun is out. In many San Antonio homes it's near the front hose bib, in a garage, or in a box in the yard by the meter. Turn it clockwise to close. If it's stiff, spray it with a little lubricant so it turns when it matters.
Each toilet and sink has its own shut-off valve underneath. A single leaking toilet doesn't mean cutting water to the whole house. Know these too.
For gas, there's a shut-off at the meter that needs a wrench. Keep one nearby but only use it if you smell gas and are heading outside to call. Older homes in Monte Vista and Southtown sometimes have shut-offs in odd spots, so track yours down on a calm day.
Our winters are mild until they aren't. A hard freeze can hit fast and crack pipes that ran fine for years. Before a cold snap, disconnect garden hoses, cover outdoor faucets, and let a thin stream run from a far faucet overnight. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
Summer brings the opposite problem. Long dry spells shift the clay soil under Hill Country slabs, and that movement stresses pipes below the foundation. If you notice a warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water with everything off, or a jump in your bill, that can point to a slab leak. Get it looked at early.
Before you dig for any landscaping or a new fence, call 811. It's free, and it gets your underground utility lines marked so you don't hit a gas or water line by accident.
Call (210) 555-0134 and a San Antonio plumber will point you the right way, even if it's not a job for us.