A burst pipe moves a surprising amount of water in a short span, and most of it ends up where nobody is looking: inside walls, above ceilings and under cabinets. Stopping the flow is the first step, and drying the hidden path is the real work.
Who fixes the break
In Chanhassen the city maintains the water main, the service connection and the service pipe up to but not including the curb box. The homeowner maintains the pipe from there to the house, curb box included. A break on the house side is the owner's to repair, while water surfacing in a yard or street is a matter for City Public Works, which handles water emergencies.
- Sudden loss of pressure at every tap
- A ceiling stain that spreads in dry weather
- The sound of running water with every fixture off
How the crew dries the path
The extraction crew pulls standing water first, then follows it with a moisture meter. Toe kicks come off cabinets, wall bottoms are vented, and the ceiling below is opened if it holds water. Carpet is floated or removed depending on how long it sat in the flow.
Closing out the job
Drying runs until framing and drywall reach their dry readings. A pipe that froze before it split follows the same steps, as described under frozen pipe damage, and a stain showing overhead is covered under ceiling leak cleanup.