Quick answer
For water damage in Bardwell, TX, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. For a water outage, the City of Bardwell lists Hilco at 1-800-338-6425; City Hall is 972-646-5332. Then call a water damage restoration company; drying should start within 24 to 48 hours. Texas insurers must acknowledge your claim within 15 days.
Do this first
Local water and septic lines.
- Shut off the water. Close your main valve, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. For a water outage or a leak at the meter, the City of Bardwell lists Hilco at 1-800-338-6425; City Hall is 972-646-5332.
- Make it safe and document it. Cut power to wet rooms from a dry spot, photograph the damage, then report the claim.
- Start drying within 24 to 48 hours. Mobile homes and pier-and-beam houses stay damp underneath longer than the rooms above.
Waxahachie Creek and the low roads near Lake Bardwell can flood after a hard rain. Never drive through water over a road. Floodwater can carry sewage and septic runoff, so treat it as contaminated.
What to know about water damage in Bardwell
30%
Share of homes in Bardwell that are mobile homes. A leak under a mobile home soaks the insulation and subfloor before it shows inside. The median home dates to 1990.
Built for flood control
Congress authorized Bardwell Lake on March 31, 1960. The Army Corps of Engineers began construction in September 1963 and started filling the lake in November 1965.
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Lake Bardwell
The 3,138-acre lake sits on Waxahachie Creek in the Trinity River basin, about 3 miles southwest of Ennis.
Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife
A gin town
Bardwell grew up in the early 1880s around a cotton gin John W. Bardwell built. When the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway came through in 1907, the gin and the town moved to the tracks.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Bardwell
Boom and bypass
Bardwell reached 650 people in 1929, with three gins and two banks. After the main road moved to State Highway 34 in the early 1940s, most businesses closed or moved to the highway.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Bardwell
5 damaged homes
After the April to June 2024 storms and flooding, 7 homeowners in ZIP 75101 registered for FEMA aid. Inspectors found damage at 5 homes, totaling about $50,937. Owners who did not apply are not counted.
Freezes and rain
The NOAA weather station at Bardwell Dam, about 4 miles away, averages 39 nights a year at or below 32°F and 4 at or below 20°F. In half of years the first freeze comes by November 21 and the last one after March 8. Pipes in outside walls, attics, and pier-and-beam crawlspaces are the first to split. It also averages 40 inches of rain a year, with about 12 days of an inch or more.
Check your ZIP
Flash flood warnings in Ellis County
The National Weather Service issued 46 flash flood warnings that included Ellis County from 2016 through November 12, 2026. The year-by-year count is on the Waxahachie page.
Cost and insurance in Bardwell
How much does water damage restoration cost in Bardwell?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Creek flooding needs a separate flood policy. Mobile home subfloors and pier-and-beam crawlspaces take longer.
Water removal and restoration in Bardwell
The company that answers handles burst pipes in winter storms, water under mobile homes, appliance leaks, and septic backups, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Bardwell questions
Who do I call about a water outage?
The City of Bardwell lists Hilco at 1-800-338-6425 for water outages and Oncor at 1-888-313-4747 for electric outages. City Hall is 972-646-5332.
What are homes like in Bardwell?
About 57% of homes are owner-occupied, the median value is about $133,000, and 20% were built in 2010 or later. Three in ten are mobile homes.
Where is Bardwell?
On State Highway 34 and Farm Road 984, just west of Bardwell Lake and ten miles southeast of Waxahachie.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
ZIP 75101, including Bardwell and nearby parts of Ellis County. For Waxahachie, see the Waxahachie page.
Related guides
Other Texas towns- Sewage backup: what to do first
- Water mitigation vs. restoration
- Burst pipe repair cost
- Texas insurance claim deadlines, in plain English
- Frozen and burst pipes: what to do
- Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
- How long water damage takes to dry
Local phone numbers checked November 2026: