Quick answer
For water damage in Palmer, TX, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. For a leak at the meter, call Palmer City Hall at 972-449-3160. 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 the valve at your meter box, then call City Hall. Palmer is a full-service city that runs water and sewer, and its water clerk is reached at extension 1 on the main line.
- 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. About 31% of Palmer's homes were built since 2010, and 18% are manufactured homes. Newer slab homes hide water under vinyl plank floors, so ask for meter readings along the walls.
Ellis County flash flood counts are on the Waxahachie page. Creeks crossing the farm roads east of I-45 rise fast in heavy rain, so never drive into water over a road.
What to know about water damage in Palmer
1872
The year the Houston and Texas Central Railway arrived and Palmer was settled. The town was named for D. S. Palmer, a Houston doctor who held stock in the railroad.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Palmer
A brick town
In 1902 the Palmer Press Brick Company, later the Barron Brick Company, built a plant in town. Palmer had incorporated in 1890 and was a shipping point for cotton and grain.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Palmer
Steady growth
Palmer had about 601 people in the mid-1970s, 1,659 in 1990, and 2,393 at the 2020 census.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Palmer
City water and sewer
The city provides water, sewer, trash pickup, and building inspections from City Hall at 650 South Dallas Street. The state lists it as the sewer utility for Palmer.
Sources: City of Palmer services, PUC of Texas
Homes in Palmer
About 77% are owner-occupied, the median home dates to 1989, and the median value is about $226,000.
13 damaged homes
After the February 2021 winter storm, 51 homeowners in ZIP 75152 (Palmer addresses) registered for FEMA aid. Inspectors found damage at 13 homes, totaling about $34,343. The spring 2024 storms added 5 more, about $24,973. Owners who did not apply are not counted.
Freezes and rain
The NOAA weather station at Ferris, about 6.6 miles away, averages 40.3 nights a year at or below 32°F and 3.3 at or below 20°F. In half of years the first freeze comes by November 19 and the last one after March 12. Pipes in outside walls, attics, and pier-and-beam crawlspaces are the first to split. It also averages 40.87 inches of rain a year, with about 13.7 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 Palmer
How much does water damage restoration cost in Palmer?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Creek water that flows in from outside is a flood claim. Vinyl plank floors over slabs trap water underneath.
Water removal and restoration in Palmer
The company that answers handles burst pipes in hard freezes, water under manufactured homes, supply line leaks in new homes, and sewer backups, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Palmer questions
Who do I call about a water leak at the meter in Palmer?
City Hall at 972-449-3160. Press 1 for the water clerk.
How was Palmer named?
For D. S. Palmer, a Houston physician and stockholder of the Houston and Texas Central Railway, which reached the area in 1872.
Where is the Ellis County flash flood table?
On the Waxahachie page, which covers Ellis County data for Palmer and Bardwell.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
The Palmer part of ZIP 75152.
Related guides
Other Texas towns- Water mitigation vs. restoration
- Sewage backup: what to do first
- 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: