Quick answer
For water damage in Richland Hills, TX, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. After hours, call Richland Hills non-emergency dispatch at 817-281-1000 for a water or sewer problem. 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. Richland Hills runs its own water and sewer, with crews on call 24/7; after hours, call non-emergency dispatch at 817-281-1000.
- 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. If sewage backs up into a tub or floor drain, call Public Works before a plumber. City crews check whether the clog is in the city main; if it is on your side, they will tell you to call a plumber.
Tarrant County had 15 flash flood warnings in each of 2024, 2025, and 2026. FEMA inspectors found damage at 20 Richland Hills homes after the June 2007 storms and flooding. Never drive into water over a road.
What to know about water damage in Richland Hills
55%
Share of Richland Hills homes built before 1960, with a median build year of 1959. The town grew around World War II, when defense plants came to Fort Worth.
Sources: Census Reporter, ACS 2024 5-year estimates, Handbook of Texas
47 miles of water mains
The city maintains 47 miles of water mains, over 3,000 meters, and 60 miles of sewer mains. It uses wells and water bought from Fort Worth.
Sources: Water Division, Wastewater Division
Richland Hills addresses in FEMA data
After the June 2007 storms and flooding, 22 owners at Richland Hills addresses registered for FEMA aid and inspectors found damage at 20 homes, about $90,322.
A postwar town
Richland Hills had 9,000 residents by the mid-1960s. In 1990, 40 plants made tools, flour, and rubber and wood products.
Tarrant County storms
Tarrant County had 4 flash flood warnings in 2022, 5 in 2023, then 15 in each of 2024, 2025, and 2026 so far.
Freezes and rain
The NOAA weather station at Fort Worth WSFO, about 6.7 miles away, averages 31.6 nights a year at or below 32°F and 3.5 at or below 20°F. In half of years the first freeze comes by November 20 and the last one after March 10. Pipes in outside walls, attics, and pier-and-beam crawlspaces are the first to split. It also averages 37.98 inches of rain a year, with about 12.2 days of an inch or more.
Homes in Richland Hills
About 63% are owner-occupied, and the median value is about $248,100. Only about 3% were built since 2010.
Check your ZIP
How often does Tarrant County get flash flood warnings?
The National Weather Service issued 78 flash flood warnings that included Tarrant County from 2016 through November 12, 2026, peaking at 15 in 2024. Each one means flooding is happening or about to happen.
Source: our count from the National Weather Service warning archive, Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
| Year | Warnings |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 | 15 |
Cost and insurance in Richland Hills
How much does water damage restoration cost in Richland Hills?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Storm water that flows in from outside is a flood claim. Homes from the 1950s may hide water under old flooring.
Water removal and restoration in Richland Hills
The company that answers handles sewer backups in older lines, supply line leaks in 1950s homes, water heater failures, and burst pipes in hard freezes, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Richland Hills questions
Who do I call about a water leak in Richland Hills after hours?
Non-emergency dispatch at 817-281-1000. Public Works keeps staff on call 24/7 and will send a crew.
Should I call a plumber or the city for a sewer backup?
The city first. Wastewater crews check whether the problem is in the city main; if it is on your side, they will tell you to call a plumber.
How old are homes in Richland Hills?
The median home dates to 1959, and about 55% were built before 1960.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
The Richland Hills parts of ZIPs 76118 and 76180. Those ZIPs also cover parts of Fort Worth and North Richland Hills.
Related guides
Other Texas towns- Basement floor drain backing up
- Burst pipe, not frozen
- Water coming up through the basement floor
- 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: