Flat ground and slow drainage
The region is flat, with clay soils that drain slowly. Heavy downpours back up in streets and yards and can push water under doors or into garages within an hour.
Katy sits on the far west side of the Houston area, near the Addicks and Barker reservoirs. This page covers what usually causes water damage here, what to do in the first hour, and how to reach an independent restoration company that serves your ZIP code.
We are a referral service, not a contractor. Your call is connected to an independent company that covers Katy. How it works
About two in three homes in Katy were built in 2000 or later, and about four in ten since 2010. Newer plumbing rarely fails from age. Water damage in these homes usually starts at a connection: a washing machine hose, a toilet or faucet supply line, an ice maker line, or a fitting that was never quite tight.
Upstairs laundry rooms are common in newer two-story homes, and a burst washer hose there runs straight into the ceiling below. A drain pan and braided steel hoses are cheap insurance.
Most homes in the area sit on concrete slabs, so water from a leak spreads sideways under flooring and into walls rather than draining away. It can soak carpet pad, laminate and the bottom of drywall several rooms from where it started.
Most homes here were built after 2000, and many neighborhoods flooded during Hurricane Harvey.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, for ZIP codes 77449, 77450, 77493, 77494.
The region is flat, with clay soils that drain slowly. Heavy downpours back up in streets and yards and can push water under doors or into garages within an hour.
See the full list of regional water risks, and every city we cover nearby, on our Texas page.
Most Katy-area homes have the main shutoff in the meter box near the street, with a house valve usually in the garage or on an exterior wall.
If the water came from a toilet, a sewer line or outside, treat it as contaminated: see sewage backup cleanup or flood water cleanup.
The oldest housing in the area we cover is in 77450, where the median home was built in 1994. The newest is in 77493, with a median of 2014. Older ZIP codes tend to see more corroded pipe and drain failures; newer ones more appliance and fitting leaks.
| ZIP | Homes | Median year built | Built before 1980 | Renters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77450 | 26,031 | 1994 | 21% | 31% |
| 77449 | 42,282 | 2004 | 6% | 32% |
| 77494 | 45,351 | 2011 | 2% | 29% |
| 77493 | 23,977 | 2014 | 8% | 20% |
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Standard Texas homeowners policies generally cover sudden water damage, such as a burst pipe, but not rising floodwater, which needs a separate flood policy through the NFIP or a private insurer.
The Texas page covers state insurance rules in more detail, and our claims guide explains how to document a loss.
Each guide below explains one kind of water damage and how it is handled.
Independent restoration companies we connect callers with cover these Katy ZIP codes:
Start within 24 to 48 hours; the EPA says materials dried in that window are much less likely to grow mold. Hidden moisture inside walls and under floors needs meters and drying equipment to find and remove.
Yes. Most Katy homes are newer, and their leaks usually start at connections: appliance hoses, ice maker lines, water heater fittings and supply lines. Water can travel under flooring and inside walls for days before a stain or soft spot appears.
Calls from 77449, 77450, 77493, 77494 are routed to independent restoration companies that serve those ZIP codes. We are a referral service and don't do the work ourselves.
A restoration company serving Katy can tell you on the call whether it needs a visit today.