At 2:17am on a Tuesday, a maintenance contract holder called the Tell Projects emergency line. A main water line had burst in the ceiling of a second-floor unit at their 200-unit apartment community in northwest Houston. Water was pouring through the ceiling into the unit below.
The property manager's on-site maintenance technician had already shut off the building's main water supply, but water continued to flow from the residual pressure in the lines. Two units were actively flooding, and water was beginning to seep into the hallway.
2:17am — Call received. Project manager dispatched the on-call emergency crew: 1 plumber, 1 water damage technician, and 1 helper. ETA: 45 minutes.
3:02am — Crew arrived on site. Plumber located the burst pipe (a 2-inch PVC main line in the ceiling that had cracked at a joint due to age and pressure). Water extraction technician began removing standing water with a commercial extractor. Helper started placing fans and dehumidifiers.
3:45am — Pipe repaired. Plumber replaced the cracked section with new PVC, installed a pressure regulator to prevent future failures, and slowly turned the water back on to test for leaks. No leaks detected.
4:30am — Water extraction complete. All standing water removed from both units. 8 fans and 2 dehumidifiers placed to dry the affected areas. Moisture readings documented. Affected drywall sections marked for replacement.
Next day: Drywall repair crew replaced the damaged ceiling sections in both units. Carpet drying continued for 48 hours. No mold detected. Both units back to normal within 4 days.
Total cost: $3,200 (emergency response + repair + drywall). Without the maintenance contract, this would have been a $8,000+ emergency call. And without the 45-minute response, the water damage could have spread to 4-6 units, costing $25,000+ in repairs.
This is why maintenance contracts matter. Call (832) 203-7987 to set up your emergency maintenance contract.
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Tell Projects provides comprehensive maintenance and renovation services for apartment communities across Houston.