Plumbing in Dickinson, TX

Call and tell us whether your house flooded in 2017 and what was replaced. If you bought after the storm, you may not know, so ask the seller or your neighbors. That history changes where we look first.

What Harvey left along Dickinson Bayou

Look for hidden flood damage before you blame age. Water covered most of the city, and rebuilding moved fast, so these are the places to check:

• Sewer laterals: silt settles at low spots and joints.
• Walls: fittings get disturbed when drywall comes out.
• Water heaters: gas units that sat in floodwater need inspection.
• Yard cleanouts: caps go missing, and storm water gets in.

Dickinson Bayou rises northeast of Alvin and runs more than 20 miles east to Dickinson Bay, per the Handbook of Texas. Flat ground gives water little reason to leave quickly, and drains have little fall.

NASA-era houses and the Gum Bayou drainage work

Age still counts. About 36 percent of Dickinson homes were built from 1960 to 1979, according to Census ACS estimates. The town had hit about 12,000 people by 1970, helped by the oil industry and NASA's Johnson Space Center, so those decades left a lot of houses with aging laterals. About a third of homes have gone up since 2000, and about 72 percent are owner-occupied, so most people here will live with whatever the rebuild left behind.

The public drainage work is still catching up. ABC13 reported in 2022 that the city had spent millions on drains and streets, with Gum Bayou work under way and $50 million in state money awarded for water flow along Hughes Road to Dickinson Bayou. Better street drainage helps, but it does nothing for a cracked lateral on your lot.

Choosing the right work near Highway 3 and FM 517

Fix the cause you can prove first. A sewer camera costs far less than opening a floor on a guess, and it gives you a record to keep with your flood paperwork.

How plumbing in Dickinson is scheduled

Scheduling runs through our phone line, which is quiet only on Saturdays. Have your flood history handy if you know it. We look at the problem and explain the findings simply. The quote comes next, clear and upfront, before anything is cut. Questions about insurance or a buyout belong with your insurer or the city.

Paul Hopkins Park, City Hall and GCWCID No. 1

From I-45, Texas 3, FM 517, FM 646 and Texas 146 carry you across town. Paul Hopkins Park on FM 517 and City Hall on Highway 3 are easy reference points. The town goes back further than its 1977 incorporation. The railroad came through in 1857, and strawberry farms once earned it the name "garden of Galveston County." ZIP 77539 covers Dickinson and also crosses into neighboring places, so tell us the street.

The city's Community Development Department takes permit applications through its MyGov portal, and city building reports show plumbing permits as their own line item. Water comes through Galveston County WCID No. 1. For drainage and buyout questions, go to the city. Its forms list includes a FEMA elevation certificate and a homestead permit affidavit, so ask which ones your job needs. League City and Texas City sit on either side.