Alamo Heights Plumbing — Built for Older San Antonio Homes
Updated April 2026
Most of Alamo Heights was built before 1970, and that's the whole story. Galvanized supply that's gone to rust, cast-iron drains thinning at the hubs, and every once in a while a 90s polybutylene retrofit somebody else did badly. We're in these houses every week — we'll quote the repair the way we'd do it on our own place, not the way that pads the invoice.
If you're hearing a knock in the wall, watching a $200 water bill jump to $600, or smelling something off in a downstairs bath, call before the drywall comes down. It's almost always cheaper that way.
What we do in Alamo Heights
Whole-house repipes (galvanized → PEX-A)
Galvanized in 09 is decades past its rated life — the question is when it goes, not if. We repipe in PEX-A with expansion fittings, snake new lines through closets, attics, and existing chases first, and only cut drywall where there's no other path. Most single-story homes are done in two days, water back on each night.
Cast-iron sewer line replacement
Cast iron under a 70-year-old slab is rust-scale on the inside and channeling water at the bottom. We camera, locate the worst joints, and either point-repair or pull a full PVC replacement under the slab through a tunnel — neighborhood streets stay open. See how we approach [cast-iron sewer replacement inside Loop 410](/sewer-repair-alamo-heights-tx), from camera diagnosis to lateral replacement.
Original-fixture rebuilds
A Crane lavatory from 1948 is better cast iron than anything you can buy new. We rebuild the stems, lap the seats, and hunt down the obsolete cartridges so the bathroom keeps the character it was built with. Replacement is the last option, not the first.
Tunneling under the slab (no jackhammered floors)
When a sewer line under a 70-year-old slab needs full replacement, we tunnel from outside the foundation rather than tearing up your hardwoods or original tile. It costs a bit more upfront and saves a finish job that would dwarf the plumbing bill. Most Alamo Heights jobs run 18–36 feet of tunnel.
Backwater valves for low-lying 09 lots
Properties that sit downhill from the city main are the ones that get city sewage backing into the lowest fixture during a storm event. A code-compliant backwater valve at the foundation, properly oriented and accessible, ends that. We size, install, and provide an as-built drawing for your records.
Gas piping for additions and outdoor kitchens
Adding a wing, a casita, or a covered outdoor kitchen usually means re-sizing the gas service and adding new branches. We calculate the BTU load (range, dryer, water heater, fire feature, grill), pull the City permit, and pressure-test before the inspector shows up.
Slab leak detection under a 09 foundation
Post-tension slabs south of the pre-war core and the older poured slabs in the Alamo Heights core both hide supply leaks the same way: a warm spot on the floor, a hot-water line you can't shut off, a bill that climbed with no new fixtures. We locate electronically before anyone cuts, confirm whether it's the hot or cold run, and reroute overhead through the attic when the line is buried too deep to chase. The structural slab repair itself stays with your foundation contractor. We handle the plumbing, document the leak location, and hand you the paperwork an adjuster needs.
Water heaters in Alamo Heights
We also handle water heaters in 09 homes, tank or tankless, Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, and A.O. Smith. Because the gas-line and hard-water catches in pre-1970 houses run deep, we keep that scope on its own pages: start with [Alamo Heights water heater repair](/water-heater-repair-alamo-heights-tx) if the unit's in and acting up, or [water heater installation in Alamo Heights](/water-heater-installation-alamo-heights-tx) for a new unit or full replacement. For either, call [210-212-7667](tel:+12102127667).
Neighborhoods we cover in Alamo Heights
- Olmos Park / Mahncke Park — 1920s–40s bungalows, lead-jointed cast iron, careful demo around plaster.
- Terrell Hills — Mid-century homes with frequent gas line additions for outdoor kitchens.
- Lincoln Heights — 1980s–90s builds, copper supply still mostly in service, PRV upgrades common.
- Castle Hills (south) — 70s ranches with polybutylene retrofits — full repipes are the answer.
- Alamo Heights core (Patterson / Broadway) — Pre-war stock, slab-tunneled sewer replacements, original Crane fixtures worth saving.
Technical notes
Working on a 1940s Alamo Heights home — what to expect
The first thing we do is verify what you actually have. A 1948 house in 09 has likely seen at least one repipe attempt, and the supply line in the wall isn't always what shows at the meter. We open one access point and confirm before quoting.
Original drains are usually 4-inch cast iron to the city tap. The vertical stacks corrode at the hubs first; the horizontals belly where the soil shifted. A camera run tells the story in twenty minutes.
We also flag what isn't a plumbing problem. Hairline foundation cracks in 09 sometimes get blamed on a slab leak when the real culprit is a downspout dumping water at the corner. We'll say so.
How we sequence a whole-house repipe in an occupied home
Day one is rough-in. We run the new PEX-A from the meter to manifolds in central locations (utility room, attic, sometimes a closet) and stub each branch within a foot of every fixture. The existing galvanized stays live. You still have water at the end of the day.
Day two is cut-over. Each fixture gets switched to the new line, the old galvanized is capped and abandoned, and we pressure-test the new system at 100 psi for an hour minimum. Any joint that weeps gets remade — no Teflon-tape Hail Marys.
Patches and cleanup are day three. Every drywall opening is squared, taped, and floated to a level where a finisher can prime and paint without re-cutting. We don't do the paint, but we won't leave you a hack job to apologize for either.
Why a $300 PRV pays for itself in Alamo Heights
Static pressure inside Loop 410 routinely reads 75–90 psi at the hose bibb. Code maxes at 80 psi for a reason: above that, every wax-stem cartridge, fill valve, and angle-stop accelerates toward failure. A pressure regulator at the service entry, with a properly sized expansion tank on a closed system, fixes the cause.
The math is simple. One slow leak under a vanity that you don't catch for a month does $1,800 of cabinet damage. The PRV install is $385.
Galvanized or just a bad fixture? How we tell before you spend repipe money
Low pressure at one tap and rusty water for the first ten seconds every morning is the classic galvanized complaint in 09, but it isn't always a repipe. A single clogged angle-stop or a scaled-up aerator mimics the same symptom, and we'd rather find that than sell you a whole-house job you don't need. We open one access point, cut a short section of supply, and look at the inside wall of the pipe. Pinhole-stage galvanized is honest about itself: the bore is half its original diameter with rust scale you can flake off with a screwdriver.
If the pipe's sound and the pressure is just low everywhere, the cause is usually upstream of the house entirely. Static pressure inside Loop 410 often reads 75 to 90 psi at the hose bibb, but a corroded or failed PRV can drop the whole house to a trickle. That's a regulator swap, not a repipe. We log the pressure at the entry before we point at the pipe.
When the galvanized really is done, we repipe in PEX-A and route through closets, attics, and existing chases so the plaster walls that give these homes their character stay mostly intact. The whole-house repipe scope above walks the two-day sequence, water back on each night.
Cast iron, Orangeburg, and what a camera actually finds under a 70-year-old slab
Pre-1970 Alamo Heights homes almost all drained through 4-inch cast iron to the city tap, and some of the oldest ran Orangeburg (tar-impregnated fiber) on the yard lateral. Both fail in ways you can predict. Cast iron corrodes at the hubs and channels along the bottom; Orangeburg delaminates and ovals under the weight of the soil, especially where a pecan or live-oak root found the joint. A slow drain in a downstairs bath, a gurgle at the lowest fixture, or a soft spot in the yard over the lateral line are all the same conversation.
We camera the line first, mark the defect with a 512Hz sonde so we're digging in the right place, and tell you honestly whether it's a six-foot point repair or a full replacement. When it's full replacement under the slab, we tunnel from outside the foundation instead of jackhammering your hardwoods. See how we scope cast-iron sewer replacement inside Loop 410 from the first camera run to the backfill.
What plumbing costs in Alamo Heights
- Diagnostic visit + minor repair: $165–$325 — Trip, scope, and most one-hour fixes inside a 1940s–60s home.
- PRV install with expansion tank: $385–$650 — Watts or Wilkins regulator, properly sized expansion tank, set to 65 psi and verified with a logging gauge.
- Slab tunnel + sewer replacement (per linear foot): $285–$485 / ft — Hand-tunnel from outside the foundation, PVC replacement, backfill, surface restoration.
- Whole-house galvanized → PEX-A repipe: $8,500–$14,500 — Single-story average; two-story or 3,000+ sq ft trends higher. Includes manifold, valves, drywall patch-prep.
- Cast-iron stack replacement (1 stack, 2 stories): $2,800–$4,800 — Open chase, cut-and-replace in PVC with proper venting, restore wall ready for paint.
- Original fixture rebuild (per fixture): $185–$485 — Stems lapped, seats reground, obsolete cartridge sourced. Keeps original Crane / Kohler / American Standard pieces in service.
- Backwater valve install (low-lying 09 lot): $975 to $1,850+ — Code-compliant valve at the foundation, properly oriented and accessible, with an as-built drawing for your records.
How a Alamo Heights service call runs
1 — Pre-quote walk-through
We pull one access panel, verify what's actually in the wall, and quote against reality — not against assumptions.
2 — Written fixed-price scope
Every line item spelled out. Discoveries during demo get a change order in writing before we proceed.
3 — Daily water restoration
On multi-day jobs, we make sure water is back on at the end of every workday. You don't relocate.
4 — Drywall returned square
Every cut is taped, floated, and ready for a finisher. We don't leave a paint nightmare behind us.
5 — Final walk + warranty packet
Photos of everything we touched, parts list, warranty card. You get a folder, not a verbal promise.
Frequently asked
Will a repipe damage my plaster walls?
We minimize wall openings by routing through closets, attics, and chases first, and only cut where we must. Patches are clean, square, and ready for a finisher.
Do you work in the Alamo Heights ISD school zones?
Yes — most of our Alamo Heights work is residential inside the AHISD boundary. We schedule around carpool when we can.
Can you match historic fixture finishes?
Often, yes. We source replacement parts for older Crane, Kohler, and American Standard fixtures and can match polished chrome, polished nickel, and oil-rubbed bronze trim.
How long is a whole-house repipe in 09?
Typical single-story Alamo Heights home: 2 days of plumbing plus 1 day of drywall patch-prep. Two-story or larger footprints add a day. Water is restored each evening — you don't camp out.
Do you handle insurance claims for slab leaks?
We document everything the adjuster needs — leak location, photos, scope of repair, and a written cause statement. We bill you direct and you submit; we don't bill the carrier ourselves but the paperwork is built for it.
Can you tunnel without disturbing my mature trees?
Most of the time, yes. We hand-dig within the dripline of established oaks and pecans and avoid mechanical trenching anywhere root structure is at risk. If we have to remove a heritage tree to do the job, we'll tell you upfront and offer alternatives.
Do you work on water heaters in Alamo Heights too?
Yes, tank and tankless both. The gas-line and hard-water catches in pre-1970 09 homes run deep enough that we keep that scope on its own pages: see [Alamo Heights water heater repair](/water-heater-repair-alamo-heights-tx) if a unit's acting up, or [water heater installation in Alamo Heights](/water-heater-installation-alamo-heights-tx) for a new unit or replacement.
My water pressure dropped everywhere at once. Is that a repipe?
Usually not. Pressure that drops across the whole house at the same time points to the pressure-reducing valve at the service entry, not the pipe in the walls. Static pressure inside Loop 410 commonly reads 75 to 90 psi, and a failed PRV can choke that down to a trickle. We log the pressure at the entry first. A regulator swap is a fraction of a repipe, and we won't quote the bigger job when the smaller one fixes it.
How do you know if my sewer lateral is cast iron or Orangeburg?
We run a camera and read it on screen. Cast iron shows rust scale and channeling at the hubs; Orangeburg looks like layered tar fiber and ovals under soil pressure. We mark the defect with a 512Hz sonde so any dig lands in the right place, then tell you whether it's a six-foot point repair or a full under-slab replacement. We tunnel from outside the foundation rather than jackhammering original floors.