Alamo Heights Plumbing — Built for Older San Antonio Homes
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.
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.
Tank and tankless water heater installation in Alamo Heights
We install and repair Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, and A.O. Smith units, tank or tankless, gas or electric. In a pre-1970 09 home the catch is almost always the existing gas line: a tankless needs the full BTU run verified before we quote, and a lot of older Alamo Heights houses were piped for a 40,000-BTU tank, not a 199,000-BTU tankless. We size for a 70°F rise off ~55°F San Antonio groundwater, pull the City of San Antonio permit, haul the old unit, and leave you with a temperature-and-pressure test. Call 210-212-7667 for a same-day water heater estimate.
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.
Water heater install vs. repair in a pre-1970 09 home
Start with age and the cost of the fix. A 10-year-old tank with a bad element is a borderline call; a 13-year-old tank with a corroded anode rod, a weeping T&P valve, and a base full of sediment is a replacement. The rule of thumb we use: if the repair runs past half the cost of a new unit, you replace, because a heater old enough to need an expensive part is usually old enough to need another one inside 18 months. We look at the anode rod and the tank floor before we tell you which way to go.
Here's the Alamo Heights specific part. SAWS water runs 15 to 20 gpg hard, and that scale settles in the bottom of a tank as sediment that insulates the burner and cooks the steel early. Replacing the sacrificial anode rod at year 3 is the single cheapest thing you can do to push a tank from a 7-year life to 12 or more. Most homeowners never touch it, which is why so many 09 tanks die young. If you've got a softener feeding the heater, the rod and the tank both last noticeably longer.
On tankless, we service and install Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, and A.O. Smith. Two things matter in an older 09 home before anyone talks about going tankless. First, the gas line: a tankless can pull 150,000 to 199,000 BTU, and a 1948 house piped for a 40,000-BTU tank often needs the branch re-sized or the meter checked before it will fire correctly, which we verify before we quote. Second, the hard water: an unsoftened tankless scales its heat exchanger fast on SAWS water, so we set the unit up for a citric-acid descale on a regular interval instead of letting it choke. When the gas capacity isn't there and you don't want the panel work, a high-efficiency tank or a hybrid is the honest call.
When a new water heater is the wrong call
Don't let anyone sell you a tankless because it sounds like an upgrade if your gas line can't feed it. We've walked into 09 homes where the last company quoted a tankless swap with no plan for the BTU shortfall, which means lukewarm water at two fixtures at once. If your existing tank is under about 8 years old and the only symptom is a single failed part, we fix the part. A thermostat, an element, a T&P valve, or a flushed-out sediment base often buys you years for a fraction of a replacement. The replacement conversation is honest only after we've looked at the anode and the tank interior, not before.
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.
- Tank water heater replacement (40 to 50 gal, same location): $1,650 to $2,950+ — Rheem or A.O. Smith unit, new T&P valve, expansion tank, drip pan, City permit, and haul-away. Gas line re-sizing or venting changes add to it.
- Tankless water heater install: $4,200 to $6,800+ — Rinnai or Navien unit, gas line BTU verified and re-sized if needed, new venting, condensate handling, and a descale-ready setup for SAWS hard water.
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.
Should I replace or repair my water heater in Alamo Heights?
If the repair runs more than about half the cost of a new unit, replace it. A heater old enough to need a costly part is usually close to needing another. Age decides it: a tank under 8 years with one failed element or thermostat is a repair; a 12-plus-year tank with a corroded anode, a leaking T&P valve, and a sediment-packed base is a replacement. We look at the anode rod and tank interior before recommending either way, so the call is based on the unit's actual condition, not a symptom guess.
Can you install a tankless water heater in an older 09 home?
Often, yes, but the gas line decides it. A tankless can pull 150,000 to 199,000 BTU, and a pre-1970 Alamo Heights home piped for a 40,000-BTU tank frequently needs the branch re-sized or the meter verified first. We check the full BTU capacity before we quote so you don't end up with lukewarm water at two fixtures. We install and service Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, and A.O. Smith. On SAWS hard water we set the unit up for a periodic citric-acid descale so the heat exchanger doesn't scale up. When the gas capacity isn't there, a high-efficiency tank or hybrid is the honest call.
How can I make my water heater last longer on San Antonio's hard water?
Replace the sacrificial anode rod at year 3. SAWS water runs 15 to 20 gpg hard, and that scale drops out as sediment in the bottom of the tank that insulates the burner and corrodes the steel early. The anode is a cheap part that takes the corrosion instead of the tank, and swapping it around year 3 is the single best move to push a tank heater from a 7-year life to 12 or more. A softener feeding the heater extends both the rod and the tank further. We can check and replace the rod on a normal service visit.