McKinney is the Collin County seat and one of the fastest-growing cities in North Texas. The housing ranges from late-1800s and early-1900s homes around the historic downtown square to large new subdivisions west and north of town. The East Fork of the Trinity River runs along the city's eastern side, and creeks such as Wilson Creek cross through neighborhoods.
Older homes near downtown
Older houses can have pier-and-beam foundations, crawl spaces and plumbing that's been patched many times over the years. Water under a pier-and-beam house can sit in the crawl space, raise humidity under the floor and lead to cupped wood floors and mold on the joists. Drying a crawl space is a different job from drying a slab, so mention the foundation type when you call.
Newer homes on the west side
Newer homes mostly sit on slabs. The common calls are failed supply lines, water heater leaks, upstairs bathroom leaks into the ceiling below, and AC condensate overflows in the attic. Slab leaks happen here too, as the clay soil swells and shrinks.
Storms
Collin County gets strong spring storms with hail and heavy rain. Hail damage to roofs often shows up later as a ceiling stain. Heavy rain can also push water into garages and through poorly sealed doors, especially in new neighborhoods where the landscaping and grading haven't settled.
Historic McKinney
The historic district around the downtown square has one of the larger collections of older homes in North Texas, many from the late 1800s and early 1900s. These houses were built differently: pier-and-beam foundations, plaster walls, old-growth wood floors and plumbing that's been updated in pieces over many decades. Water damage in these homes calls for care: plaster and old floors are harder to replace, and drying a crawl space takes different equipment than drying a slab.
Fast growth on the west and north sides
McKinney has added a very large number of homes over the last two decades, especially west of US-75 and north toward Prosper and Celina. Most are slab-on-grade, two stories, with upstairs bathrooms and laundry rooms. New construction also means new landscaping and grading that can settle, which can send heavy rain toward foundations and into garages.
McKinney through the year
- SpringThe main severe-weather season, with hail, wind and heavy rain.
- SummerAC condensate overflows and slab movement on dry clay.
- FallHeavy rain can raise Wilson Creek and the East Fork of the Trinity.
- WinterHard freezes can burst pipes in attics and exterior walls.
Local resources
The City of McKinney provides water and wastewater service. Contact the city if the leak is on their side of the meter or in the city sewer. Collin County and the city publish floodplain information for areas near the creeks and the East Fork.
A typical McKinney call
One example: after heavy rain, the owner of an older pier-and-beam home near downtown notices the hardwood floors starting to cup. Water has collected in the crawl space. The crew pumps out the standing water, sets air movers and a dehumidifier under the house, monitors moisture in the joists and subfloor, and recommends checking the gutters and grading that sent the water there.
ZIP codes
We connect callers in McKinney ZIP codes 75069, 75070 and 75071.
Nearby we also take calls in Wylie and The Colony.