Hose bibs and spigots
Outdoor faucet and hose bib repair in Houston
The spigot by the garden drips nonstop, the handle spins without shutting off, or a hard freeze left water spraying out of the brick. Outdoor faucets are simple, but a split one can leak inside the wall.
- We answer 24/7, nights and weekends included
- Based in South Belt, close to Beltway 8
- Washer and stem repairs or a frost-free sillcock swap
Updated October 2026
Short answer
Outdoor faucet repair in Houston usually means a new washer or packing nut on a dripping hose bib, or replacing a spigot that split during a freeze. After a cold snap, the bigger worry is a crack behind the wall, so we check inside before calling it fixed. Frost-free sillcocks and vacuum breakers prevent the next one.
The job
Is the leak at the spout, the handle or inside the wall?
A standard hose bib is a short compression valve threaded onto a pipe that comes through your exterior wall. A drip from the spout with the handle closed means the washer is worn or the seat is pitted. Water around the handle stem means the packing has dried out. Both are repaired at the faucet. A bib that sprays from its body, or leaks only when a hose is attached and running, has usually cracked from frozen water left inside.
That last case is the one to take seriously. When water freezes in the pipe behind the bib, the split can be inside the wall cavity, where you won't see it until drywall stains or the baseboard swells. We open the faucet, look at the pipe stub and check the wall behind it. If the pipe itself is damaged, the repair extends into the wall, and in a bad freeze it becomes a burst pipe repair.
Pricing
What shapes the cost of an outdoor faucet repair
A washer swap is a small job. The cost grows when the faucet has to come out of the wall or the pipe behind it is damaged.
Repair or replacement
New washers and packing cost less than replacing the whole bib.
Standard or frost-free
A frost-free sillcock has a longer body and needs the wall opening sized for it.
Wall type
Brick veneer takes more care to work through than siding.
Damage behind the wall
A split pipe inside the wall adds drywall access and pipe repair.
Pipe material
Old galvanized stubs often need replacing to get a sound connection.
Typical planning range: $150 - $450 for outdoor spigot replacement (hose bib $150 - $350), per HomeGuide (June). A guide figure, not our price; your quote follows the inspection.
The versions we see most
Leaking hose bibs
Most dripping spigots need only a few parts. We shut off the water, back out the stem, and replace the rubber washer and the brass screw that holds it. If the seat inside is grooved from years of grit and scale, the new washer won't seal, so we either dress the seat or replace the bib. Packing leaks around the handle are fixed with new packing or an O-ring and a snug packing nut. A bib that's loose on the wall gets a new mounting and caulk, because a wobbling faucet works its pipe joint loose over time. We also check the line it feeds, since a leak in the supply line sometimes shows up first at an outdoor faucet.
Frost-free sillcocks
A frost-free sillcock looks like a regular spigot outside, but the valve that actually stops the water sits at the end of a long stem, several inches inside the heated wall. When you turn it off, the barrel between the valve and the spout drains, so nothing is left to freeze outdoors. It only works if it slopes down toward the outside and if the hose is disconnected in cold weather; a hose left on traps water in the barrel and can split it. We size the stem length to your wall thickness, set it with a slight downward pitch and seal it to the brick or siding.
Vacuum breakers
A vacuum breaker is the small cap on a hose bib spout, or a screw-on attachment, that keeps water in a hose from being pulled back into your drinking water. That can happen when pressure drops in the street and a hose is sitting in a bucket of fertilizer, a pool or a sprayer. Many newer sillcocks have one built in. A breaker that spits water every time you open the faucet has a worn seal and needs replacing. Homes with sprinkler systems need a separate backflow assembly and annual test, which a hose bib breaker doesn't replace.
Before you call
Outdoor faucet steps for homeowners, before and after a freeze
| Situation | What you can safely do | When to call us |
|---|---|---|
| A hard freeze is forecast | Disconnect hoses and fit foam faucet covers | The faucet has no shutoff inside and you want one added |
| Spigot drips with the handle closed | Tighten gently; don't force it, which crushes the washer | It still drips, since the washer or seat is worn |
| Water leaks around the handle | Snug the packing nut under the handle a quarter turn | The leak continues or the stem is loose |
| Faucet sprays after a freeze | Shut the main and check inside the wall behind it | Any time; the bib or pipe has split |
Local to southeast Houston
What the February 2021 freeze taught Houston about spigots
Houston doesn't freeze often, so outdoor faucets get ignored. Then February 2021 brought 13 F at Bush Intercontinental and 15 F at Hobby, and the city logged about 5,000 calls about broken pipes in one week, plus a boil water notice that ran from the 17th to the 21st. Exposed hose bibs were among the first things to split. On average, the city's last freeze still comes around mid-February, while at Hobby the 30-year average is late January.
Talk to a plumber now
Any hour, any day. Tell us what you see.
Step by step
How we repair or replace an outdoor faucet
Find the shutoff
We shut the branch valve if there is one, or the main.
Open the faucet
The stem is pulled to inspect the washer, seat and packing.
Check the wall
We look inside for wet drywall, stains or a split pipe behind the faucet.
Repair or replace
New washer and packing, or a new bib or frost-free sillcock with a vacuum breaker.
Test with a hose
Water runs with a hose attached, then we check inside again for any drip.
Common questions
Outdoor Faucet Repair questions from Houston homeowners
Covering it and disconnecting the hose matters more. Dripping a faucet keeps water moving, which helps indoor lines on exterior walls, but a bare outdoor bib can still freeze in a hard cold snap.
Turn it on once things thaw and look inside the wall behind it. Wet drywall, a stain or the sound of water inside means the pipe split behind the faucet.
Freezes are rare here, but when one hits, they hit hard. A frost-free sillcock costs a little more and removes most of the risk at that faucet.
Yes. Add a vacuum breaker if the faucet doesn't have one, and remove the attachments before a freeze, since they trap water at the spout.
That cap is the vacuum breaker. A little spit when you open or close it is normal; a steady leak means its seal has worn and the breaker needs replacing.
Same system, different job
Related plumbing services
- Burst Pipe RepairSplit copper, blown PEX fittings and freeze-cracked lines cut out and replaced.
- Faucet Repair & InstallationDrips, low flow and loose handles repaired, or a new faucet set and sealed.
- Water Line RepairLeaking service line between the meter and the house dug, repaired and tested.
- Backflow TestingAnnual testing of backflow assemblies with the paperwork the water department asks for.
Weighing your options?
Call and ask. A plumber will walk you through the choices before any price is set.