Repair service · Backflow & double checks
Backflow repair & replacement
Failed your annual backflow test? That letter has a deadline — and what it needs is the licensed irrigator who repairs and replaces double check assemblies, usually within a day or two, and coordinates the retest so the file actually closes. That's this page.
Failed-test repairs usually within a day or two · You approve the flat price before any work begins
Texas Licensed Irrigator — LI0026061Required by Texas law for sprinkler repair. Ask any company for theirs.
Request sprinkler service
Describe the problem — we'll call back with an arrival window, usually same day.
Backflow services
From failed test to closed file
Cities require the annual test; a meaningful share of assemblies fail it. Everything after that letter is our department.
Failed-test double check repair
Fouled or worn check assemblies rebuilt where the body is sound and parts exist — the cheaper path when it’s honest.
Full assembly replacement
Cracked bodies, frozen-split castings, discontinued models. Cut out, replaced like-for-like, ready for retest.
Freeze-damage repair
February’s specialty: the above-ground brass that split in the hard freeze. Repaired — then insulated so it’s the last time.
PVB & relief-valve issues
Pressure vacuum breakers spitting from the bonnet or weeping at the relief port, rebuilt or replaced.
Insulation & enclosures
Covers, bags, and enclosures fitted before the freeze — the cheapest line item on this entire page.
Commercial assemblies
Larger double checks on HOA and commercial meters, replaced on deadline — some cities lock out non-compliant irrigation meters.
We service the assemblies actually in North Texas ground — Febco, Watts, Wilkins/Zurn, Apollo/Conbraco — rebuilding where parts exist and replacing like-for-like where they don’t. One honest line up front: we are not certified testers. We’re the licensed irrigator who fixes what the testers flag — and we’re glad to recommend certified testers we trust.
Diagnosis guide
Which backflow problem brought you here?
Six ways this page gets found. All of them end the same way: repaired, retested, closed.
The annual test failed
The tester’s report names the failed check or relief valve, and the city sets the clock. Send us the report — it usually tells us what to put on the truck before we arrive.
A freeze split the brass
Above-ground assemblies are the most freeze-exposed plumbing on the property. After a hard freeze they split at the body or the test cocks — February’s repair season, every year.
Water weeping at the test cocks or relief port
Slow weeping means debris or a worn check; a relief valve discharging means it’s doing its job about a failure upstream. Either way, it won’t pass a test like this.
The tester said “it can’t be repaired”
Sometimes true — discontinued models with no parts, cracked castings. Sometimes it just means the tester doesn’t repair. A second, licensed opinion costs you a phone call.
The city’s deadline letter arrived
Cities enforce backflow compliance because it protects the drinking supply — and some can lock an irrigation meter over it. Deadlines are the part of this we never miss.
No record the assembly was ever tested
Older systems sometimes predate the program entirely. We’ll assess what’s installed, bring it to a testable state, and point you to a certified tester to get on the annual cycle.
Flat-rate pricing
Flat-rate backflow pricing
Every repair is a flat rate quoted before work begins — never hourly, never a running meter while someone digs. The service call covers a full zone-by-zone diagnosis and applies to your repair, so diagnosis is effectively free when we do the work.
| Repair | Flat rate | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis & assembly assessment | $[XX] | Assembly inspected, failure identified against the test report. Applied to your repair. |
| Check / relief valve rebuild | from $[XX] | Brand-matched internals where the body is sound and parts exist. |
| Double check assembly replacement | $[XXX]–$[XXX] | Like-for-like replacement, isolation valves renewed, ready for retest. |
| Freeze-split repair | quoted flat, after inspection | Split bodies and test cocks repaired or replaced — insulation included in the quote. |
| Insulated cover / enclosure | from $[XX] | The cheapest item on this page, and the one that prevents the most expensive. |
Your flat rate depends on depth, access, and parts — but once quoted, it does not move. You approve the number before a shovel touches dirt. Full breakdown with examples on our sprinkler repair cost guide.
Local knowledge
The annual test cycle — how it works in our cities
Every city in our territory ties irrigation backflow to an annual test by a certified tester, and the cycle after a failure is the same everywhere: flagged, repaired, retested, filed.
The cycle — flagged to filed
A city-registered tester tests the assembly annually and files the result. A failure starts the clock: the assembly must be repaired or replaced — by a licensed irrigator, which is where Texas law puts us — and then tested again to close the record. Plano’s ordinance requires that retest immediately after any repair or replacement, and the pattern holds across Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, and Dallas.
Our part: on site usually within a day or two of the failed report, repair or replacement approved flat before work, and the retest coordinated with your tester so the cycle closes in one pass instead of three phone calls.
Why double checks fail — the usual suspects
Debris on a check seat from our sediment-heavy water; check springs and rubber worn out after a decade of cycling; and freeze damage — the above-ground assembly is the most exposed plumbing on the property, and every February we repair the ones that went into the freeze uncovered.
Repair-or-replace is parts arithmetic: sound body plus available internals means a rebuild; cracked castings or discontinued models mean replacement. The quote shows the honest path either way — and an insulated cover rides along on every freeze-related job, because twice is silly.
Know your assembly
Double check, PVB, or RP — what’s on your system?
Three devices do this job in North Texas yards, and they fail — and get repaired — differently. The brass near your meter is one of these.
The lineup — what you’re looking at
| Assembly | How to recognize it |
|---|---|
| Double check (DCA) | Horizontal body, two test cocks on top, usually in a ground box — the standard on most residential irrigation here |
| Pressure vacuum breaker (PVB) | Installed 12+ inches above grade with a bonnet on top — the one that spits upward when its check fails |
| Reduced pressure (RP) | The serious one, with a relief port underneath that discharges by design — common on commercial meters |
| Unknown / very old | Pre-program systems sometimes have none, or something untestable — we assess and bring it current |
Whatever’s installed, the annual test applies — and after any repair or replacement, the retest. We keep photos of your assembly with the job record, so next year’s tester and next year’s you both know exactly what’s in the box.
Winter — the cheapest repair is the cover
DFW systems stay charged year-round, which leaves the above-ground backflow assembly exposed to every hard freeze. The physics are boring and the invoice isn’t: water expands, brass doesn’t. An insulated cover or enclosure costs almost nothing against a February replacement — and on every freeze repair we do, the insulation goes on before we leave.
A working freeze sensor is the other half of winter protection, shutting the system down before it runs in icing weather. Both get checked on a full sprinkler inspection — schedule, sensors, pressure, coverage, and the backflow, one pass.
Your specialist
Meet Jonathan, your irrigation specialist
Eldorado isn't a call center dispatching whoever's available — when you call, you're talking to the licensed irrigator who shows up. Jonathan has been repairing North Texas backflow assemblies since 2013, holds Texas irrigator license LI0026061, and works out of east Plano — close enough to make a failed-test deadline comfortable instead of close.
His rule on every job is the one customers keep repeating in reviews: fix only what's broken. You get a zone-by-zone diagnosis, a flat price before work starts, and an honest answer when something doesn't need replacing.
The visit
How a repair visit works
No mystery invoices. The price is on the table before a shovel touches dirt.
Call & describe
Send us the failed test report or describe what the assembly is doing — the report usually tells us what to load on the truck before we arrive.
Zone-by-zone diagnosis
We inspect the assembly against the report, confirm whether a rebuild is honest or a replacement is necessary, and photograph what we find.
Flat quote, your call
You get the exact price before any work begins. The service call fee is applied to the repair.
Repair & prove it
We repair or replace it, prove it holding pressure, coordinate the retest with your certified tester — and the insulation goes on before the truck leaves.
Field record
Recent backflow work
Real jobs, our own photos — valve boxes, manifolds, trench lines, and the lawns after.
Reviews
What our customers say
"Many charge outrageous fees and try and upsell. Eldorado doesn't do that. Pleasant, responsive and most importantly, honest... 5 star and will be my go-to sprinkler guys."
"Came out same day and took care of business at an unbelievable price. Took about 30 minutes to diagnose and repair. Would absolutely utilize again."
"They gave me options and fixed only what needed to be fixed. They are honest good people that do good work."
Questions
Backflow repair, asked & answered
Do you test backflow preventers?
No — and that's worth being plain about. Annual testing must be done by a certified tester registered with your city, and we don't hold that certification. We're the other half of the cycle: the licensed irrigator who repairs and replaces what the testers flag, and we're glad to recommend certified testers we trust. Testers who repair are rare; testers and repairers who coordinate are how your file actually closes.
I failed my backflow test — what happens now?
The tester's report names what failed and your city's clock starts. Send us the report: it usually tells us what parts to load before we arrive. We repair or replace the assembly — typically within a day or two of approval — and coordinate the retest with your tester so the record closes in one cycle.
How much does backflow repair or replacement cost?
Check and relief-valve rebuilds start at $[XX] where the body is sound and parts exist; full double check assembly replacement runs $[XXX]–$[XXX] depending on size and access; freeze repairs are quoted flat after inspection, insulation included. The $[XX] assessment is applied to your repair, and you approve the number before work begins. Full breakdown on our sprinkler repair cost guide.
Can a failed double check be repaired, or does it need replacement?
Parts arithmetic: a sound body with available internals gets a rebuild at a fraction of replacement cost; cracked castings, freeze-split bodies, and discontinued models get replaced like-for-like. If a tester told you “it can't be repaired,” sometimes that's true — and sometimes it means the tester doesn't repair. The second opinion costs a phone call.
How fast can you replace a backflow assembly after a failed test?
Usually on site within a day or two of your approval, with common residential assemblies on the truck. City deadlines are the part of this we never miss — call (469) 970-2715 with the report in hand and we'll give you a real date, not a window.
Why did my backflow preventer fail the test?
Three usual suspects: debris from our sediment-heavy water lodged on a check seat, check springs and rubber simply worn out after years of cycling, or freeze damage from a winter without a cover. The tester's numbers usually point at which one — and the fix ranges from a cleaning and rebuild to a new assembly.
My backflow froze and split — can it be fixed?
Yes — it's our February specialty. Split bodies and test cocks get repaired or replaced depending on the casting, and every freeze job leaves with insulation installed, because the cover costs almost nothing against doing this twice. A working freeze sensor on the controller is the other half of the protection.
Is the retest after repair really required?
Yes — the annual test record only closes when the repaired or replaced assembly passes a new test by a certified tester. Plano's ordinance requires it immediately after any repair or replacement, and the pattern holds across our cities. We coordinate that retest as part of the job, not as your homework.
What’s the difference between a double check, a PVB, and an RP?
A double check is the horizontal assembly in a ground box — standard on most residential irrigation here. A PVB sits a foot above grade with a bonnet on top and protects by venting. An RP has a relief port that discharges by design and shows up mostly on commercial meters. They fail differently and we service all three.
Why do cities require backflow testing at all?
Because the assembly is what keeps irrigation water — fertilizer, soil bacteria, whatever's in the lines — from siphoning back into the drinking supply when pressure drops. The annual test proves the checks still hold. It's one of the few irrigation rules that's genuinely about public health, which is why cities enforce it with deadlines and, in some cases, meter lockouts.
Do you handle commercial backflow assemblies?
Yes — larger double checks on HOA and commercial irrigation meters, replaced on deadline with documentation written for a property file. Some cities can lock out a non-compliant commercial irrigation meter, which makes the deadline real. See commercial irrigation repair.
Does backflow repair require a licensed irrigator in Texas?
Yes — repair and replacement of an irrigation system's backflow assembly is irrigation work, and Texas law requires a TCEQ irrigator license for anyone doing it for compensation. Eldorado is owned and operated by a Texas Licensed Irrigator, LI0026061 — the number belongs on the same page as your test records.
Can you just install insulation before winter?
Gladly — it's the cheapest item on this page and prevents the most expensive one. Covers, bags, and hard enclosures fitted to the assembly, usually same visit as any other repair or as a quick standalone stop before the first hard freeze.
What areas do you cover for backflow repair?
Everything within about 30 minutes of our east Plano shop: Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, Dallas, and North Dallas.
Service area
Backflow repair available across North DFW
Licensed repair within about 30 minutes of our east Plano shop:
Searching “backflow repair near me” with a deadline letter in hand? Our east Plano shop puts a licensed irrigator — with Febco, Watts, and Wilkins parts on the truck — within about 30 minutes of every city on that letter.
Backflow trouble that turned out to be the system? See sprinkler valve repair and leak detection & repair — or book a full inspection before next year’s test.
Failed test? Deadline ticking?
Send the report, get a flat quote — repaired and ready for retest, usually within a day or two.