Plumber in White Oak

White Oak at a glance

White Oak is a city in Gregg County that borders Longview on the west. It was incorporated in 1960 and had 6,225 people at the 2020 census, across about 9.1 square miles.

What that means for your plumbing

A city incorporated in 1960 has many homes from the decades that followed, often on concrete slabs. Pipes buried under a slab for a long time are where hidden leaks begin. A warm spot on the floor or a meter that moves with the taps off is a reason to check; see slab leak repair.

Trees and creeks

White Oak started on thickly forested land near creeks. Large trees near the house are lovely but their roots look for water, and old sewer lines are an easy target. If drains slow down every year or two, a camera inspection can show whether roots are the cause.

Sawmills and a school by the creek

In the late 1800s White Oak was a small farming community with three sawmills on heavily wooded land, and by 1884 roughly 15 families lived in the area. Most worked at the mills or farmed near the creeks and rivers. A small school built near Hawkins Creek doubled as a church on Sundays. Today White Oak Independent School District serves most of the city. As the community grew from that wooded start into a suburb, homes went up on lots that still carry big trees. Keep an eye on drains and the yard over the sewer line, especially after long dry spells when roots hunt hardest for water.