Get the empty house inspection-ready and code-clean first. Fort Worth Water does not activate meters on weekends or holidays, Oncor-area power runs through a retail provider you pick, both big cities cite owners for unsecured buildings and grass over 12 inches, and TAD or DCAD shows your exemptions.
The Texas rules for selling an empty house, including the disclosure question about how long you have been gone and the contract duty to keep utilities on, are in our Texas guide to selling a vacant house. This page turns those rules into local steps for a house in Dallas, Fort Worth or the counties around them.
Step 1: Get the water back on
Paragraph 7A of the Texas resale contract requires the seller to have existing utilities on while the contract is in effect. Schedule each restart before the listing goes live, because the buyer's inspector will expect working power, water and gas, and water is a good place to begin.
Fort Worth. Fort Worth Water wants the account details at least one day before activation: the name, phone, Social Security number and driver's license number of the person responsible, the present owner's name, and the previous owner or tenant if known. The fee schedule lists:
| Request | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard activation or transfer | $20 |
| Same-day activation | additional $25 |
| Same-day after-hours activation (requests after 5 p.m. on a weekday, before 6 p.m.) | additional $50 |
Meter activations are not performed on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays, so do not plan a Monday inspection on a Friday-evening call. A refundable residential deposit also applies unless you qualify for a waiver.
Dallas. Dallas Water Utilities opens accounts through DallasGo, by phone at (214) 651-1441 on weekdays, or at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street. A deposit is billed on the first bill unless you meet a listed criterion, and owning the property is one of them.
Outside those two cities, check your last water bill for the provider's name and number.
Step 2: Power and gas
In Oncor's service area, you choose a retail electric provider, and Oncor points shoppers to the Power to Choose website to compare plans. Oncor itself delivers power but says it is not a retailer. Its FAQ notes that advanced meters allow automated disconnection and reconnection when service needs to be stopped or started.
Atmos Energy's Mid-Tex Division serves the Dallas and Fort Worth area with natural gas. Customer service is 888-286-6700, weekdays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central. If the gas was off for a long time, ask what Atmos needs before it restores service, and leave time for it.
Our DFW guide to utilities in a vacant house goes provider by provider.
Step 3: Clear code issues before buyers see them
Code notices on the door do not help a sale, and unpaid city charges can follow the house.
- Fort Worth considers a vacant structure that is not secured against entry unsafe, boards up open structures and may fine owners up to $2,000 per violation. Grass must stay at 12 inches or less, and unpaid city mowing charges may become a lien.
- Dallas treats grass or weeds over 12 inches as a violation of Sec. 18-13(a), which can bring a court citation, a mowing bill, or both. Sec. 27-11(a)(6) requires doors and windows of a vacant structure to be secured.
If a notice is already on the door, the listed numbers are 817-392-1234 for Fort Worth Code Compliance and (214) 670-5708 for Dallas Code Compliance. Ask your title company early whether any city lien shows up on the title search, so it can be handled before closing.
Step 4: Check the appraisal and tax records
Your tax proration at closing uses the current year's tax figures. Pull up the account on your appraisal district's site, TAD for Tarrant County or DCAD for Dallas County, and confirm the owner name, the value and the exemptions listed. If you moved out and the homestead exemption is still on the account, ask the appraisal district how your situation should be handled before you sign a contract.
Step 5: Protect the listing
Texas added a specific crime in 2025 for advertising or renting out a home without the legal right to do it. Penal Code Sec. 32.57, in effect since September 1, 2025, makes it a first-degree felony. While the house sits empty, search your address online now and then, and sign up for the Tarrant or Dallas County Clerk's free property fraud alert. Our guide to vacant rental risks in DFW covers the scam in more detail.
DFW lookups: Fort Worth Water accounts · Dallas Water Utilities · TAD · DCAD · Atmos Energy
Step 6: Close out the accounts after closing
To end Fort Worth water service, call 817-392-4477 with the address or account number, the stop date and a forwarding address. Any deposit is credited to the final bill and the balance is mailed to you. Dallas Water Utilities asks account holders who move out to call and discontinue service, and the deposit goes toward the final bill. Coordinate the stop date with the buyer so the house is never without service during the closing week.
Selling your empty DFW house as is
If restarting utilities, clearing code issues and preparing for showings is more than you want to manage, you can sell the house as it stands.
Cash Home Advisors is based in Fort Worth and buys houses across DFW. We pay all closing costs and can close in 7–14 days, and you see the closing statement before you sign. Request a cash offer, check our areas we serve, or read about selling in Fort Worth and Dallas.
Want a cash offer instead?
We buy Texas houses as-is, pay all closing costs, and can close in 7–14 days.
Get my cash offer or call (817) 635-0743
Frequently asked questions
How fast can I get water turned back on at an empty Fort Worth house?
Fort Worth Water asks for the account information at least one day before activation. Standard activation is $20, same-day adds $25, and a same-day after-hours request adds $50. The city does not perform meter activations on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.
Do I need a deposit to restart water at my Dallas house?
Dallas Water Utilities bills a deposit on the first bill unless you meet one of its criteria. Owning the property, or being in the process of buying it, is one of them.
Who do I call to restart electricity at a vacant DFW house?
In Oncor's area you sign up with a retail electric provider, which Oncor suggests comparing on the Power to Choose website. Oncor delivers the power but says it does not sell electricity directly to customers.
How do I close the Fort Worth water account after the sale?
Call Water Customer Service at 817-392-4477 with the service address or account number, the stop date and a forwarding address for the final bill. Any deposit is credited to the final bill and the balance is sent to you.
Sources
- City of Fort Worth Water, Opening, closing and transferring accounts
- Dallas Water Utilities, Account information
- Oncor, Start and stop service FAQs
- Atmos Energy, Contact us
- City of Fort Worth Code Compliance, Open and vacant structures
- City of Dallas Code Compliance, Top 10 code violations
- Tarrant Appraisal District
- Dallas Central Appraisal District
- Texas Penal Code, Chapter 32 (Sec. 32.57)
General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a Texas attorney or CPA about your situation.