From Runnymede III to Tarzana: Why the Lots Matter
Tarzana began as part of the 116,858-acre Ranch Ex-Mission de San Fernando. In 1910 the area was subdivided as Runnymede III, and it later took its name from Edgar Rice Burroughs, the largest landowner. The Tarzana Neighborhood Council says Burroughs bought the Otis estate in 1919 and sold much of it for home sites in 1923.
Those sales explain why some of the oldest Tarzana houses date to the 1920s. No source tells us what pipe sits in any one wall, so do not assume. A licensed plumber can identify your supply and drain material. Our moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras find where water went, which is the part you need after a leak.
Melody Acres and Other Large Lots North of Ventura
City surveyors describe Melody Acres, a 1920s subdivision north of Ventura Boulevard, as a tract of large lots with citrus rows and equestrian zoning. A big lot usually means a long run of supply pipe from the street to the house, plus hose bibs and irrigation lines. A pinhole leak in a buried line can soak a subfloor or the base of a wall for weeks before a bill or a damp baseboard gives it away.
If your water bill jumps with no change in habits, shut off the house and watch the meter. Once a plumber finds the leak, water mitigation dries what it wet and water damage repair rebuilds drywall, baseboard and flooring.
Wet floor or ceiling in Tarzana?
Pick up the phone and mention gates, steep driveways or narrow streets, so the crew can plan access.
When water is spreading in Tarzana
Large lots hide leaks and big houses spread them. Dispatch stays staffed around the clock, so a Sunday-night failure gets the same call handling as a weekday one. Same-day response when available.
If Water Is Still Spreading
Four steps for the minutes before the crew gets there, written for Tarzana's bigger houses and longer plumbing runs.
Find the main, not just the fixture
A large house may have more than one shutoff. Close the main valve first. Then open one low faucet to drain what is left in the line and slow the flow.
Check the panel before you step in
Water near outlets, a garage subpanel or a wet floor can energize the floor. Turn breakers off only from dry footing. If you cannot reach the panel safely, call the utility or 911 first.
Protect what is high value
Lift rugs, art, books and electronics off the floor and pull wet area rugs. Photograph each room before you move things so the claim file shows the original condition.
Close doors and call
Shut doors to unaffected rooms to limit spread, keep pets and children out of any water from a drain or toilet, and call the 24/7 line.
Tarzana, CA Coverage Map
Flats, Hillsides and the Fire Hazard Severity Zone
The City describes Tarzana as flats north of Ventura Boulevard and hills to the south. LAFD lists Tarzana among the communities containing portions of the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, without saying which parts, so check the LAFD Fire Zone Map for your address. The Encino-Tarzana plan also says steep terrain and limited street access slow emergency response in hillside areas.
For a leak, that means a hillside homeowner should not wait on a small problem. Tell the dispatcher about gates, switchbacks or narrow approaches when you call. Ask your insurer how your policy treats gradual leaks, which are often handled differently from sudden bursts.
Ventura Boulevard Between Lindley and Corbin
The Ventura Boulevard specific plan defines the Tarzana stretch as Lindley Avenue to Corbin Avenue, with critical intersections at Lindley, Reseda Boulevard, Wilbur, Vanalden, Tampa and Corbin. The community plan calls the commercial frontage strip-center development. Strip centers share roofs and walls, so a kitchen leak or a roof leak in one suite can wet the next one.
If you rent a suite, report the leak to your landlord at once and photograph both sides of the shared wall. Our crews document moisture in each affected unit, and emergency water removal starts before the ownership question is settled.
Reseda Boulevard, South Toward the Mountains
The community plan names Reseda Boulevard north of Ventura as a main access route to Santa Monica Mountains open space, and a street vacation made it a local street between Windford Drive and Mulholland Drive. Our base is on Saticoy Street in Reseda, so it is a likely route for a crew heading to Tarzana. Mention a locked gate or a private road, because a truck-mounted extraction unit is a large vehicle.
Once the water is out, mold is the follow-up risk in a closed hillside room. Mold remediation depends on stopping the moisture first, then containment and HEPA air scrubbing under ANSI/IICRC S520.
East and West of Tarzana
East of Lindley Avenue the community plan area becomes Encino, covered on our Encino page. West and south, Woodland Hills has its own notes on hillside drainage and Warner Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is emergency water removal available in Tarzana?
Yes. Someone answers the dispatch line at every hour. Pumps and extraction units go first, then air movers and dehumidifiers for drying. Same-day response when available. Shut the water off at the source and call.
Do you cover every ZIP code in Tarzana?
Tarzana's residential ZIP is 91356, and we cover all of it, from Lindley Avenue west to Corbin Avenue and from Victory Boulevard up to the Mulholland hills. Landmarks inside it include Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center at 18321 Clark Street and the Tarzana Recreation Center at 5655 Vanalden Avenue.
Does an older Tarzana house need special drying?
Not special equipment, but more patience. Older plaster, wood floors and layered paint hold moisture differently from newer drywall, so we take readings at set intervals and keep a drying log. Whoever you hire, ask if its crews follow ANSI/IICRC S500.
Is my hillside Tarzana home in a fire hazard zone?
LAFD says portions of Tarzana are in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone but does not say which. Use the LAFD Fire Zone Map with your address.
Water still spreading? Call the 24/7 line at (818) 337-2642.