Katy’s clay shrinks in August and swells after a 2-inch storm. That movement shears slip-fits on production-home laterals, especially along side yards where the builder buried the pipe shallow to beat the sod clock. Cinco Ranch and Grand Lakes see it every summer.
Replacing the cracked stick of PVC without a swing joint or a deeper bury is how the same leak comes back in October. On sprinkler repair in Katy we cut back to sound pipe, primer-weld new fittings, and raise the valve box so the next tech is not digging blind.
If the wet spot only appears when a zone runs, it is irrigation. If it appears after rain with the system off, that is a drainage call — we will tell you which one you have.