diff --git a/esphome/components/valve/__init__.py b/esphome/components/valve/__init__.py
index 7377aea1ed2..bc7e2ba48d9 100644
--- a/esphome/components/valve/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/valve/__init__.py
@@ -251,10 +251,11 @@ async def valve_control_to_code(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
         else:
             body_lines.append(f"call.{setter}({cg.safe_exp(value)});")
 
-    # Match ControlAction::ApplyFn signature: const Ts &... for trigger args.
+    # Match ControlAction::ApplyFn signature: trigger args forwarded
+    # by-value as Ts...
     apply_args = [
         (ValveCall.operator("ref"), "call"),
-        *((t.operator("const").operator("ref"), n) for t, n in args),
+        *args,
     ]
     apply_lambda = LambdaExpression(
         ["\n".join(body_lines)],
diff --git a/esphome/components/valve/automation.h b/esphome/components/valve/automation.h
index ae9ac0db762..81fcd122003 100644
--- a/esphome/components/valve/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/components/valve/automation.h
@@ -52,9 +52,12 @@ template<typename... Ts> class ToggleAction : public Action<Ts...> {
 // plus one parent pointer, regardless of how many fields the user set.
 // Trigger args are forwarded to the apply function so user lambdas
 // (e.g. `position: !lambda "return x;"`) keep working.
+//
+// Ts... must be forwarded by-value: `const T &` is ill-formed when T is
+// already a reference type (some triggers pass `std::string &`).
 template<typename... Ts> class ControlAction : public Action<Ts...> {
  public:
-  using ApplyFn = void (*)(ValveCall &, const Ts &...);
+  using ApplyFn = void (*)(ValveCall &, Ts...);
   ControlAction(Valve *valve, ApplyFn apply) : valve_(valve), apply_(apply) {}
 
   void play(const Ts &...x) override {
diff --git a/tests/components/template/common-base.yaml b/tests/components/template/common-base.yaml
index 819eaa8bbfe..984ef129ad4 100644
--- a/tests/components/template/common-base.yaml
+++ b/tests/components/template/common-base.yaml
@@ -356,6 +356,19 @@ number:
     min_value: 0
     max_value: 100
     step: 1
+  # Exercise valve.control inside a trigger with non-empty Ts (number on_value
+  # passes float).
+  - platform: template
+    id: template_valve_position_number
+    optimistic: true
+    min_value: 0
+    max_value: 100
+    step: 1
+    on_value:
+      then:
+        - valve.control:
+            id: template_valve
+            position: !lambda "return x / 100.0f;"
 
 select:
   - platform: template