Emergency Plumbing: Same Day Service

Plumbing Problems That Can't Wait Until Morning

Most plumbing problems can wait for a regular appointment. The ones that can't are the ones still causing damage while you wait: water you can't shut off, sewage coming into the house, or a total loss of water. If any of the situations below match yours, treat it as an emergency. Step-by-step help for the most common ones: burst pipe, no water in the house and sewer backup.

• Water is actively leaking or flooding and won't stop
• A pipe has burst, or frozen and cracked
• Sewage is backing up into tubs, showers or floor drains
• There is no running water anywhere in the home
• Your only toilet is clogged and overflowing
• The water heater tank is leaking
• You smell gas near a water heater or gas line. Leave the building first, then call your gas utility or 911 from outside

Emergency or Next-Day Repair? A Quick Way to Decide

Ask 2 questions. Is water, sewage or gas still going somewhere it shouldn't? And can you stop it yourself with a fixture valve or the main shutoff? If the answer to the first is yes and the second is no, call now. If you can stop it, the repair can usually wait for regular hours, which typically costs less.

• Call now: a burst pipe you can't isolate, sewage coming into the house, no water at all, a leaking water heater tank, or any gas smell (leave first and call the utility).
• Can usually wait: one dripping faucet, a single slow drain, a running toilet you can shut off at the valve, or a leak you've stopped by closing a fixture valve.

When a Plumbing Problem Is an Emergency

The line between urgent and emergency usually comes down to 2 questions: is water still going where it shouldn't, and can you stop it yourself? If you can close a fixture valve and the damage stops, you have time. If you can't, or the problem involves sewage or gas, you don't.

• Water is coming through a ceiling, wall or floor and you can't stop it at a fixture valve.
• The main shutoff won't close, or you can't find it.
• Sewage is coming up through a floor drain, tub or toilet.
• You have no water anywhere in the house and the utility reports no outage.
• A water heater tank is leaking from the bottom or the relief valve keeps discharging.
• You smell gas. Leave first and call the gas utility or 911 from outside; this is not a job to wait on a plumber for.

What to Shut Off Before the Plumber Arrives

1. Shut off the main water valve. It is usually where the water line enters the home, or at the meter.
2. Turn off the water heater: switch off the breaker for electric units, or set gas units to pilot or off.
3. Open a faucet at the lowest point of the house to drain pressure from the lines.
4. Move valuables and electrical items away from the water. Switch off power to wet areas only if you can reach the breaker safely.
5. Take photos of the damage for your insurance claim.
6. Call a licensed plumber and describe what happened, when it started and what you have already shut off.

What an Emergency Plumbing Visit Involves

An emergency visit runs in 2 stages. First the plumber stops the damage, which often means isolating one line so the rest of the house can have water again. Then they find out why it happened, because a burst pipe after a freeze or a backup after a storm often has a second weak point nearby.

1. You call and describe the problem, and the call is connected to a licensed plumber serving your area.
2. The plumber confirms availability, an arrival window and any after-hours fees before they come out.
3. On site, they stop the immediate damage first by isolating the leak or clearing the blockage.
4. They diagnose the cause and explain your repair options before doing further work.
5. Permanent repairs are completed the same visit when parts are on hand, or scheduled as a follow-up.

Temporary Fix or Permanent Repair

Temporary fix

Stops the damage now with a pipe clamp, cap or valve isolation, so you can schedule a permanent repair.

Permanent repair

Replaces the failed section, fixture or component, usually the same day for common parts.

What Affects the Cost of an Emergency Plumbing Call

Emergency calls cost more than scheduled work mainly because of timing and uncertainty. The plumber doesn't know what's behind the wall until they open it, and nights, weekends and holidays usually carry an extra fee. These are the factors that move the final bill most.

• Time of the call. Many companies add an after-hours, weekend or holiday fee on top of the regular rate.
• What it takes to stop the damage. Closing a valve and capping a line is quicker than opening a wall or ceiling to reach a burst pipe.
• Whether a permanent repair happens on the same visit or needs a second trip for parts.
• Pipe material and access. Replacing a section of exposed PEX in a basement is simpler than repairing old galvanized pipe inside a finished wall.
• Hidden damage found once the area is opened, such as a second freeze crack further down the same line.

Questions to Ask Before the Plumber Heads Out

A short conversation on the phone avoids most surprises on an emergency call.

• Is there a service or after-hours fee, and what does it cover?
• What's the arrival window?
• Will you stop the damage first and quote the permanent repair before starting it?
• What's your license number? You can check it with your state licensing board.
• What payment methods do you take?

How Climate Changes the Emergency Calls Plumbers Get

In cities where hard freezes are rare, homes are often built with pipes in attics and exterior walls and little insulation. That is why the February 2021 winter storm burst pipes across Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio: a few days below freezing hit plumbing that was never designed for it. If you live in a mild-winter city, a forecast hard freeze is the time to find your main shutoff and drip faucets on exterior walls.

In cold cities like Chicago, Denver and Boston, freezing is expected every winter, so the risk shifts to pipes in porches, crawl spaces and unheated additions, and to outdoor faucets and sprinkler lines that weren't drained in fall.

Local plumbing details: Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Chicago, Denver, Boston

Burst and Frozen Pipes by City

What our city pages say about burst and frozen pipes:

• Loomis, CA: Cold foothill nights split exposed pipes and hose bibs.
• Youngstown, OH: Cold spells freeze lines in outside walls and empty houses.
• Naperville, IL: Sub-zero cold freezes pipes in outside walls and above garages.
• Santa Fe, NM: Lines in exterior walls and under flat roofs freeze on cold nights.
• Concord, NC: Lines in crawl spaces and exterior walls freeze in cold snaps.
• Olympia, WA: Lines in crawl spaces and garages freeze in cold snaps.
• Sioux City, IA: Lines in outside walls freeze in subzero weather.
• Castle Rock, CO: Hose bibs left connected and lines over garages freeze in cold snaps.

What to Tell the Plumber When You Call

A clear description on the phone helps the plumber bring the right parts and estimate the job before they arrive. You don't need to know what's wrong, just what you're seeing.

• Where the leak or backup is, when it started, and what you've already shut off.
• Whether the problem affects one fixture or the whole house.
• The age of the home and, if you know it, the pipe material (copper, PEX, galvanized, CPVC).
• Whether the plumber will need access through a locked basement, crawl space or garage.

After the Emergency Repair

Once the water is off and the line is repaired, the next few days matter. Hidden moisture and a second weak spot are the 2 things that turn a fixed emergency into a second call.

• Check the repair point and the ceiling or floor below it over the next day for any new dampness.
• Run water slowly at first after the main is reopened; trapped air can make faucets sputter.
• If a temporary fix was used, book the permanent repair before you need the line under full load again.
• Dry wet drywall, insulation and flooring within a day or two to limit mold; a restoration company may be needed for larger leaks.

Emergency Plumbing Guides

• How to Find and Shut Off Your Main Water Valve

How to Lower the Risk of a Plumbing Emergency

• Know where your main shutoff valve is and make sure it turns freely.
• Insulate pipes in garages, crawl spaces and exterior walls before freezing weather.
• Have your water heater flushed and inspected periodically.
• Replace rubber washing machine supply hoses with braided steel hoses.
• Don't pour grease down drains or flush wipes, even ones labeled flushable.

Emergency Plumbing Questions Homeowners Ask