Emergency help & costs
Plumbing Emergency? What to Do Now, Who to Call and Who Pays
In a plumbing emergency, stop the water at the stopcock first, switch off the electrics if water is near them and the consumer unit is dry, and move belongings out of the way. If you smell gas, ventilate, shut the meter valve if safe, get out and call 0800 111 999. Then call a plumber; costs, rights and insurance can wait until the water is off.
What to do in the first few minutes
Know where your stopcock, fuse board and gas meter valve are before you need them. Turning off water, electricity and gas shows each one. If you are not sure the problem is urgent, emergency or can it wait sorts real emergencies from jobs that can be booked for tomorrow.
Headaches, dizziness or nausea that ease when you leave the house, or, on an older boiler or gas fire you can see into, a flame that burns yellow or orange instead of blue, can be signs of carbon monoxide. Open windows, turn the appliance off, get outside, call 0800 111 999 and seek medical advice. See carbon monoxide signs from a boiler.
What an emergency plumber costs
Most firms charge a call-out fee plus labour and parts, and many add a higher rate at night or weekends. Plumber call-out charges explained and plumber cost per hour show typical market ranges and what to ask on the phone.
Our 24-hour plumber service is the £60 call-out at any hour, and the repair price is agreed with you on site before any work starts. Be wary of firms that will not give any figure until the van is outside, see emergency plumber scams.
Renting, letting and insurance
In England, landlords must keep the water, gas, heating and hot water installations in repair and proper working order under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and arrange a yearly gas safety check under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Landlord plumbing emergency responsibilities and tenant plumbing emergency rights cover each side.
For damage, many home policies cover escape of water but not the repair to the failed part. Escape of water claims explains what to photograph and keep before anything is cleared.
Emergency repairs
Guides
- Carbon Monoxide From a Boiler: Warning Signs
- How to Choose an Emergency Plumber (and Avoid Cowboys)
- Plumbing Emergency Over Christmas
- Plumbing Emergency at a Shop or Restaurant
- Is It an Emergency? When to Call Out vs Wait
- Emergency Plumber Night Rates and Weekend Prices: What Changes
- Emergency Plumber Scams and How to Spot Them
- Emergency Plumber vs Normal Plumber: Price and Speed
- Escape of Water Claims: A Plain Guide
- How to Check an Engineer on the Gas Safe Register
- Smell of Gas at Home: What to Do (Call 0800 111 999)
- Leaving Home for a Week? Plumbing Checklist
- Is Home Emergency Cover Worth It?
- How Fast Should an Emergency Plumber Arrive?
- How Long Does a Landlord Have to Fix a Boiler?
- How Plumbers Quote a Job (and What to Get in Writing)
- Landlord Responsibilities in a Plumbing Emergency
- Plumber Call-Out Charges Explained
- Plumber Cost per Hour in London
- 'Free Call-Out' Plumbers: What It Really Means
- Plumbing Emergency in a Block of Flats: Who to Call
- The 8-Item Plumbing Emergency Kit for Every Home
- Priority Plumbing Help for Vulnerable Households
- 7 Questions to Ask an Emergency Plumber on the Phone
- Tenant Rights When the Landlord Won’t Fix a Leak
- Turning Off Water, Electricity and Gas in an Emergency
- Water Damage After a Leak: Drying Out Floors and Ceilings
- Is Plumbing Covered by Home Insurance? The Damage Usually Is, the Pipe Often Isn’t
- What an Emergency Plumber Can Fix on the First Visit
- Winter Plumbing Checklist: Jobs to Do Before the First Frost
Questions people ask
Do I need an emergency plumber or can it wait?
If water is running and you cannot stop it, it is reaching electrics, or you have no heating or water with someone vulnerable at home, it is an emergency. A dripping tap or slow toilet fill can wait.
Can a plumber deal with a gas smell?
No. Open windows, turn off at the meter if safe, avoid switches, then leave and ring 0800 111 999, the National Gas Emergency Service line. They make the supply safe; any repair after that must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.