Emergency Plumbing FAQ

Anything actively releasing water you cannot isolate, any sewage inside the building, any smell of gas, any total loss of water, and any flooding reaching electrical. Those justify an after-hours call. No hot water, a single slow drain, a dripping faucet, and a running toilet you have already isolated do not.

Typically $150 to $400 per hour after hours, plus a call-out fee of $100 to $350. That is roughly 1.5 to 2 times standard rates, with holidays higher still. Most common emergency repairs land between $350 and $1,700 all-in, before any water damage restoration.

It is urgent rather than a middle-of-the-night call, unless it is leaking heavily or sits above living space. Shut off the cold water inlet and the gas or breaker, drain the tank if you can, and schedule the replacement. A leaking tank does not repair itself and generally worsens.

Multiple fixtures affected at once is the definitive signal, particularly if the lowest fixtures in the house are worst. A toilet gurgling when the washing machine drains, or water rising in a shower when a toilet is flushed, both mean drainage is backing up through a shared line.

Run the meter test first: turn off every fixture, read the meter, wait an hour using no water, read again. Then dye-test every toilet, since a failed flapper wastes up to 200 gallons a day and is the most common cause by a wide margin. Then shut off irrigation for a day. Those three steps find most household leaks for free.

Nearly every state maintains a free online contractor license lookup that works at any hour from a phone. Search your state's name plus 'plumbing license lookup'. Ask for the license number when you call so you can verify it while they are driving to you.