A plumbing emergency can feel like the end of the world, but help is at hand with a 24/7 emergency plumber near you.
Knowing a trusted emergency plumber for life’s unpredictable moments is always helpful, but you can still find a plumber in an emergency – even at 3 a.m.
Plumbing emergencies often happen at inconvenient times. So, national plumbing companies and independent plumbers often offer a 24-hour call-out service.
Read our guide below to learn how to get help in a plumbing emergency.
How can I find an emergency plumber near me?
When your living room is flooded and time is of the essence, you need an emergency plumber near you ASAP. Easily find a reliable emergency plumber in minutes with our two simple steps.
Option 1: Try our online quote feature
When you have a plumbing emergency, there isn’t always time to search endless reviews or get recommendations for a plumber. Instead, try the Checkatrade ‘request a quote form’ for a speedy solution.
List your job with just a few basic details, and local 24-hour plumbers will contact you for more information or to arrange a speedy call out.
Follow these steps:
- Add your details to the form
- Tell us what work you need
- We’ll search our leading directory for you
- Our approved emergency plumbers near you will contact you swiftly to learn more about your plumbing emergency and arrange a call-out
Option 2: Search our online directory using your postcode
If you have ongoing plumbing issues and have some time to search for recommended plumbers, try searching the Checkatrade directory of approved emergency plumbers. Enter your postcode, and in seconds, you’ll see all the profiles of your area’s highly rated and approved plumbers.
FAQs about emergency plumbers
What warrants an emergency plumber?
When you have a sudden and uncontrollable emergency plumbing issue that threatens the health of your plumbing system, home and, in some cases, your own health, you need an emergency plumber.
If you’re unsure if you have an emergency plumbing issue, ask whether the problem can wait until regular business hours. If so, it’s not an emergency plumbing problem.
For example, a sink leak or radiator pipe leak probably won’t be classified as an emergency if the leak is a slow drip that will take several hours to fill a bowl.
Look for emergency plumbers near me if you have these plumbing issues:
- Burst pipes that result in flooding and severe water damage
- Blocked sewage lines causing a backflow into your home
- Smelling gas, indicating a dangerous gas leak or potential explosion
- A severely blocked toilet that you can’t or it is unsafe to unblock yourself
What should I do in a plumbing emergency?
What you do in a plumbing emergency can vary depending on the type of problem, but there are some common steps to avoid excessive damage to your home and health.
Knowing what to do in an emergency plumbing situation can relieve stress and help you deal with the problem promptly.
For a water leak, turn off the mains water supply and call an emergency plumber to avoid further damage to your home.
For blocked drains, stop using the fixture. If you try to use a backed-up toilet or sink, you will make the situation worse.
If you can smell gas, immediately open all your windows and doors to let the gas out and fresh in. Avoid lighting naked flames, striking matches, smoking, or switching electrical items on or off. Don’t do anything that could make the gas ignite.
If possible, turn off the gas supply at the meter. The emergency control valve in newer houses is generally outside the gas meter or in a meter box. You might find it under the kitchen sink, stairs, or garage for older homes. Turn the handle so the lever is 90 degrees to the upright gas pipe.
Then call an emergency plumber or the Gas Emergency Services (but an emergency plumber might be quicker).
Do plumbers deal with gas?
Homeowners often don’t realise that plumbers can help with gas leaks. Not all plumbers are qualified or licensed to deal with gas, but a licensed plumber should also be qualified to deal with and repair gas leaks.
Do plumbers fix boilers?
If you find yourself the unlucky recipient of an emergency boiler repair, a natural gas leak, or a carbon monoxide leak, a plumber can help. When your boiler or boiler pipes are streaming with water or have no heating or hot water during the winter (especially if you have small children), find an emergency plumber dealing with gas.
Although plumbers most often work on heating systems like pipes and radiators, not all of them are qualified to work on the boiler or gas pipe itself. Usually, you would need a heating engineer. But it’s common today to find plumbers trained as gas-safe engineers qualified to repair your gas boiler.
How long should it take for an emergency plumber?
When you know a plumbing emergency cannot wait until regular business hours, look for an ’emergency plumber near me’ who can provide a 24/7 emergency call-out.
Because this is an emergency call-out, your emergency plumber will reach you in as little as 30 minutes. But it might take a couple of hours in busy areas or during storm weather. Luckily, we don’t have much stormy weather (unless you live in the Scottish Isles).
Questions to ask plumbers near me in an emergency
Even during plumbing emergencies, it is worth asking critical questions before arranging an emergency plumber call-out.
How much do plumbers charge for emergency calls in the UK?
Even in plumbing emergencies, always ask what an emergency plumber’s call-out fee is and what it covers before you arrange your visit.
The fee for a 24-hour call-out will vary depending on where you are in the country, the time and day of the week and the severity of the plumbing emergency.
Regardless of the job size, a higher call-out fee usually applies for an emergency call-out rather than during regular business hours.
If you need a plumber urgently, it’s likely to cost you between £100 to £120 per call out plus a potentially higher hourly rate. However, some emergency plumbers may charge by the hour for an emergency call-out.
Find out more about plumber call-out fees here.
Even in an emergency, always ask what fee and hourly rate your plumber charges, and always get more than one price to be sure it’s fair.
Do you have insurance?
Even with large, urgent leaks, ensure your plumber has adequate insurance to cover any further accidental damage to your home.
Plumbers without the proper insurance will be limited to what type of jobs they can do.
Checkatrade members can only be listed in the directory with current public liability insurance, giving you peace of mind.
How long will it be before you can start the job?
Knowing when an emergency plumber can attend to your water leak is critical to your decision-making in a plumbing emergency. If your home is flooding with water, the last thing you want is to wait days or even weeks for a repair.
Even if you have insurance, the number of repairs that need to be done on your home will increase the longer the leak goes on. You may even need to stay in temporary accommodation.
Does your work come with a guarantee?
Even in emergencies, you want to know that your repair comes with a guarantee.
Tradespeople of all varieties often include a satisfaction guarantee or limited-time warranty. They do this to ensure you’re happy with the quality of the work and that the plumbing problem is completely repaired.
When you hire a Checkatrade member through our directory, you automatically get the Checkatrade guarantee of up to 12 months (T&Cs apply).
Are there any charges for parts?
Any professional plumber usually arrives with general parts that suit many repair jobs. But your plumber may need to order extra features for the job. So, always ask what costs are included with the call-out fee and if there will be any additional charges.
How do I find reputable emergency plumbers near me?
Even with the stress of a plumbing emergency, finding a reputable plumber best for your job is worth a few minutes of your time. Here’s how you do it;
- Read reviews – always check for reviews of their work online and see if you can find pictures of other plumbing jobs they’ve completed
- Get 2 – 3 quotes from different plumbers to find the one that can promptly do the job for a fair price
- Use the Checkatrade directory – rest assured that all of our tradespeople go through 12 checks before becoming a member and must adhere to the Checkatrade standard
Check out more tips on finding the best local plumbers near you, or pop your postcode in the box below to get help from an approved emergency plumber now.