Call After Hours or Wait Until Morning?
The short answer
Call after hours when water or sewage is coming into the house and you can't stop it, when you have no usable water or drains at all, or when a sump pump has failed during heavy rain. If you can shut the water off, stop using one fixture, or the problem is slow rather than spreading, it can usually wait for regular office hours.
Call tonight if any of these are true
- Sewage is backing up into a tub, shower or floor drain and the house is still using water.
- Water is running from a pipe or fixture and the shutoff valve won't stop it.
- You have no running water at all, or every drain in the house has stopped.
- The sump pump has stopped during heavy rain and water is rising in the pit or the basement.
- Water is reaching electrical outlets, panels or appliances. Stay clear of it and contact the electric utility, emergency services or a qualified electrician first.
It can usually wait for office hours if
- One sink, tub or toilet is slow or stopped, and the rest of the house drains normally. Stop using that fixture until we can look at it.
- A faucet drips or a toilet keeps running. Turn the toilet's supply valve off behind the bowl if the running bothers you.
- A small leak is dripping into a bucket and you've turned off the valve that feeds it.
- The water heater is out, but nothing is leaking and the house is otherwise fine. If the tank starts leaking, shut off its cold-water supply valve.
If you're not sure which list your problem belongs on, call and describe it. We'll help you decide whether it needs a visit tonight.
What an after-hours call costs
Our regular office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Outside those hours, a $125 after-hours emergency dispatch fee applies, on top of any applicable service-call fee and the cost of the work itself. The dispatch fee is not credited toward the repair.
Paying the dispatch fee gets a technician sent as soon as one is available. It doesn't mean every repair can be finished on that visit. Parts, access, site conditions and the size of the job can mean a follow-up visit. If a permanent repair can't be made right away, we'll help stabilize the situation when that's appropriate.
Holidays
We don't schedule normal service on Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, July 4 or New Year's Day. Holiday emergency service may cost more than an ordinary after-hours call. We explain availability and the holiday premium before we dispatch anyone.
What to do while you decide
Find your main water shutoff before you need it, and stop running water into any drain that's backing up. Our emergency checklist walks through the first steps.
Common questions
Do you answer the phone after hours?
Phones are answered after hours. After-hours response depends on technician availability, active emergency demand and the kind of repair, so we can't promise an arrival time.
Is the after-hours fee credited toward the repair?
No. The $125 after-hours emergency dispatch fee is separate from the service-call fee and the repair, and it is not credited toward the work.
Will the problem be fixed on the after-hours visit?
Often, but not always. Parts, access, site conditions and the scope of the repair can require a follow-up visit. If a permanent repair isn't possible right away, we help stabilize the situation when that's appropriate.
More answers on the FAQ page .
Services on this topic
When your plumbing is a disaster, call the Master
Clogged, Backed Up, or Flooding? Call the Master.
From a stubborn kitchen drain to a collapsed sewer line, the DrainMaster crew has Greater Columbus covered. Phones are answered after hours, and we schedule a licensed local plumber as soon as one is available.
- We explain what we find in plain English
- You approve the price before any work starts
- Licensed & insured Ohio plumbers