Plumbing Emergency Checklist: The First Steps

Step by step

1. 1 If you smell gas, leave the building right away. Don't use light switches, phones or open flames inside. Call your gas utility or 911 from outside, then call us once it's safe.
2. 2 Stop the water. Close the fixture's own valve if it has one. If it doesn't, or that doesn't stop it, close the main water shutoff.
3. 3 Stay clear of electrical hazards. If water is near outlets, a panel or appliances, keep away and contact the electric utility, emergency services or a qualified electrician.
4. 4 Stop using every drain if sewage is backing up. Each flush or load of laundry adds to the backup.
5. 5 Move valuables and anything electrical out of the water's path.
6. 6 Take a few photos. They help us understand the problem.
7. 7 Call us. Phones are answered after hours.

Before it happens: find your shutoffs

• The main water shutoff, usually where the water line enters the house near the meter.
• The shutoff valves under sinks and behind toilets.
• The cold-water supply valve on top of the water heater.
• The gas shutoff at the meter, if you have gas service. Know where it is; the gas utility can tell you when to use it.

What to tell us when you call

• What you're seeing, and when it started.
• Which fixtures are affected: one, several, or the whole house.
• Whether you've been able to shut the water off.
• Whether there's a cleanout, sump pit or water heater nearby that we'll need to reach.

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.

A $125 after-hours emergency dispatch fee applies outside regular office hours, in addition to the service-call fee and the work itself.

• After-hours call vs waiting until morning