Emergency plumbing
Do this first, then call us
If water is coming in right now: turn off the mains at the meter, switch off power to any wet area at the board, and move what you can. Then ring — do not use the form.
Emergency plumbing
Before we arrive
01
Turn the water off at the meter
The mains tap is at your front boundary, usually in a small green or black box at ground level. Turn it clockwise until it stops. If you can’t find it, the isolating valve under the affected sink or behind the toilet will stop that fixture at least.
02
Kill the power if water is near electrics
Water through a ceiling, near a switchboard, or pooling around powerpoints means switch off at the main breaker and stay out of the room. Don’t stand in water to reach a switch.
03
Photograph it, then call
Photos before you mop up are what your insurer will want. Then ring — tell us the suburb and what you can see, and we’ll tell you the arrival window and the price band before we leave the depot.
What counts as an emergency
Burst pipe or water you cannot stop
Yes. Ring immediately — every minute of running water is damage you will pay to dry out.
Sewage backing up into the house
Yes. This is a health issue as well as a plumbing one, and it does not improve on its own.
No hot water, in winter, with kids in the house
Yes, we will treat it as one. In summer, with an adult household, it can usually wait until morning and cost you less.
A tap dripping, or a slow drain
No — and we will tell you so rather than charge an after-hours rate for it.
After hours
What after-hours actually costs
Standard rate
Fixed price per job, quoted before we start.
After-hours
One flat surcharge on the quoted job price. Not a multiplier.
Weekend
Same flat-surcharge approach, Christmas Day included. You’ll be told the surcharge on the phone before we dispatch, and the job price on site before we start. Nothing gets discovered on the invoice.
Water coming in right now?
Ring rather than book — it is faster, and someone picks up.