Water pouring through a ceiling or a burst pipe in the middle of the night needs fast action. An emergency plumber in the UK usually charges £80 to £150 per hour out of hours, with a call-out fee of £90 to £200 that typically covers the first hour, so the first few minutes you spend limiting the damage can make a real difference to the final bill.
The most common plumbing emergencies are burst or leaking pipes, overflowing toilets, no water supply and loss of heating or hot water in winter. Some can be safely contained until normal working hours; others cannot wait.
Below you will find what to do for each problem, emergency plumbing prices, who is responsible for paying, and simple steps to stop the same emergency happening again.
Common emergencies and what to do first
Turn off the stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink), open cold taps to drain the system and switch off electrics near the leak. Typical repair: £150–£350 out of hours.
Lift the cistern lid and push the float up, or turn off the isolation valve on the supply pipe. Do not flush again. Typical repair: £100–£250.
Check with neighbours and your water company’s website first – it may be a mains repair, which costs you nothing. If only your home is affected, the stopcock or a frozen pipe may be the cause.
Check the boiler pressure (usually 1–1.5 bar), the thermostat and timer, and whether the condensate pipe outside has frozen. Typical engineer visit: £100–£200 plus parts.
Do not use switches or naked flames. Open windows, turn off the gas at the meter if safe, leave the property and call the free National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. This is not a job for a plumber.
How to find and use your stopcock
The internal stopcock is the single most useful thing to know about in a plumbing emergency. In most homes it sits under the kitchen sink, but it can also be in a downstairs toilet, airing cupboard, garage or under the stairs. Turn it clockwise to shut off the water. If it has not been moved for years it may be stiff, so test it gently now rather than in the middle of a flood. Flats sometimes have a shared stopcock, so ask your landlord or managing agent where yours is.
Frozen pipes in winter
If taps stop running during a cold snap, a pipe may have frozen. Turn off the water at the stopcock, then thaw the pipe slowly using a hot water bottle, warm towels or a hairdryer on a low setting, starting from the end nearest the tap. Never use a blowtorch or open flame. Check carefully for splits once the water flows again, because a frozen pipe can burst as it thaws. Boilers with a frozen condensate pipe can often be restarted by pouring warm, not boiling, water over the outside pipe.
Water coming through the ceiling
A bulging, wet ceiling can collapse without warning. Keep people out from under it, switch off lights and sockets in the room, and turn off the water. If the bulge is large, a small hole made carefully with a screwdriver over a bucket can release the water in a controlled way. Then find the source upstairs, which is often a leaking shower seal, toilet connection or radiator valve.
Emergency plumber prices
| Time | Typical hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Weekday evening | £80–£120 |
| Overnight | £100–£150 |
| Weekends and bank holidays | £100–£150+ |
What to ask on the phone
Before an emergency plumber sets off, ask for the call-out charge, the hourly rate after the first hour and whether parts are charged at cost or with a mark-up. Ask how long they expect to take to arrive and whether they carry common parts in the van. Describe the problem clearly and send a photo if possible. A trustworthy plumber will give you a straight answer and confirm the price by text or email before arriving.
Who pays for the repair?
- Water company: leaks on the public mains and, in many cases, on shared supply pipes outside your boundary.
- Homeowner: pipes inside the home and usually the supply pipe within your property boundary.
- Landlord: if you rent, report the problem immediately – repairs to water and heating are normally the landlord’s responsibility.
- Insurance: buildings insurance often covers “escape of water” damage, and home emergency cover may pay for the call-out. Take photos before cleaning up.
Is home emergency cover worth it?
Home emergency policies typically cost a few pounds a month and pay for call-outs, labour and parts up to a fixed limit when something urgent goes wrong. They can be good value for older homes or people who would struggle to pay a large unexpected bill. Read the small print carefully: many policies exclude boilers over a certain age, gradual leaks and pre-existing problems, and some limit the number of claims each year.
How to prevent the next emergency
- Find and label your stopcock today, and check it turns freely.
- Lag pipes in lofts, garages and outside walls before winter.
- Keep heating on low if you are away during cold spells.
- Have your boiler serviced annually.
- Do not put fats, wipes or nappies down sinks and toilets.
A simple emergency kit
Keep a small box with a torch, towels, a bucket, a plunger, PTFE tape, a basic adjustable spanner and the phone numbers of your water company, insurer and a trusted local plumber. Having these to hand means you can act in seconds rather than searching for tools while water spreads across the floor.
Rates reflect typical UK out-of-hours plumbing prices.
Independent guide – not linked to any plumber, insurer or water company.