In a plumbing emergency the order of operations matters more than speed. Deal with anything that could hurt someone first, stop the water second, limit the damage third, and make the call fourth. Reversing that order is how a contained problem turns into an expensive one.
Two situations are not plumbing calls at all and need emergency services instead: the smell of gas, and water reaching electrical outlets, appliances or a panel. Both are covered below, because knowing which category you are in is the first decision.
What's In This Guide
The First Sixty Seconds
- Do you smell gas? Do not touch any switch, appliance or phone indoors. Leave the building, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside.
- Is water near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel? Do not walk into standing water. Cut power at the panel only if you can reach it without crossing water; otherwise stay out and call for help.
- Stop the water. Use the local shut-off at the fixture if the problem is confined to one place, or the main shut-off if it is not.
- Open the lowest taps in the property to drain the remaining water in the system away from the leak.
- Contain and protect. Towels, buckets, and move what can be moved out of the water.
- Photograph the damage before you clean up, while the evidence is intact. Insurers ask for this.
- Then call a plumber and describe what you have already shut off.
When It Is Not a Plumbing Call
| Situation | Who to call first |
|---|---|
| Smell of gas indoors | 911 and the gas utility, from outside the building |
| Water reaching outlets, appliances or the panel | Utility or 911 - do not enter standing water |
| Water rising and you cannot find or turn the main | Water utility for a street shut-off |
| Sewage backing up into the property | Plumber - but treat it as a biohazard, see below |
| Burst pipe, water contained and shut off | Plumber |
Find Your Shut-Offs Before You Need Them
This is the single most useful thing to do on a quiet afternoon, because searching for a valve while water is running is how minor floods become major ones.
| Shut-off | Where it is, and what to check |
|---|---|
| Main water | Where the supply enters the building, or at the meter near the street. Learn which way it turns and check it actually moves. |
| Fixture stop valves | Under each sink and behind each toilet. Older ones seize - test them now rather than discovering it later. |
| Water heater | On the cold inlet at the top of the tank. |
| Gas | At the meter. It needs a wrench, so keep one nearby. |
| Electrical panel | Know which breaker covers what, and make sure the panel is reachable without crossing a wet floor. |
Burst Pipe or Major Leak
- Shut the main rather than hunting for the nearest local valve.
- Open taps at the lowest point to drain the system and reduce what continues to escape.
- Switch off the water heater so it is not firing on an emptying tank.
- Move what you can out of the water, and lift what you cannot move.
- Photograph everything before clearing up.
- Do not restore the supply to test it. That is how a stopped leak resumes.
One local point worth knowing afterwards: LADWP operates a billing adjustment for high bills caused by an underground leak that has been repaired, handled through their Field Investigations Unit. It does not cover everything - toilet, sprinkler and pool leaks are excluded - and terms change, so confirm eligibility and what documentation is needed rather than assuming. Keep the repair invoice either way.
Sewage Backup
Treat this as a health hazard rather than a mess. Keep people and pets out of the affected area, stop using water anywhere in the property so nothing more is added to the system, and ventilate if you can do so safely.
Several fixtures backing up at once, or a toilet gurgling when another fixture runs, points at the main line or the sewer lateral rather than a single blocked drain. In the City of Los Angeles the property owner owns that lateral all the way to the sewer main in the middle of the street, so a fault out there is still the owner's repair - which is worth knowing before anyone tells you otherwise.
Water Heater Failure
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Water pooling at the base | Shut off the cold inlet at the top of the tank, then the gas or the breaker to the unit. |
| Relief valve discharging steadily | A pressure or temperature fault, not a nuisance drip. Shut off the supply to the heater and get it looked at. |
| Scalding water despite a normal setting | Turn the thermostat down and stop using hot water until it has been checked. |
| Any smell of gas near the unit | Leave the building, then call 911 and the gas utility from outside. |
Water Stopped but the Problem Is Not Fixed?
Once the water is off, the situation is contained and you have time to get it done properly. We provide emergency plumbing and burst pipe repair across the harbor area, and we are licensed, bonded and insured.
Call (424) 402-3428Overflowing Toilet
- Do not flush again. The instinct is common and it makes things worse.
- Take the lid off the cistern and push the flapper down to close it, which stops more water entering the bowl.
- Lift the float to stop the cistern refilling.
- Close the stop valve behind the toilet.
- If other fixtures are also backing up, stop there. That is a main-line problem and plunging will not help it.
What Emergency Call-Outs Cost
Los Angeles ranges for 2026, so you know roughly what to expect rather than being surprised at the door.
| Item | Typical LA range |
|---|---|
| Standard service call / diagnostic visit | $75 - $150 |
| Emergency visit fee | $75 - $250 |
| After-hours labour | $200 - $400 (typically 1.5x to 2x standard) |
| Plumber hourly rate, standard hours | $95 - $200 |
| Main line clearing | $500 - $860 |
If the water is off and the situation is stable, a scheduled visit in normal hours costs less than an after-hours call-out. That is a real choice worth making deliberately: stopping the water is what converts an emergency into a repair that can be booked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deal with anything dangerous before anything wet. If you smell gas, leave and call 911 and the gas utility from outside. If water is near outlets, appliances or the panel, do not enter it. Once it is safe, shut off the water, open the lowest taps to drain the system, contain the damage, photograph it, and then call.
Usually where the supply enters the building, or at the meter near the street. It is worth locating it and checking it turns before you need it, because valves that are never operated tend to seize - particularly in older properties.
Leave the building first. Do not operate light switches, appliances, garage doors or a phone indoors, because any of them can provide an ignition source. Call 911 and your gas utility once you are outside, and do not go back in to shut anything off.
Treat it as a biohazard. Keep people and pets away from the affected area, stop using water anywhere in the property so nothing more enters the system, and ventilate if you can do so safely. Leave the cleanup of contaminated material to people equipped for it.
Do not flush again. Take the cistern lid off and push the flapper down to stop water entering the bowl, lift the float to stop the cistern refilling, then close the stop valve behind the toilet. If other fixtures are backing up at the same time, the problem is the main line and plunging will not help.
No. On a main-line blockage it will not clear it, and it leaves caustic liquid standing in a pipe that someone will have to open. If you have already used one, mention it when you call so the person working on it knows.
LADWP operates a billing adjustment process for high bills caused by a repaired underground leak, handled through their Field Investigations Unit. Toilet, sprinkler and pool leaks are excluded, and programme terms change, so confirm eligibility and required documentation directly with them. Keep the repair invoice regardless.
Usually, yes - after-hours labour commonly runs 1.5 to 2 times the standard rate, plus an emergency visit fee. The deciding factor is whether the situation is stable. If the water is shut off and nothing is still being damaged, a scheduled visit is a reasonable choice. If water is still escaping, waiting costs more than the call-out does.