Do these first, in this order
Stop the water
Find your water meter, usually near the front boundary, and turn the stop tap beside it clockwise until it won't go further. That shuts off water to the whole property.
Keep clear of water near power
If water is near power points, light fittings or the switchboard, stay out of it. Only switch the power off at the switchboard if you can reach it from somewhere dry.
Smell gas? Leave
Don't touch switches, light a flame or use a phone near the smell. Get everyone out, turn the gas off at the meter if you safely can, and call the gas emergency number on your gas bill from outside.
Call 000 if anyone is in danger
A fire, an injury, or someone who feels unwell near a gas appliance: call 000 before anything else.
Then tell us the job
Use the quote form. Say what's happening, where, and what you've already turned off.
Jobs that can't wait
- A burst pipe, or water you can't stop at a tap or valve.
- Water coming through a ceiling, or anywhere near the switchboard.
- Sewage coming up through a shower, floor drain or toilet.
- A hot water system leaking from the tank.
- A gas smell, once you've called the gas emergency number.
- The only toilet in the house is blocked.
What can usually wait for a normal booking
A dripping tap, a slow drain, a toilet that keeps running or a noisy pipe can wait for a normal appointment. Turn off the small tap under a running cistern and use another toilet in the meantime.
No water at all? Check with your water company first. There may be works or a fault in your street that no plumber can fix.
What a plumber will do when they get there
A plumber will find where the water is coming from, stop it and make the area safe. Sometimes that means a temporary repair now and a proper one later, so ask which you're getting before the work starts.
With sewage coming up, a plumber will clear the blockage and tell you where it was. Whether that pipe is yours or the water company's depends on who supplies your area: our guide on who owns the sewer pipe sets out each company's rule.
What changes the job
Where the fault is matters most. A pipe you can see is quicker than one in a wall, under a slab or under the yard. Then the time of day, how much needs opening up, which parts are needed, and whether the fault sits on your side of the meter or the water company's.
Before work starts, ask how the plumber charges for urgent and after-hours work and what the first visit covers. A plumber worth hiring will tell you plainly.
While you wait
You can
- Turn off the water at the meter, and the gas at its meter if there's a smell.
- Switch off an electric hot water system at the switchboard if its tank or pipes are leaking.
- Stop using sinks, showers and toilets if sewage is backing up.
- Move what you can out of the water, and take photos before you clean up.
- In WA, the regulator's homeowner list lets you clear a blocked fixture or waste pipe with a plunger.
Leave to a licensed plumber
- Cutting out and replacing damaged pipe.
- Clearing a blocked sewer or drain beyond the fixture.
- Anything inside a hot water system.
- Any gas pipe, fitting or appliance: that needs a licensed gas fitter.
The rules still apply at night
An emergency doesn't change who may do the work. Check the plumber's licence on your state's register, and see our guide to checking a plumber's licence for where to look.
In NSW, emergency work doesn't need a Notice of Work lodged before it starts, so a plumber can get going straight away. In Victoria, only licensed plumbers can issue compliance certificates, so ask for one if your job needs it.
Warning signs on an urgent call-out
- A big deposit before any work starts. Consumer Affairs Victoria warned in 2025 about jobs called complex and urgent, quoted at thousands of dollars, with a deposit of usually 50%.
- Pressure to sign now, or being told the job is more urgent than it looks.
- No written quote before the work, or no itemised invoice after it. Building Commission NSW found both at proxy plumbing businesses it banned in 2026.
- A friendly first-name brand that won't say which business will turn up.
- No licence number, or a licence that doesn't match the business name.
What we would do
Get the water or gas off first; that buys you time. Once it's off, most jobs can wait the extra hour it takes to reach a plumber who does this work every week, rather than the first number that answers. If anyone asks for a large deposit at the door or rushes you to sign, say no and ring someone else. When you're ready, tell us the job, and a plumber who handles urgent work can take it from there.