Emergency Plumber in Salt Lake City
Burst pipe flooding your basement. Sewer backing up through the floor drain. Water heater leaking across the utility room. These can't wait until Monday. SLC emergency plumbers respond within 1–2 hours, 24/7, 365 days. Call now — every minute matters with water damage.
Call Now: (615) 619-6193Emergency Plumbing Help
60 seconds. No obligation. Free quotes from licensed plumbers.
While You Wait for the Plumber
Burst pipe or major leak
1. Shut off the main water valve immediately. 2. Open faucets to drain remaining pressure. 3. Turn off the water heater (gas: turn to "pilot" / electric: flip the breaker). 4. Move valuables away from the water. 5. Place towels or buckets to contain spread. 6. Take photos for insurance before cleanup.
Sewer backup
1. Stop using all water in the house (no flushing, no running water). 2. Don't try to clear the backup yourself — sewage is a biohazard. 3. Open windows for ventilation. 4. Keep children and pets away from affected areas. 5. Don't use chemical drain cleaners — they won't fix a main line backup and add chemicals to the sewage mess.
Gas leak (smell of rotten eggs)
1. DO NOT flip any switches, light matches or use phones inside. 2. Evacuate immediately. 3. Call 911 and Dominion Energy (1-615-619-6193) from OUTSIDE the home. 4. Don't re-enter until cleared by the gas company or fire department. Gas leaks are life-threatening — treat them as the most serious emergency.
SLC Winter Emergencies
December through February accounts for 60% of emergency plumbing calls along the Wasatch Front. Frozen and burst pipes are the #1 winter emergency. SLC's freeze-thaw cycles (below freezing at night, above freezing during the day) stress pipes repeatedly. The weakest point eventually fails.
Freeze prevention checklist
- • Disconnect all garden hoses before November
- • Insulate exposed pipes in crawl spaces and garages ($2–$5/linear ft)
- • Install frost-free hose bibs ($150–$300 each, installed)
- • Keep heat above 55°F when traveling (never turn heat off completely)
- • Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls during cold snaps
- • Let faucets drip during extreme cold (below 10°F) — moving water doesn't freeze
Emergency Plumbing Questions — SLC
What counts as a plumbing emergency?
Call immediately for: burst pipes (shut off the main water valve first), sewer backup into the home, gas leak (evacuate first, then call from outside), no water to the entire house, water heater leaking/flooding, toilet overflow that won't stop. Not emergencies (can wait for regular hours): slow drain, dripping faucet, running toilet, low water pressure. Emergency rates are 1.5–2x regular pricing. If it can safely wait until morning, schedule a regular service call and save $100–$300.
How do I shut off my water in an emergency?
Find your main shutoff valve BEFORE you need it. In SLC homes: usually in the basement near the front wall where the water line enters, or in a utility closet. It's a gate valve (round handle, turn clockwise) or ball valve (lever handle, turn 90 degrees). Some older SLC homes have the shutoff in the crawl space or near the water meter at the curb. Label it now. In an emergency, every minute of a burst pipe at 4–8 gallons/minute matters. The difference between shutting off in 30 seconds vs 10 minutes is 30–75 gallons of water damage.
What do emergency plumbers charge in SLC?
After-hours rates (evenings, weekends, holidays): $150–$300 service call fee plus $100–$200/hour labor. Compare to regular hours: $50–$100 service call plus $75–$150/hour. The premium covers the plumber being on-call and responding outside normal business hours. For a burst pipe at 2am: expect $400–$800 total for the emergency repair. Expensive, but $400 for an immediate fix beats $10,000+ in water damage from waiting until morning.
Do SLC pipes freeze every winter?
Not every home, but it happens every winter across the valley. SLC averages 47 nights below freezing. Pipes most at risk: exterior walls (especially north-facing), unheated crawl spaces, garages with water lines, hose bibs left connected. The danger zone is below 20°F for 6+ hours. January 2024 saw a cold snap that dropped to -5°F — plumbers across the Wasatch Front were slammed with burst pipe calls for a week. Prevention: insulate exposed pipes ($2–$5/linear ft), disconnect garden hoses, keep heat above 55°F.
Get Emergency Help Now
60 seconds. No obligation. Free quotes from licensed plumbers.