24/7 Emergency Plumber in Houston, TX
Burst Pipes, Sewage Backups, Gas Leaks
Water coming through the ceiling at midnight doesn’t wait for business hours, and neither do we. Call Houston Plumbings at (832) 678-7978 and we’ll help you stop the damage on the phone, then get a plumber headed your way anywhere in Houston and the cities within about 20 miles.
Right now
Plumbing Emergency in Houston? Do These Three Things First
What you do in the next five minutes decides whether this is a repair or a renovation. Here’s the order that limits the damage.
Shut off the main water valve, keep everyone away from water near outlets or appliances, and call a plumber. If you smell gas, skip all of that: get out, then call CenterPoint Energy at 713-659-2111 and 911 from outside.
Stop the water
Close the main shutoff where the water line enters the house, usually on an outside wall or in the garage on Houston slab homes. If the leak is the water heater, also close the cold valve on top of the tank and turn off its gas or breaker.
Make it safe
Don’t walk through standing water near outlets, extension cords or a water heater. If water is coming through a ceiling, stay out from under it: wet drywall gets heavy fast. Smell gas? Leave first and don’t flip switches.
Call and document
Call (832) 678-7978. While you wait, take photos and video of the leak and the damage. Your insurer will ask for them, and they’re hard to get once the cleanup starts.
Call now or wait?
Is It a Plumbing Emergency? How to Tell
Not every plumbing problem needs a 2 a.m. truck. If you’re not sure, call anyway and we’ll tell you honestly whether it can wait for a regular appointment.
| What’s happening | How urgent | What to do right now |
|---|---|---|
| A pipe is spraying or water is coming through a ceiling or wall | Emergency | Shut off the main, kill power to wet areas if it’s safe, call us. |
| The water heater is leaking, especially in the attic | Emergency | Close the cold valve on the tank, turn off the gas or breaker, call us. |
| Sewage is coming up in a tub, shower or floor drain | Emergency | Stop running water and flushing. If neighbors have it too, or a manhole is overflowing, call Houston 311. |
| You smell gas or hear hissing | Emergency, but not ours first | Get out. Call CenterPoint at 713-659-2111 and 911. Call us once it’s safe. |
| A warm spot on the floor, or the meter spinning with everything off | Same day | Possible slab leak. Shut off the main if you can hear water running, then call. |
| No hot water | Same day | Not dangerous unless you smell gas or see water. Check the breaker or pilot, then call. |
| No water at all, and your neighbors are out too | Not a plumber call | Likely a city main break or a MUD problem. Report it to 311 or your water district. |
| A slow drain, a dripping faucet or a running toilet | Can wait | Book a normal visit. Turn off the toilet’s supply valve if the running bothers you. |
What we fix after hours
Emergency Plumbing Services We Handle 24/7 in Houston
Our first job on any emergency is stopping the damage. Our second is finding the real cause, so you’re not calling again next week.
Burst and frozen pipes
Split copper, cracked PVC and blown fittings in attics, exterior walls and garages. We stop the leak, repair the section and check the rest of the run for more freeze damage.
Slab and hidden leaks
Warm floors, running-water sounds and a spinning meter. We locate the leak with acoustic, thermal and pressure testing before anyone breaks concrete.
Sewer backups
Sewage in tubs, showers and floor drains, or toilets that won’t stop rising. We clear the main line, then camera it to see whether it’s grease, roots or a broken pipe.
Leaking water heaters
A tank dripping in the attic or flooding the garage. We isolate it, drain it and tell you straight whether it’s a repair or a replacement. More on our water heater repair and installation page.
Clogged main drains
When every drain in the house backs up at once, the main is blocked. See how our Houston drain cleaning clears it for good, not just for tonight.
Gas line repairs
After CenterPoint makes a leak safe, we repair the line, pressure-test it and handle the city inspection so service can be turned back on.
Water line and shutoff failures
A broken line between the meter and the house, or a main valve that won’t close. We get the water off and get you back in service.
Sump and ejector pump failures
Pumps that quit during a storm or a power outage. We get the water and sewage moving again and talk through backup options.
Commercial emergencies
Restaurant grease backups, restroom outages and water heater failures that can shut a business down. We work around your hours where we can.
Looking for something that isn’t an emergency? See all of our plumbing services in Houston.
Local causes
Why Houston Plumbing Emergencies Happen
Most emergency calls in this city trace back to the same handful of local causes. Knowing them helps you spot trouble before it floods the floor.
Freezes in homes built for heat
Houston houses run pipes through attics, exterior walls and garages because it rarely freezes. When it does, those pipes split. A hard freeze means 24°F or colder for two hours or more. In February 2021, Bush Intercontinental bottomed out at 13°F after 44 straight hours below freezing, and Houston saw hard freezes again in January 2026.
A frozen pipe usually doesn’t leak until it thaws, so the flood often starts the morning after the cold breaks. If you’re on City of Houston water, Houston Public Works asks you not to drip faucets because it drags down system pressure. Wrap exposed pipes and open sink cabinets on outside walls instead.
Storms, power cuts and lift stations
Houston’s sewer depends on pumping stations, and they need power. When Hurricane Beryl hit in July 2024, 178 of the city’s 387 wastewater pumping stations lost power, and sewage backed up into low-lying homes. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30.
Floods
Harvey flooded about 160,000 Harris County homes, and 68% of them were outside the 100-year floodplain. Floodwater pushes sewage back up through floor drains and tubs. A backwater valve on the sewer line is the fix that keeps it out.
Moving clay soil
Houston’s expansive clay swells when wet and shrinks in drought, and parts of west Houston are still sinking. That movement cracks slabs and the pipes under them, which is why slab leaks show up after long dry spells.
Aging pipe
About 47% of City of Houston homes were built before 1980. Galvanized supply lines rust from the inside and cast iron drains crack, and both tend to fail without much warning.
When system pressure drops below 20 psi, Texas rules require a boil water notice. That’s what happened in November 2022, when a power failure at the East Water Purification Plant put about 2.2 million Houston water customers under a notice. A boil notice isn’t a plumbing emergency at your house, but low pressure that stays low after the city restores service can point to a problem on your side.
Pricing
How Much Does an Emergency Plumber Cost in Houston?
Published 2026 Houston price guides put plumbers at about $85 to $165 an hour during the day and about $180 to $320 an hour after hours. Bigger repairs are priced by the job. Those are market ranges, not quotes: your price depends on what we find.
What pushes an emergency bill up
- Timing. Nights, weekends and holidays cost more everywhere.
- Access. A pipe under a slab or in a cramped attic takes longer than one under a sink.
- Parts. A water heater or a section of sewer line costs more than a fitting.
- Permits. In the City of Houston, replacing a water heater needs a plumbing permit. The minimum permit fee is $131.12 including the admin fee.
How we keep emergency pricing fair
Written price first
You see the price before any work starts, day or night.
Stop tonight, fix tomorrow
Often the smart move is to stop the leak tonight and do the full repair in daylight, at day rates. We’ll tell you when that’s an option.
Paperwork for your insurer
Policies often pay for water damage and the tear-out to reach a broken pipe, but not the pipe itself, and standard policies exclude flood. Only about 22% of Harris County homes carry NFIP flood coverage. We give you photos, findings and an itemized invoice.
How it works
What Happens When You Call Our Emergency Line
From the first ring to a repair that holds, here’s what to expect.
Triage on the phone
We ask what’s happening and where, and walk you through the shutoff if the water is still running.
A plumber on the way
Emergencies go to the front of the line. You get an arrival window before you hang up.
Damage stopped, cause found
We stop the leak or backup first, then find the cause and price the options in writing.
Fixed and documented
Repairs are tested before we leave, and you get an invoice your insurer or a City leak adjustment will accept.
Coverage
Emergency Plumber Near You in Houston and Nearby Cities
We answer emergency calls from inside the Loop out to the Beltway and the Grand Parkway, along I-10, I-45, I-69 and US-290.
Check your neighborhood and ZIP code on our Houston service areas page, or just call. If you’re in our area, we’ll come.
FAQs
Emergency Plumbing in Houston: Frequently Asked Questions
Calling and timing
Do you really answer the phone at 2 a.m.?
Yes. Our line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included. Call (832) 678-7978.
How fast can an emergency plumber get to my house?
Emergencies are dispatched ahead of routine work, and you get an arrival window on the call. How fast depends on where you are and how many emergencies are open. After a citywide freeze or storm, every plumber in Houston is busy, which is why shutting off your water first matters so much.
Can you fix it permanently the same night?
Often, yes. Sometimes the better deal is to stop the leak tonight and finish the repair in daylight at day rates, or once a part or permit is in hand. We’ll lay out both options.
Is a running toilet or a dripping faucet an emergency?
No. Turn off the valve behind the toilet or under the sink and book a regular visit. It’ll cost you less than an after-hours call.
Houston-specific situations
What do I do if sewage is coming up my shower drain?
Stop using water and stop flushing. If neighbors have the same problem or a manhole is overflowing, it’s the city sewer, so call Houston 311. If it’s only your house, the blockage is usually in your own sewer line. Call us.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Leave without flipping switches or using your phone inside. From a safe distance, call CenterPoint Energy at 713-659-2111 and 911. Once CenterPoint makes it safe, call us for the repair, pressure test and inspection.
My water is off and so is my neighbors’. Should I call a plumber?
No. That points to a city main break or a problem with your MUD’s system. Report it to Houston 311 (713-837-0311 from outside the city) or your water district.
Should I turn off my water heater when the main water is off?
If the water will be off for more than a short while, or the heater itself is leaking, yes. Turn a gas unit to pilot or off, or switch off the breaker on an electric one, so it doesn’t heat an empty or draining tank.
Cost and insurance
Do emergency plumbers charge more at night in Houston?
Yes. Published 2026 Houston ranges are about $85 to $165 an hour during the day and $180 to $320 an hour after hours. You get our price in writing before work starts.
Will homeowners insurance pay for a burst pipe?
Many policies cover sudden water damage and the tear-out needed to reach the pipe, but not the pipe repair itself, and they exclude flood. Read your policy and keep our photos and invoice for the claim.
Emergency line
Water Where It Shouldn’t Be? Call Now.
Shut off the main, then call. We’ll stay on the phone until the water is stopped and get a plumber headed your way.
Houston Plumbings
(832) 678-7978
Emergency calls answered 24/7
Porter, Texas 77365
Serving Houston, TX and about 20 miles around
Emergencies dispatched first
Texas-licensed plumbers (TSBPE)