Should You Call an Emergency Plumber or Wait Until Morning?

Gas smell: leave, then call

If you smell gas, do not flip switches, use the phone inside or try to find the leak. Get everyone out, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1, from a safe distance. Washington Gas serves most of the DC area, but some homes have another utility, use propane or are all-electric; your gas bill shows which company to call. A plumber works on gas piping only after the utility has made it safe. Our guide on what to do if you smell gas has more detail.

Two questions decide most cases

Ask yourself:

1. Can I stop the water by closing a valve, either at the fixture or at the main?
2. If I do, can the household get through the night safely?

If both answers are yes, it can almost always wait for regular hours. If water keeps flowing with valves closed, sewage keeps rising, or shutting things off leaves the home unsafe or unusable, call now. Timing matters because of mold: the EPA's guidance is to dry water-damaged materials within 24 to 48 hours. A leak that runs under flooring overnight uses up a good part of that window.

Call now

For a burst or frozen line, work through our checklist for the first minutes after a pipe bursts while you wait. It helps to know where your main shutoff is before winter. In many DC rowhouses it sits in the basement near the front wall.

Usually fine to wait

• A dripping faucet or a toilet that keeps running, as long as its shutoff valve works
• One slow drain when other drains in the house are fine
• A water heater that is not making hot water but is not leaking (shut off its gas or power if you notice a problem)
• A small, steady drip under a sink that a bucket can catch after you close the supply valve
• A noisy pipe or low pressure at one fixture
• A garbage disposal that hums or jams

For these, book a regular daytime visit. For a running toilet, close the valve behind it and use another bathroom; daytime toilet repair is usually a quick job. Weak flow at a single tap is covered in our guide to low water pressure.

Gray areas and how to decide

Water heater problems

No hot water in winter is unpleasant but rarely dangerous for healthy adults. It becomes more urgent with infants, older relatives or anyone medically vulnerable in the home. Water pooling around the base is different: close the cold supply valve on top of the heater, turn off its gas or electric supply, and call. Our water heater repair or replace guide can help you plan the next step.

A backed-up drain

One clogged sink can wait. Several fixtures backing up at once, or water appearing in a basement floor drain when you run the washer, points to a main line blockage. Stop using water until it is cleared, and if you cannot manage that overnight, call. In the District you can also report a sewer problem to DC Water's emergency line at 202-612-3400; the utility handles public sewers, while the private lateral is generally the owner's to clear. A drain cleaning visit in DC is often all it takes.

Storm water in the basement

If a sump pump has failed during a storm and water is rising, it is worth an urgent call. If the water is coming up through a floor drain, it may be the sewer backing up. Our guide to sump pumps and basement flooding in the DC area explains the difference.

What does after-hours service cost?

Night, weekend and holiday visits cost more. Angi's 2024 cost guide puts most emergency plumbing calls between $100 and $500, with an average of about $170 per hour. Its hourly ranges by timing are:

Angi notes that after-hours weekday work may be billed at time and a half, weekends at up to double and holidays at up to three times the normal rate. These are national figures; DC-area prices vary by company and job. When you call, ask how the visit is billed, whether there is a separate charge to come out, and whether the first step will be a temporary fix with the full repair done during regular hours. That approach often keeps the after-hours portion short. For typical daytime pricing, see our guide to plumber costs in Washington, DC.

Getting through the night when you decide to wait

Waiting is reasonable only if the problem is truly contained. A few habits make the night easier and keep a small problem from turning into a large one:

• Leave the closed valve closed. Opening it to "check" can restart a leak you cannot see, such as one inside a wall or under a floor.
• If the main is off, fill a few pots and the bathtub first, if you still have a moment, so you have water for washing and flushing.
• Put a towel and a shallow pan under any drip so you can see by morning whether it has grown.
• In freezing weather, keep heat on in the house, and open cabinet doors on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
• Write down what happened, when it started and what you shut off. A clear account saves time when the plumber arrives.

Check on things before bed and again first thing in the morning. If water starts showing up somewhere new, a ceiling stain spreads or you hear running water with everything off, the situation has changed and it is time to call. Older homes with original valves deserve extra care, because a shutoff that has not been turned in years may not close fully.

Is it the utility's problem or yours?

If the whole street has lost water, or water is bubbling up from the sidewalk or roadway, call your water utility first. It costs you nothing, and a plumber cannot repair a public main. Common emergency numbers in the region:

• DC Water: 202-612-3400
• WSSC Water (most of Montgomery and Prince George's counties): 301-206-4002
• Fairfax Water: 703-698-5800
• Arlington County: 703-228-6555
• Prince William Water: 703-335-7990

If your utility is not listed, its number is on your water bill. Once the utility confirms the problem is on your side of the meter or property line, a plumber is the next call.

Steps to take before help arrives

1. Close the nearest valve, or the main shutoff if you cannot find one closer.
2. Turn off power to any area where water is near outlets or appliances.
3. For a leaking water heater, close its cold supply valve and turn off its gas or electric supply.
4. Move belongings out of the way and start soaking up water.
5. Take photos for your insurance company before cleanup goes too far.
6. Stop using sinks, toilets and appliances if drains are backing up.

When you are ready, you can reach an emergency plumber in the District or find a local plumber in Arlington and other nearby towns.