The leak guide
Water getting in? Tap what you see. Under a minute to what to shut off, who to call, and what it costs.
No sign-up, nothing to type. Tap the closest thing to what is happening and you get the next five minutes, the right trade to call, the published price range with its source, and the questions to ask before anyone comes out.
BestHonestPro is a free comparison resource, not a contractor. There is nothing to sign up for and we do not sell your details. When we begin connecting callers to contractors, we will be paid a referral fee by the contractor, never by you, and this line will say so.
Tap through
What is happening?
Every answer on the far end was written from a regulator, a manufacturer or a published cost study, and the source is on the page. Where something can hurt you, the answer says stop first.
One second.
Or read
Every answer, most urgent first
The same answers the tap-through lands on, as plain pages you can send to somebody.
- Right nowA burst or split supply pipe. Stop the water first.
- Right nowA ceiling holding water
- Right nowA leaking water heater. Power off, then water off.
- Right nowA main line backup. Stop using water in the house.
- Right nowA sagging or dripping ceiling. Get out from under it and drain it.
- Right nowA sagging roofline, cracking sounds, or a tree on the roof
- Right nowA toilet overflowed with waste. That is Category 3. Do not clean it yourself.
- Right nowA washing machine hose or valve let go. Close the two valves behind it.
- Right nowAn active leak in the rain
- Right nowThe water is still coming. That is the job, not the mold
- TodayA clean-water toilet overflow. Annoying, not dangerous.
- TodayA dishwasher leak. The floor under it is the real problem.
- TodayA frozen pipe. Thaw it slowly, never with a flame, and be ready for a leak.
- TodayA leak that showed up in the rain
- TodayA leaking valve or fitting. Usually a repair, not a new heater.
- TodayA stain with no rain: probably not the roof
- TodayBefore you sign anything a roofer hands you
- TodayClaim or no claim. Three questions decide it.
- TodayEvery drain is slow. That is the main line, and it is warning you.
- TodayFresh clean water on a hard floor. You may not need anyone.
- TodayMold in a rental: put it in writing today, then the clock runs on the landlord
- TodayOver 100 square feet: full containment, professional only
- TodayShingles missing or lifted after wind
- TodaySmall patch, but someone in the home is at higher risk
- TodaySomeone wants you to sign an Assignment of Benefits. You do not have to.
- TodaySomething else. The first aid is the same.
- TodayThe tank itself is leaking. That is a replacement, not a repair.
- TodayWater under carpet, wood or laminate. It will not dry from above.
- TodayWet drywall, baseboards or insulation. The wall cavity is the question.
- TodayWet for a day or two. You are at the edge of the window.
- TodayWet more than 48 hours, nothing visible yet. Dry it, then look harder.
- This week'Black mold' on a report: what the CDC actually says
- This week10 to 100 square feet: a contractor job with containment
- This weekA ceiling stain under a wet room. Something above is leaking slowly.
- This weekA ceiling stain under the roof. It is a roof leak until proven otherwise.
- This weekA musty smell after a leak, nothing visible. Find the moisture first.
- This weekA small patch on a dry wall: you can clean this yourself
- This weekA water bill spike. There is a leak. The meter tells you if it is inside or underground.
- This weekDid the remediation work? What a proper finish looks like
- This weekFiling a hail or wind claim
- This weekFlashing at a chimney, pipe or vent
- This weekLow pressure at every tap. Usually the regulator, a valve, or a hidden leak.
- This weekVisible growth after a leak. This is a mold job now, not a drying job.
- This weekWater at a skylight
- This weekWater sitting on a flat roof
- Plan itAir testing before anything else: this is usually the sales pitch, not the fix
- Plan itAn aging water heater. Plan the replacement before it decides for you.
- Plan itThe knock at the door after the storm
- Plan itThe tester wants the removal job: separate them
What this is, and is not
It is a first-aid sheet for the house, written from sources you can check, so that when you pick up the phone you already know what a straight answer sounds like. It is not a diagnosis of your specific home, nobody here has seen it, and it is not a reason to skip a 911 call when the page tells you to make one. What we can and cannot promise.