Right now

A burst or split pipe. Find the main valve first, then call.

Every minute the main stays open adds water to walls and floors. The EPA's drying window is 24 to 48 hours before mold becomes likely.

Turn off the main water valve now. If water is near outlets, a panel or the water heater, turn off that circuit at the breaker before you step in it.

What is probably happening

A split pipe, a failed fitting or a pipe that froze and cracked.
Water behind a wall or ceiling shows as a bulge, a stain that grows, or dripping through a light fixture.
If it started in freezing weather, the pipe is probably in an outside wall, crawl space or attic.

Do this in the next five minutes

Find the main valve. In a basement it is on the wall where the supply enters. On a slab, look at the water heater. In a crawl space, the front wall. In warm climates, the meter box at the street.
A ball valve has a lever: turn it a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe. A gate valve has a round wheel: turn it clockwise until it stops. Do not force either.
Open the lowest faucet in the house and one high one to drain the pipes and stop the flow.
Turn off the water heater (gas: control to Off, electric: its breaker) so the tank does not run dry and burn out.
Move belongings, lift rugs, put foil or blocks under furniture legs. Start drying today.

Do not

Do not walk into standing water in a room with live outlets or an appliance plugged in. Kill the breaker first.
Do not tape, clamp or epoxy a pipe under pressure and leave it. Those are minutes of help, not a repair.
Do not let a restoration company start demolition before a plumber has stopped the source. Two crews, in that order.

Who to call

A licensed plumber

A restoration company dries the building. A plumber stops the source, and nothing dries while the source is open.

Also: Water damage. If water has soaked drywall, carpet or subfloor, or has been sitting more than a few hours, call restoration too. The EPA's 24 to 48 hour drying window is the reason. Questions for that call ›

Get a free shortlist The seven questions for this trade

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.

What it should cost

$200 to $3,000, averaging $500

Burst pipe repair, materials and labor, national range. Emergency call fee $100 to $300 on top. Emergency labor runs $100 to $500 an hour

Source: Angi, burst pipe repair cost, updated August 2026, and Angi, emergency plumber cost, updated September 2026. View source

National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the plumbing page.

Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out

Tap each one as you ask it.

Is this the emergency rate, and what would the same repair cost during business hours?
Will you replace the split section, or the whole run? What decides that?
Will you check the rest of the line for the same material and age before you leave?
Can you open the wall or ceiling, or do I need a separate trade for that?
Will you write down what you found and photograph it for my insurance claim?

End the call if

A quote to repipe the whole house on the first visit, before the leak is even exposed.
A plumber who does not ask whether the main is off yet.
Full payment up front, or cash only.

Insurance. Most homeowners policies cover sudden and accidental water damage such as a burst pipe, but usually not damage from gradual leaks. (Texas Department of Insurance)

Where this comes from

Not my problem, tap through instead Every plumbing answer