A burst or split supply pipe. Stop the water first.
A supply line runs at street pressure and keeps running until someone closes a valve.
What is probably happening
- A frozen or corroded supply line, a failed fitting, or a pinhole that finally let go.
- If you cannot see the source but water is pouring from a wall or ceiling, it is almost always a supply line inside the wall.
- This is Category 1 (clean) water while it is fresh. It is the easiest kind to dry if you act now.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Close the main shutoff. Turn clockwise until it stops.
- Open a low faucet (tub or outside spigot) to drain pressure out of the lines.
- If the leak is near electricity, kill the breaker from a dry location or leave it and call the utility.
- Move furniture, rugs and boxes off the wet floor.
- Take photos before you mop anything.
- Call a plumber for the pipe, then restoration for the drying if more than one room got wet.
Do not
- Do not use a shop vac or any plugged-in tool while standing in water. The CDC says never use an electric tool or appliance while standing in water.
- Do not wait until morning to close the valve. Every hour adds square feet to the drying bill.
- Do not sign anything a restoration company brings to the door tonight. The pipe comes first, the paperwork can wait.
Who to call
A licensed plumber
The pipe is still the source. A plumber stops it and repairs it. A restoration company dries what it soaked.
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
$400 to $2,000
Burst pipe repair, national range, average $1,200. Drying and repair of what got wet is extra.
Source: HomeGuide, burst pipe repair cost, 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 in business hours?
- Will you find and repair the break tonight, or just cap it and come back?
- Can you tell me whether the rest of the run is the same age and material, and whether it is likely to go next?
- Do you moisture test the wall cavity before you close it, or should I have a restoration company do that?
End the call if
- A plumber who wants to repipe the house tonight, before the water is even off.
- Anyone who asks you to sign an Assignment of Benefits or a work authorization before they have seen the pipe.
- Cash only, or full payment before work starts.