Emergency Plumber Cost Guide

When a plumbing disaster strikes at home, your first instinct is to call an emergency plumber and get them out as soon as possible. Whether it’s a water leak, a radiator leak or a boiler problem, an emergency plumber can come out and help. But it’s important to know how much it will cost before you pick up the phone.

Important: To avoid damage to your home, if you discover a water leak, shut off your water supply at the stopcock in your house, often under the kitchen sink, or at the external stopcock that is often on your water meter (if you have one). Try to contain any escape of water with buckets and mop up any standing water.

How much does an emergency plumber cost?

Emergency plumber costs vary all over the country, but generally the cost will be split into two parts:

• A call out fee, which is on average £110;
• And the charge for the work, which is an average of £60 per hour. Often the minimum charge will be one hour’s work plus the call out fee, no matter how long the job takes, so confirm this before going ahead.

It’s easy to panic when you’re dealing with an emergency situation and just go with the first plumber you find, but there’s still time for you to contact a few professionals and get an idea of costs before making your decision.

How much is a plumber per day?

If your job looks like it’s going to be a long one, an emergency plumber will usually charge you a day rate. You should expect a plumber to charge at least £350 per day.

Do all plumbers charge a call out fee?

Not all plumbers charge a call out fee, but most emergency plumbers will, especially if you want them to visit outside of normal working hours. This covers the disturbance to their usual home or family time, so you should expect a call out fee from any reputable tradesperson in an emergency.

However, if you think your plumbing issue could wait until a plumber’s next available time slot or during working hours, they might not charge a call out fee. That’s why it’s important to contact a few plumbers in your area to get an idea of what the average cost is.

What is considered an emergency plumbing issue?

An emergency plumbing issue is usually something that will cause serious damage to your home or affect your quality of life if left until a routine appointment. This could include problems like:

• Leaking or burst pipes
• A leaking boiler
• A leaking washing machine
• No hot water
• Water coming through the ceiling from an unknown source

Problems like your water not heating up normally, strange noises coming from pipes or a constantly running toilet are generally not considered emergencies, so to save money you might want to book a normal appointment for a boiler repair or jobs like a replacement float valve.

How long does it take for an emergency plumber to come?

How long it takes for an emergency plumber to come all depends on their availability and whether they are dealing with another emergency at the time you call them. They will assess any jobs that they have outstanding and decide who takes the most priority. It could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours for an emergency plumber to come - and the further away you are from a town or city, the longer the wait time.

Plumbing material costs

It’s likely that your emergency plumbing issue will take more than the tightening of a stopcock or bolt to fix, so you need to consider the costs of materials too. Replacement parts and plumbing materials won’t be included in the call out charge or your plumber’s hourly rate.

It’s also worth remembering that while plumbers will keep basic materials for repairing common problems with them, if they require a more specialised part they will have to source and purchase it separately. This will add more time, and therefore cost, onto the job.

Here are some average costs of common materials plumbers will use during an emergency callout:

Material	Cost
Copper pipes	£2-£50
Taps	£30-£80
Radiator	£20-£600, depending on type and style
Boiler heat exchanger	£250-600
Diverter valve	£25-£200

Should I pay a plumber upfront?

If an emergency plumber has told you the issue is a large one that will require lots of time and specialist parts, it’s reasonable for them to ask for a deposit to cover the cost of materials. It can feel scary giving someone money before they have completed any work, so make sure you ask for references or check their reviews to make sure you’re happy. Never pay for the entire job up front - no reputable tradesperson will ask you to do this.

Why are emergency plumbers so expensive?

Emergency plumbers are expensive because they have to be on call all the time - even after they’ve had a long day at work. Plumbers have to undertake lots of training and qualifications to be able to trade, especially if they work on gas boilers, and this training can be expensive. They also have to make sure they leave your property in a safe condition and prevent any further damage from being caused by water - a big responsibility.

It’s vital that you keep your costs to a minimum by getting a range of quotes before engaging an emergency plumber. Make sure you check for reviews before you ask anyone to complete any work on your home. Post a job on HaMuch nowto get quotes from reputable emergency plumbers in your area.

Estimates for common plumber jobs;

Rates for other trades