Burst Pipe: What to Do and Repair Costs

Turn the water off at your stopcock straight away, keep away from any electrics that water has reached, then open your cold taps to drain the pipes. Once the flow has stopped, photograph the damage and call a plumber. A burst water pipe repair typically costs around £100 to £500, with evening and weekend call-outs at the higher end.

The first half hour makes a big difference to how much damage you end up with. Work through these steps in order.

The first 30 minutes: step by step

1. Turn off the water at the stopcock

Your stopcock (also called a stop tap or stop valve) controls the mains water coming into your home. In most houses it’s under the kitchen sink. Other common spots are:

in a downstairs cloakroom or utility room

under the stairs or near the front door

in a cellar, garage or, in flats, a communal cupboard

How to turn off water at the stopcock: turn the handle clockwise until it stops. It may be stiff if it hasn’t been used for years. Use steady pressure rather than force, as an old valve can snap. If it won’t budge, there may be an outside stop tap under a small cover near your boundary, usually at the pavement, but these often need a special key.

2. Make the electrics safe

Water and electricity are a dangerous mix. If water is near sockets, light fittings, the consumer unit (fuse box) or appliances:

Only switch off at the consumer unit if you can reach it without touching water and the unit itself is dry.

If the consumer unit is wet, or you’d have to stand in water to reach it, don’t touch it. Leave the area and call an electrician or your electricity network’s emergency line on 105.

Don’t use light switches or appliances that water has reached until a registered electrician has checked them.

This is not a DIY job. If there’s any doubt about whether electrics are safe, keep out of the room and get a professional in.

3. Turn off heating and hot water

Switch off your boiler or immersion heater so the system isn’t heating water that is draining away.

4. Drain the system

With the stopcock off, open all your cold taps and flush the toilets. This drains the water left in the pipes and reduces how much can still escape from the burst. Then open the hot taps too.

If you have a cold water tank in the loft, keep the taps open until they run dry.

5. Contain the water

Put buckets and bowls under drips.

Use towels to soak up standing water and stop it spreading.

If water is coming through a ceiling that’s bulging, keep people out of the room underneath. A sagging ceiling can give way.

6. Take photos for your insurer

Before you tidy up too much, photograph and video:

the burst pipe itself

damage to ceilings, walls, floors and belongings

any water marks showing how far the water spread

Keep receipts, and keep damaged items until your insurer says you can throw them away. Most buildings and contents policies cover water damage from an escape of water, but the repair to the pipe itself may not be covered. Check your policy or call your insurer’s claims line.

7. Call a plumber

Once the water is off and the area is safe, call a plumber. Tell them:

where the burst is and what the pipe looks like

whether you’ve managed to turn the water off

whether water has reached electrics or come through a ceiling

You can find emergency plumbers in Reading who cover out-of-hours call-outs.

Is the burst pipe your responsibility?

Generally, you’re responsible for the supply pipe from your property boundary into your home, plus all the internal plumbing. Your water company is usually responsible for the water main and the short pipe that connects it to your supply pipe.

If you see water coming up in the road, the pavement or outside your boundary, report it to your water company. In Reading, that is Thames Water. If the leak is inside your home or garden, it’s usually a job for your own plumber.

What an emergency plumber will charge

Most of the cost comes from the call-out, the time of day and how hard the pipe is to reach.

Job

Typical UK range

Notes

Emergency call-out fee (daytime)

£75 – £150

Sometimes includes the first hour

Emergency hourly rate (evenings, weekends)

£75 – £150 per hour

Bank holidays and overnight often highest

Burst water pipe repair (accessible pipe)

£100 – £300

Pipe under a sink or in a cupboard

Burst pipe repair (hidden or hard to reach)

£250 – £500+

Lifting floors, opening walls or ceilings

Replace a failed stopcock

£100 – £300

Worth doing if yours is seized

Prices shown are typical UK ranges and vary by job and area. In Reading and the South East, expect costs towards the upper end, especially outside normal hours. Making good plaster, flooring or decoration afterwards is usually a separate job.

When to call out of hours, and when to wait

Call an emergency plumber now if:

you can’t turn the water off, or the stopcock is broken

water has reached electrics or is coming through a ceiling

you have no water at all and vulnerable people in the house

It can usually wait until morning if:

you’ve turned the water off and the leak has stopped

you can isolate the damaged pipe with a local valve and still use water elsewhere

nothing is getting worse

Getting quotes

In a genuine emergency, you won’t want to wait for three quotes. Call a plumber you can check quickly, ask for the call-out fee and hourly rate before they set off, and get the price confirmed in writing, even by text.

For the follow-up work, such as replacing old pipework, moving pipes away from cold spots or fitting a new stopcock, it’s worth getting three quotes. When you brief a plumber:

describe what happened and send photos of the repair and the pipe runs

say whether you want pipes lagged or rerouted to stop it happening again

ask whether the quote includes making good, or just the plumbing

Three quotes show you the fair local price. Our guide to plumber costs, hourly rates and call-out fees explains how plumbers charge in more detail.

FAQs

What should I do first if a pipe bursts?

Turn off the water at the stopcock, keep clear of wet electrics, switch off your heating and open the taps to drain the system. Then take photos and call a plumber.

How do I turn off water at the stopcock?

Turn the handle clockwise until it stops, using steady pressure rather than force. If it won’t move, call an emergency plumber.

How much does a burst water pipe repair cost?

A typical burst water pipe repair costs around £100 to £500 in the UK. Easy-to-reach pipes during working hours sit at the lower end. Hidden pipes, out-of-hours call-outs and jobs that need floors or walls opening cost more.

Do I need an emergency plumber for a burst pipe?

If you can’t stop the water, or it’s reaching electrics or ceilings, yes. Otherwise a daytime visit is usually cheaper.

Will my home insurance cover a burst pipe?

Most buildings and contents policies cover damage caused by an escape of water, but often not the cost of repairing the pipe itself. Policies differ, so check yours and contact your insurer early, with photos of the damage.

Get up to 3 quotes from vetted local plumbers. Tell us about the job and your postcode, and we’ll match you with trades whose reviews come from real, invoiced jobs.