Call an Emergency Plumber Now or Wait? A Guide for Metro Denver Homes

Two questions that settle most cases

Before deciding anything, ask yourself two things. First, can you stop it? A fixture shutoff, the main valve or simply not using a drain may bring the problem to a halt. Second, is it getting worse while you wait? Water spreading toward finished walls, a ceiling stain growing, or a basement drain still rising means the damage clock is running.

If you can stop it and it is stable, you probably have time. If you cannot stop it, or stopping it leaves the household without water in a way you cannot live with, it is worth an after-hours call.

Problems that justify an after-hours call

• Uncontrolled water. A burst supply line, a failed washer hose or a broken fitting where the shutoff is stuck or missing. A Denver emergency plumber can close a curb valve or cap the line.
• A split pipe after a hard freeze. These often sit in exterior walls, garages and crawl spaces. Shut the main first, then call about repairing the burst section.
• Sewage backup. If wastewater is rising into the lowest drains, stop running water and get help clearing the line. Repeated backups point toward a damaged building sewer.
• No water at all in winter. If the utility has no outage and your neighbors have water, a frozen service line or meter may be the cause, and a frozen indoor meter can flood a basement.
• A tank water heater pouring water. Close the cold inlet valve, turn the unit off, and arrange for a new water heater, since a leaking tank cannot be patched.

Problems that can usually sit until business hours

• A slow drain or a single clogged toilet when another bathroom works
• A dripping faucet, or a toilet that runs after flushing (close its stop valve to quiet it)
• Low pressure that has built up gradually
• A water heater that has quit but is not leaking
• A small, stable drip under a sink with the fixture valve closed

Waiting on these is not neglect. For a running fill valve or a worn flapper, a weekday toilet repair is the sensible call.

The gray areas

A pipe that froze but has not split. Denver Water says not to wait for nature to take its course. Shut off or test the main valve first so water cannot gush out as it thaws, then warm the frozen section slowly with a hair dryer. Never use an open flame such as a torch. If you cannot reach the pipe or cannot find the frozen spot, call.

A sump pump that stops. In dry weather with an empty pit, it can wait. During a fast snowmelt or a storm with water rising in the pit, treat it as urgent.

A ceiling stain. A dry stain from an old leak can wait for an inspection. One that is wet, sagging or growing is active water, and you should shut off the supply to the bathroom above or the main.

What to do before you pick up the phone

1. Close the main shutoff. Denver Water advises knowing where your shutoff is and testing it regularly. If the indoor valve will not turn, a plumber or the utility may need to close the curb valve outside.
2. Kill power to wet areas only if the panel is dry. If water is near the breaker panel, stay out and wait for help.
3. Open a low faucet to drain the lines and take pressure off the break.
4. Move valuables and start drying. The EPA says water-damaged areas should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold.
5. Take photos of the source and the damage for the plumber and any insurance claim.

Our guide to what to do in the first ten minutes after a pipe bursts goes through this in more detail.

Is it the utility's job instead?

If water is bubbling up in the street, the pressure dropped for the whole block, or a meter pit is overflowing, call your water utility first. Most run an after-hours line:

Ownership lines matter here. Denver Water says the property owner owns the service line from the main into the house, so a leak on your side of the street is a plumbing job, not a utility repair. Many suburban utilities own the line up to the meter pit instead. Highlands Ranch Water advises calling a plumber first for a sewer emergency so the private line can be checked; residents there can reach a Highlands Ranch emergency plumber through this site. The same goes for an urgent plumbing problem in Aurora or a burst line in Thornton.

If you smell gas

Do not flip switches, start appliances or use a phone inside. Get everyone out, then call 911 and the gas utility from a safe distance. For most of metro Denver that is Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-2999; some outer towns use other gas companies or propane, and your utility is shown on your gas bill. A plumber can repair gas piping only after the utility says it is safe. The full steps are in our guide to handling a gas smell.

What an after-hours visit tends to cost

Angi's 2026 data puts the national average for an emergency plumber at about $170 an hour, with a typical range of $100 to $500 an hour. It says emergency work commonly runs 1.5 to 3 times the standard rate, weekend calls can reach about double and holidays about triple, and many plumbers add a flat trip or service fee of $150 to $300. Those are national figures, and local pricing varies. For more on how plumbers in the metro area set their rates, see plumber pricing around Denver.

Questions to ask on the call

• How is the visit billed: flat call-out fee, hourly, or a set price per repair?
• Does the price change after a certain hour or on weekends?
• Can you make it safe tonight and do the full repair during regular hours?
• Will I get a written price before work starts?

Arrival depends on time of day, weather and demand, so ask for a realistic window rather than assuming one.

Make the next emergency smaller

Most late-night calls get easier with a little preparation. Find and test your main valve now, and replace it if it sticks. Keep the meter pit and curb stop clear and reachable, as Denver Water recommends. Before the first freeze, disconnect hoses, drain outdoor faucets and shut down the sprinkler system. During a deep cold snap, let a faucet drip slowly and open cabinet doors on outside walls. More cold-weather steps are in how to keep pipes from freezing in Colorado.