A burst supply pipe and a leaking waste are different jobs. One is water under pressure from the main or the hot water line. The other is water that has already been used, leaving a fixture. Say where the water appeared, whether it is constant, and whether it happens only when a tap, a toilet or an appliance is running. That distinction is often the most useful line in the request.
Stopping the water, if you can do it safely
If you can reach the stop tap or the water meter safely, and it is not sitting in deep water or next to a live switchboard, turning it off limits the damage. If you are unsure, leave it. Do not operate electrical switches with wet hands or while standing in water. If water is near the switchboard, or anyone is in danger, leave and call Triple Zero (000).
You do not need to find the split in the pipe before you ask for a quote. Do not cut into walls, lift flooring, or pull off a cabinet to chase the leak. A photo from a dry, safe spot, the room, and whether you have already isolated the water is enough for a first request. If the ceiling below is staining, say which room is underneath.
What to tell the plumber
Describe the water: clear and constant, only when a particular tap runs, warm, or only after the hot water system heats. Say whether you can still get water at other taps. A leak under a sink that appears only when that tap is used is a different visit from a pipe that runs with every tap in the house turned off. If you heard a bang and then saw water, say that. If the leak has been a stain for weeks, say that too. The age of the symptom changes what “make safe” means.
In a unit, water can travel into another lot before you see it at the source. Tell the owner or the managing agent. If you are the agent, note who has authority to approve opening a wall, and whether a tenant is in the property. Do not assume a leak inside one lot is only that lot’s pipe. The plumber can say what they are able to inspect. The owners corporation or body corporate may need to be told if common pipework is involved. That approval sits with the owner or the agent, not with this website.
What the quote should separate
Ask the plumber to separate making the property safe from the permanent repair, if those are different visits. An after-hours stop of the water is not the same job as replacing a length of pipe the next day and making the wall good. Ask whether access, drying, and repairs to plaster or cabinetry are included or excluded. Ask which licence class covers the pipework. Water supply and sanitary plumbing are not always one licence.
Check the licence on the register for the state or territory where the property is, before you accept. PlumberQuotes does not claim to have checked a licence unless that check is recorded. Plumbers who apply here confirm they hold a current licence for the work they offer.
This site does not publish a price for a burst pipe. The plumber quotes the property. The request is an introduction, not a booking and not a promise of a time.
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PlumberQuotes introduces you to a local plumber. It is not a plumbing contractor, and it does not promise a time.