Apart from a house fire, water and flooding does more damage to our properties than almost any other event.
Even a relatively minor incident such as a tap left running and overflowing basin can cause thousands of pounds of damage, so it’s important to know where to go in an emergency so that you can get someone in to sort the problem as soon as possible and minimise damage.
Won’t My Insurance Cover Emergency Plumbing Repairs?
In some cases, yes your home insurance will cover emergency repairs, especially if you have bought an add-on “home emergency” service as part of the cover.
In many other cases though it’s up to you as the home owner to organise the emergency plumber to come in and fix the damage, and then negotiate with your insurance company over the cost of any damage.
It’s a good idea to dig out the insurance documents, read them through and know exactly what you’re covered for.
Then do some research into local trusted plumbers so that you have their numbers at hand should the worst happen.
First Steps in Dealing with Emergency Bathroom Repairs
Before even phoning the plumber, the first thing you should do if you have water gushing out of the bath or a burst pipe under the sink is to turn off the water at the mains.
This won’t solve the problem, but will stop as much water pouring into your property.
In most houses, the stopcock to turn off water is under the kitchen sink or in a cupboard in the hall. Then get on the phone to one of the plumbers you have already found through Top Tradespeople or through recommendations from friends and family.
In an emergency situation it’s easy to panic and to agree to whatever price the first plumber tells you, but an extra ten minutes spent calling another few companies to get at least three quotes to compare effectively can save you hundreds of pounds in the long run.
Remember also that once you’ve turned off the water things are not going to get worse, so if you can delay getting a plumber in until normal office hours this will mean you don’t pay an emergency 24 hour call out charge and will slash the bill too.
Average Prices for Plumbing Repairs
Of course the prices you will pay will depend on how quickly you need the work done and how difficult it is to access the area needing work.
As a rough guide, expect to pay around £400 to £500 for a plumber to replace burst sections of a pipe after a freeze and around £150 to fix a leaking radiator.
Minor repairs such as fixing a dripping tap will cost between £50 and £60.
Most plumbers will charge a basic call out charge and then an hourly rate while they work, plus any materials they use.
Always get quotes, estimates and invoices in writing to allow you to keep track of costs and keep everything above board.
