Emergency Plumber Los Angeles: $100 to $500 an Hour (2026)

Hourly and emergency rows are national; Angi's Los Angeles guide gives the local job prices and the after-hours markup. Parts, permits and cleanup are extra.

Do this now: before the emergency plumber arrives in LA

1. Smell gas? Get everyone out, then call SoCalGas or 911 from outside. Do not try to find the leak.
2. Shut off the main water valve. For one fixture, close the valve under the sink or behind the toilet.
3. Keep away from water near outlets and cords. The Red Cross says not to touch electrical equipment that is wet or while standing in water.
4. If the water heater is flooded or damaged, turn off its power and water, Rheem's manual says.
5. Water gushing from the street, the sidewalk or the meter box is LADWP's to handle: call 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397), which takes water trouble calls around the clock.
6. Photograph the damage before you clean up. FEMA says to photograph it and report it to your insurer as soon as you can.

Is it urgent? LA plumbing problems that cannot wait

A burst pipe, sewage in the house, a gas smell or a flooding water heater cannot wait, and Angi's 2026 figures show why: a burst pipe runs $150 to $5,000 and an emergency sewer backup $1,325 to $5,000 nationally. Waiting for business hours makes sense only when the water is off, nothing is backing up and you still have a working toilet.

• Call now: water you cannot stop at the main, sewage in a tub or floor drain, or a gas smell (from outside).
• Tonight if you can: a water heater leaking from the tank; see water heater repair in Los Angeles.
• Next business day: one clogged sink or a dripping faucet; drain cleaning in Los Angeles lists daytime prices.

24 hour plumber in Los Angeles: what the City handles and what you handle

Two City lines run 24 hours in Los Angeles, and neither sends a plumber to your house. LADWP takes water trouble and outage calls around the clock at 1-800-DIAL-DWP, for problems on its side of the meter. LA Sanitation's 24-hour Customer Care line, 1-800-773-2489, takes sewer problems in the public system.

Everything on your side is yours. LA Sanitation says owners are responsible for their entire sewer lateral, including the stretch from the property line to the middle of the street, and must hire a licensed plumber to clear roots from private lines. So a backup in your lateral at 2 a.m. is a call to a plumbing company, not the City. On the plumber line, calls reach companies that take emergency calls; hours vary, so ask about the after-hours fee before anyone is sent. The lateral rules are on sewer line repair in Los Angeles.

Burst or underground pipe: the express permit and the LADWP leak credit

A broken underground water line in Los Angeles can be replaced under an LADBS Express Permit, issued without plan check, if the new pipe is the same size and material; LADBS says the old pipe stays uncovered until the inspector verifies it. Hire a licensed contractor: CSLB says any job of $1,000 or more, or any job that needs a permit, requires a license.

Fix it fast and keep the receipts. LADWP may adjust your bill after you repair an underground leak on your property, if you ask within 12 months and include repair receipts; allow two to four weeks. Leaks from sprinklers, water heaters, faucets or toilets do not qualify.

Why older LA homes spring leaks

Los Angeles housing is middle-aged to old: the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey puts the median home at 1965, and the city's 2021 demographic profile counts 19.7% of homes built in 1939 or earlier and another 16.8% in the 1950s. Angi's LA guide says galvanized piping in many neighborhoods is prone to corrosion and leaks, and that slab foundations make access more labor intensive. A leak you cannot see may be under the floor; slab leak repair in Los Angeles covers detection.

City of Los Angeles rules, programs and contacts from official city, utility, state, Census and NOAA pages. Other LA County cities set their own permit rules.

Before an LA emergency plumber starts work

1. What is the emergency or trip fee, and what is the hourly rate tonight?
2. What is your CSLB license number? Check it at CSLB's Check A License page or (800) 321-2752.
3. Can you stop the leak tonight and price the full repair for a daytime visit?
4. Will the repair need an LADBS permit, and will you pull it?
5. Can I get the price in writing and photos of the damaged pipe for my insurer?

More Los Angeles plumbing guides

All plumbing topics for the city: plumber in Los Angeles. If water has reached walls or floors, see water damage restoration in Los Angeles and call your insurer too. National rates and the full emergency checklist: emergency plumber cost. Other cities: emergency plumber in San Diego and emergency plumber in Las Vegas. Every trade is priced on home repair costs. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).