Emergency Plumber San Antonio: $100 to $500 an Hour (2026)

All rows are national figures; no publisher lists a San Antonio-only emergency plumber price.

Do this now: water spraying in a San Antonio home

1. Shut off water at the main or the fixture valve. HomeGuide gives this as the first step for any major leak.
2. Leak at the meter or in the street? Call SAWS, which takes water and sewer emergencies around the clock at 210-704-7297.
3. Water near outlets? Turn off power at the breaker only if you can reach the panel from a dry spot.
4. Smell gas? Leave and call CPS Energy's emergency line, 1-800-870-1006, or 911 from outside.
5. Photograph the damage and keep every receipt for your insurer.

Is it an emergency? What a 24 hour plumber in San Antonio is for

A burst pipe, sewage backup, gas leak, or water heater flooding a room is an emergency; a running toilet is not. Angi says emergency plumbers charge 1.5 to 3 times standard rates, so anything that can wait for a weekday will cost less. Companies that take emergency calls set their own hours; ask for the after-hours rate before anyone is sent.

SAWS draws the line at the property: plumbing problems that occur on private property are the owner's responsibility, SAWS says. Report a leak at the meter or in the street to SAWS; a pipe that burst in your wall or yard is yours to fix.

Freeze nights: what Winter Storm Uri did to San Antonio

San Antonio averages 14.0 nights a year at or below 32 F at the airport, NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show. In February 2021 the city stayed below freezing from Feb 14, with no high above freezing until Feb 17, and some residents lost water for up to 30 hours; SAWS said the longer outages most likely meant frozen pipes.

After the storm, the president of the San Antonio chapter of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association said PVC pipes had failed systematically across the city, and the state plumbing board let apprentices work without direct supervision under a responsible master plumber to keep up. The Red Cross says to drip faucets on exposed pipes and open sink cabinets in a freeze, and never to thaw a pipe with an open flame.

SAWS Plumbers to People: free emergency leak repair

SAWS's Plumbers to People program repairs fresh water leaks, such as leaking faucets, toilets and broken pipes, for qualifying owner-occupants: the home must be worth no more than $300,000 and the household must meet Uplift income limits. Only SAWS-contracted plumbers do the work, repairs you arrange yourself are not reimbursed, and drain leaks and sewer clogs are not covered. Big leaks: 210-704-SAVE. Uplift: 210-233-2273.

The City's Minor Repair Loan, a forgivable 0% loan of up to $25,000, can also cover plumbing for eligible owner-occupied homes in Council Districts 1 to 10 (210-207-6459).

Before you let a San Antonio plumber start

1. Ask the after-hours rate and any trip fee before dispatch. Angi lists $150 to $300 flat fees.
2. Check the license on the TSBPE public search.
3. Ask whether the job needs a City permit; DSD says trade permits are pulled by contractors licensed and registered with the City.
4. Get the price in writing and ask for proof of insurance.
5. Ask for an itemized bill for your insurer.

More San Antonio plumbing pages: plumber in San Antonio, slab leak repair in San Antonio, sewer line repair in San Antonio and water heater repair in San Antonio. Water on floors: water damage restoration in San Antonio. Compare emergency plumber in Houston and emergency plumber in Phoenix, or see home repair costs.