Emergency Plumber St. Louis: $95 to $476, Who to Call (2026)

All St. Louis rows are from Angi's August 2026 St. Louis emergency plumber guide; the surcharge row is national.

Do this now: before the St. Louis plumber arrives

1. Smell gas? Leave the house and call 911 or Spire from outside. Do not flip switches or look for the leak.
2. Shut the main water valve. HomeGuide says to shut off water at the main and at fixture valves in any plumbing emergency.
3. Leak in the street, alley or at the curb box? That is the City Water Division's job: (314) 771-4880.
4. Sewage backing up through a floor drain: call MSD at 314-768-6260, and stop running water in the house.
5. Water near outlets: switch off the breaker only from a dry spot (Red Cross).
6. Photograph the damage before cleanup if you may file an insurance claim.

Is it an emergency? Signs you need a St. Louis plumber tonight

It is an emergency if water is spreading and you cannot stop it, sewage is coming up a drain, a pipe has frozen in a cold snap, or you smell gas near a water heater. St. Louis averages 84.9 days a year at or below 32 F and 26.0 days at or below 20 F at Lambert airport, NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show, so frozen and burst pipes are a winter routine. A dripping faucet, a running toilet or one slow drain can wait for a weekday, when Angi's St. Louis rates drop to $35 to $180 an hour. HomeGuide lists burst pipes, sewage backups, no hot water in winter and a main line break among the true emergencies.

24 hour plumber in St. Louis: what after-hours calls cost

A 24 hour plumber in St. Louis charges more at night and on holidays: Angi's August 2026 St. Louis data lists evening rates of $85 to $280 an hour, weekends $110 to $370 and holidays $110 to $555. Angi says weekend rates can reach about 2 times normal and holiday calls about 3 times. Our line connects you with companies that take emergency calls; hours vary by company, so ask about the after-hours fee before anyone is sent. Angi also says St. Louis emergency plumbing runs about 6% below the national average.

Who to call for what in St. Louis

• Water leak in the street or at the stop box: City Water Division, (314) 771-4880. Its Service Line Repair Program, a $3.00 per quarter surcharge, covers the line from the main up to and including the stop box.
• Leak between the stop box and the house: your plumber. The owner owns the whole service line.
• Sewer backup: MSD, 314-768-6260, to check the public sewer. MSD has a limited program to help with building backups in some cases, decided after an inspection.
• Broken lateral under the street: the City's Sewer Lateral Repair Program, (314) 647-3111, if you pay the $28 fee on your tax bill. It does not clear clogs or roots.
• Gas smell: 911 or Spire, from outside.

Why St. Louis pipes fail

St. Louis pipes fail because they are old: the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey puts the median year built at 1939 or earlier, the oldest of the 33 cities we cover, and 150,086 of 174,111 housing units, 86.2%, were built before 1980. The City has no lead service line replacement program yet, the Water Division says. Burst pipe repair after hours runs $140 to $4,650 in St. Louis, Angi says; see burst pipe repair for what drives the price.

Local rules, programs and climate for St. Louis, from the official city, utility, state, Census and NOAA pages listed under Sources.

Questions to ask a St. Louis emergency plumber

1. Are you certified by the City of St. Louis to pull plumbing permits, and what is your license number? There is no online lookup; the Building Division answers at (314) 622-3313.
2. What is the after-hours trip or service fee, and is it credited toward the repair?
3. Is this an hourly rate or a flat price for the job?
4. If the lateral is broken, will you send the inspection video to the City's Sewer Lateral Repair Program?
5. Can I see proof of insurance and a written price before work starts?

Help after the emergency

City homeowners 60 or older can apply to the Senior Minor Home Repair Program for plumbing repairs, (314) 612-5918, and income-qualified owners to the Healthy Home Repair Program, 314-657-3888, which has a waitlist. If water soaked floors or drywall, see water damage restoration in St. Louis. Call your insurer as well, photograph the damage before anything is moved or torn out, and do not sign an assignment of benefits or any contract that hands your claim to a contractor.

More St. Louis plumbing guides

Everyday plumbing, sewer laterals and permits: plumber in St. Louis. No hot water: water heater repair in St. Louis. No heat: furnace repair in St. Louis. Compare emergency plumbers in Kansas City and emergency plumbers in Columbus, or read the national emergency plumber guide. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).