FAQ

A call outside normal hours (evening, night, weekend or holiday) costs more than a weekday daytime call, because of the after-hours premium. That premium is quoted to you before a plumber is dispatched, not after the fact, so you can decide with the full picture.

Most often near the front basement wall, on the street side, before the pipe splits toward the three units. Our guide walks through where to look and how to close it without tools.

Both may be needed. If the backup is hitting several units or looks like it's coming from the municipal system, 311 can establish whether the problem is on the public side. At the same time, a plumber checks your own plumbing and, once the water's out, can install or test a backwater valve.

Shut the water off for a burst pipe or an overflowing toilet, cut the power only if the panel is dry and reachable, protect what you can, then take photos before you start cleaning up. The "What to do right now" band on our home page walks through the order to follow.

A plumber responding to an emergency carries the most common parts (fittings, sections of pipe, valves, auger heads). For a full replacement, like a water heater, the exact model sometimes needs to be ordered, but the swap usually still happens the same day if an equivalent model is in stock.