Emergency Plumber in Salt Lake City
Before you call anyone, stop the water. Every minute a split pipe runs inside a wall or ceiling adds to the drywall, flooring and insulation bill, and the valve that stops it is almost always within reach.
The first ten minutes
1. Shut off the main
In a Salt Lake house with a basement, the main valve is usually on the foundation wall where the water line enters, most often the wall facing the street. On a slab house, look near the water heater, in the garage, or in a utility closet. A round handle turns clockwise to close. A lever handle turns a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe.
2. If the main will not turn
Old gate valves seize. Do not force it with a wrench until it snaps. The city side of the system has a curb stop in the meter box near the street, which needs a meter key, and Salt Lake City Public Utilities runs a 24-hour emergency dispatch line listed on its website for problems on the city side.
3. Deal with the water heater
If the house water is off for more than a short while, turn a gas water heater to its pilot or vacation setting and switch off the breaker for an electric one. A heater that runs with no water coming in can damage itself.
4. Drain what is left
Open the lowest faucet in the house, often a basement laundry tub or an outside tap, and then an upstairs tap to let air in. That empties the pipes and takes pressure off the break.
5. Keep away from electricity
If water is near outlets, a light fixture or the electrical panel, do not walk through it. Turn off the breaker for that area only if you can reach the panel while standing on a dry floor.
Gas smell, sewage, or no water at all
If you smell gas
Leave the house first, without switching lights on or off, and call the gas company from outside. In Salt Lake City that is Enbridge Gas, which took over the former Dominion Energy gas service in Utah. A plumber can repair a gas line later; the utility comes first.
If sewage is coming up a floor drain
Stop using water everywhere in the house: no flushing, no laundry, no dishwasher. Every gallon you send down comes back up through the lowest opening, which in most Salt Lake basements is the floor drain. Keep children and pets out of the area.
If there is no water at all
Check with a neighbour first. If their water is off too, the problem is probably on the city side, and the utility handles it. If only your house is dry in January, a frozen service line or a frozen pipe near the entry point is the likeliest cause.
What counts as an emergency
Water running where it should not and you cannot stop it. Sewage coming back into the house. No water to the house in freezing weather. A water heater leaking from the tank itself rather than a fitting. A gas smell near an appliance, after the gas company has made it safe.
A dripping faucet, one slow drain, or a running toilet are not emergencies, even though they are irritating. Turning off the supply valve under the fixture buys time, and a daytime visit costs less than a night call.
How valley emergency searches rise and fall
Searches for an emergency plumber in Salt Lake City are uneven through the year. In the measured twelve months they ran as low as 30 a month in November 2025 and as high as 390 in September 2026, with a winter bump to 170 in January 2026. Cold snaps produce burst pipes; late summer produces sprinkler and backflow failures and the first water heaters that give up after a hard season.
What to ask on the phone
How soon they can get there, and what an after-hours visit costs before the van leaves. Whether that price includes the first stretch of labour or only the trip. Whether they can make the line safe tonight and come back for the full repair in daylight, which is often cheaper. Nobody on this site can promise you a response time; the plumbing company sets it, and a straight answer to these questions is a good sign.
If the main is already off and nothing is running, describe that too. It changes how urgent the visit really is, and it may change the price.
After the water is off
Photograph the damage before anything is moved, including the failed pipe or fitting. Your homeowner's insurance will want those pictures, and the split pipe itself is useful evidence of whether the cause was freezing, corrosion or a failed fitting. Move furniture and rugs off wet floors and open cabinet doors so the space can dry.
Water inside walls and under flooring needs drying equipment, not just towels. That is a restoration company's work rather than a plumber's, and your insurer may have a preferred one.
Common questions
Where is the main shutoff in a Salt Lake City house?
With a basement, usually on the foundation wall where the water line enters, often the side facing the street. On a slab, near the water heater, in the garage or a utility closet. Find it on a calm day and make sure it turns.
Should I call the city or a plumber?
If your neighbours have also lost water, or water is bubbling up in the street or at the meter box, the problem is likely on the city side and Salt Lake City Public Utilities handles it. Anything on your side of the meter is yours, and that is plumber work.
How fast can an emergency plumber get to me?
Nobody can honestly promise that from a website. It depends on the company, the time and how many pipes froze that night across the valley. Ask on the phone and expect a straight answer.
Does an emergency plumber cost more?
Usually yes, after hours and on holidays. Ask for the after-hours trip fee and hourly rate before agreeing. If the main is off and nothing is running, a daytime visit the next morning is often the cheaper choice.
My water heater is leaking. Is that an emergency?
If water is coming from the tank body, yes: the tank has failed and will not seal. Shut the cold supply valve above the heater, turn off the gas or power, and call. A drip from the relief valve or a fitting is less urgent but still worth a call that day.
Is SLC Plumber Pros the plumbing company?
No. We are an advertising and referral service. Your call goes to an independent local plumbing company, which sets its own response times and prices and does the work.
Other plumbing pages for Salt Lake City
- Plumber in Salt Lake City, UT
- Drain Cleaning and Sewer Lines in Salt Lake City
- Water Heater Repair and Replacement in Salt Lake City
- Water Softener Installation in Salt Lake City
- Burst Pipe Repair and Galvanized Repiping in Salt Lake City
Also serving
Emergency Plumbing is available outside Salt Lake City too, across Millcreek , Holladay , South Salt Lake and West Valley City .
Ask about emergency plumbing
Describe the problem and a local plumbing company will call you to talk it through and arrange a visit as soon as their schedule allows. Answered Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm · ask about after-hours cover when you call You can also call (385) 406-3317. If water is running right now, call rather than typing.