Emergency Plumber in Miami
First ten minutes: close the main water shutoff or your condo unit valve, switch off the water heater at the breaker, and keep everyone away from water near outlets or the electrical panel. If it is sewage, stop using every sink, toilet and the washer. Then call.
The shutoff, by type of home
Single-family house
Most Miami houses have a customer shutoff where the supply pipe comes out of the ground and into the wall, often on the side of the house facing the street or beside the water heater. If you cannot find it or it will not turn, the meter box at the property line has a valve on the customer side. Turn it a quarter-turn until the handle crosses the pipe. Do not force the utility's own valve.
Condo or apartment
Look in the water heater closet, under the kitchen sink, or in the laundry niche for a valve on the main line into the unit. Some buildings have the unit valves in a corridor closet that only maintenance can open. If yours is one of those, call the front desk or the building's emergency line first; they can close the riser or the floor.
Townhouse
Often a shutoff in the garage or utility closet, sometimes a shared meter bank at the end of the row. If the meter bank is shared, label your valve now, on a dry day, so you are not guessing in the dark.
After the water stops
- Switch the water heater off at the breaker (or set a gas heater to pilot) so it does not heat an empty tank.
- Open a tap on the lowest floor to drain pressure out of the lines.
- Photograph the source, the damage and any ceiling stains before you clean up. Insurers and associations both ask.
- Move furniture and rugs off wet tile. Terrazzo and tile survive water; particleboard cabinets do not.
- In a condo, tell the manager or association in writing, by email if possible, the same day.
Sewage backing up
Sewage coming up through a shower drain or a ground-floor toilet means the line between the house and the city sewer is blocked, or the sewer itself is surcharged. In Miami the second one happens after heavy rain or during a storm, when groundwater and stormwater get into the system and the pump stations fall behind. Stop all water use in the house, including the dishwasher and washing machine, and keep children and pets away from the water. If neighbours on the same street have the same problem, report it to the utility: Miami-Dade Water and Sewer in most of the city, the City of Hialeah or the City of Miami Beach in theirs. If it is only your house, the blockage is probably in your lateral and a plumber with a cable or jetter and a camera is the next call.
When it is not an emergency
A dripping tap, a running toilet, a single slow drain or a water heater that has gone lukewarm can usually wait for a weekday visit, which is generally cheaper than an after-hours call. Turn the valve under the fixture, put a bucket under the drip and call in the morning. The exceptions are water you cannot stop, water near electricity, sewage inside, a smell of gas, and a leak into somebody else's home.
Gas smell
If you smell gas at a water heater, range or generator, leave the house, do not operate switches, and call the gas utility's emergency number or 911 from outside. A plumber or gas contractor repairs the line once the utility has made it safe, not before.
Storm nights
Search interest for emergency plumbers in Miami ran from about 170 a month in the winter to 1,600 in September 2026, in the middle of hurricane season. That is when every company's phones are busiest. The preparation that matters (a backwater valve, a shutoff you can find, a gas line that has been checked) is done in the calm months.
Water still running and the valve will not close? Call now and say so first; the company will tell you what they can do and when.
Common questions
Will an emergency plumber come at 2am?
Some Miami companies take night calls and some do not. The one that answers will tell you whether they can come out and what the after-hours charge is before they dispatch anyone.
How much more does an emergency call cost?
After-hours, Sunday and holiday visits commonly cost more than a weekday call, often a higher call-out fee or a multiplier on the rate. Ask on the phone so there is no surprise at the door.
My neighbour’s unit is flooding mine. Can I let a plumber in?
A plumber can find the source, but they cannot open another owner’s unit. Building management or the association has to get access. Document the damage in your unit and notify them in writing.
Is a leaking water heater an emergency?
A drip at the relief valve can wait for a scheduled visit if the pan and drain are carrying it away. Water pouring from the bottom of the tank is a failed tank: close the cold supply valve on top of the heater, switch the breaker off, and arrange a replacement.
Other plumbing work in Miami
- Plumber in Miami, FL
- Drain Cleaning in Miami, FL
- Cast-Iron Drain and Sewer Line Repair in Miami
- Water Heater Repair and Replacement in Miami
- Leak Detection and Repiping in Miami
Also serving
Emergency Plumbing is available beyond Miami, across Coral Gables , Miami Beach , Hialeah and Kendall .
Ask about emergency plumbing
Say what is happening and where, and a local plumbing company will call you back to set a time. Phones answered Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm · after hours, leave a message or send the form Or call (786) 432-8693 if water is running right now.