Emergency Plumber
Tap Doctor Plumbing & Gas, trusted since 1985
Burst pipe, gas leak, overflowing toilet or no hot water? Our phones are answered 24/7 on 1300-655-827. Please call for anything urgent rather than booking online.
- 1Tell us what needs doing
- 2Pick a day and time that suits
- 3We confirm and send a licensed Tap Doctor plumber
- 4Job done, problem solved
- Trusted since 1985
- Fully Licensed & Insured
- No call-out fee in business hours
- Locally Based Plumbers
- ★★★★★2,000+ Google reviews
- Trusted since 1985
- Licensed plumbers and gasfitters
- No call-out fee in business hours
- Phones answered 24/7
What to do before the plumber arrives
The right first steps can save thousands in water damage. Make it safe, then call us on 1300-655-827. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Make it safe
- Water leak or burst pipe: turn the water off at the stop tap on the water meter, usually near the front boundary. For a burst flexi hose under a sink or toilet, the small isolation valve on that pipe may be enough.
- Gas smell: turn the gas off at the meter or close the valve on your LPG bottle, open doors and windows, and don’t use switches or anything with a flame. If the smell is strong, call 000 first.
- Electric hot water system leaking: switch its power off at the switchboard, then turn off the cold water valve going into the system if you can reach it safely.
- Water near electrics: keep clear of wet power points and appliances. If it’s safe to reach, switch the power off at the switchboard.
- Sewage overflowing: stop using toilets, sinks and showers in the house, keep children and pets away, and don’t try to clear it with chemicals.
Call us now if you have
- A burst pipe or water you can’t turn off
- A smell of gas or a hissing gas line
- Sewage coming up through a drain or toilet
- Your only toilet blocked or overflowing
- A hot water system leaking or dumping water
- Water coming through a ceiling or wall
In most cases we can send a plumber after hours. After-hours call-out fees vary based on the day, time and location.
Call 24/7: 1300-655-827Emergencies we’re called for
Our licensed plumbers and gasfitters handle urgent plumbing and gas problems in homes, rentals and commercial premises. These are the calls we get most.
Burst pipes and water mains More →
Water pouring from a pipe, a burst flexi hose under a sink or toilet, or a wet patch in the yard. We find the break, repair it (often a split copper pipe or a failed stop tap or isolation valve) and get the water back on.
Hidden leaks More →
A high water bill, a water meter running with every tap off, or water through a ceiling. We use thermal and acoustic leak detection to find the leak, including on the mains and meter side, before anything gets opened up.
Gas leaks More →
A licensed gasfitter finds where the gas is escaping, repairs it and pressure tests the line before the gas goes back on.
Blocked toilets, drains and sewer More →
Main drain and sewer blockages, sewage coming up through a gully or floor waste, and toilets that won’t flush. We clear it with hydro jetting, check the line with a CCTV drain camera where needed, and tell you what caused it, often tree roots.
Hot water failures More →
No hot water from a gas or electric system, or a system leaking from the tank or the PTR (temperature and pressure relief) valve. We repair what can be repaired and tell you when a replacement makes more sense.
Taps and showers that won’t turn off More →
A tap or shower that keeps running, or a garden tap that has broken off. We isolate it, then repair it (often new washers or jumper valves) or replace it.
High water pressure More →
Water pressure that is too high can split pipes and burst flexi hoses. We test it and fit or replace a pressure limiting valve.
Commercial plumbing More →
Leaks, blockages and gas faults in shops, offices and commercial kitchens, with work booked around your trading hours where possible.
Recent leaks, bursts and blockages
Short videos from recent Tap Doctor jobs: burst pipes, hidden leaks, a gas leak, blocked toilets and a hot water failure.
Burst pipe under concrete found and fixedKelmscott
Water leak near the meter: 2 leaks fixedRivervale
Rat chewed through a water pipe in the roofBeaconsfield
Burst pipe flooded the gas line, new hot waterGolden Bay
Gas leak under the cooktop found and fixedComo
Toilet backing up: main drain jetted clearBull Creek
Blocked toilet: 2 metre metal rod pulled outCoogee
No hot water: blown element and stripped anodeWhite Gum Valley
What counts as a plumbing emergency?
Anything that is causing damage now, or isn’t safe, is an emergency. Not every plumbing problem needs an after-hours call-out, though. If you can stop the water and the house is safe, booking for business hours means no call-out fee. If you’re not sure, call us and ask.
An emergency: call now
Water you can’t turn off, a smell of gas, sewage overflowing inside, water coming through a ceiling or near electrics, a leaking hot water system, or your only toilet out of action.
Can usually wait
A dripping tap, a cistern that keeps running (turn off the isolation valve beside the toilet), a slow drain, or a second toilet blocked while another still works.
No hot water
If the system is leaking, turn it off and call. If it’s simply not heating, it can often wait until business hours.
Not sure?
Call 1300-655-827. Our phones are answered 24/7, and we’ll talk it through with you before anyone is sent.
How pricing works
What an emergency costs depends on when you need us and what we find, so we don’t guess over the phone. Our phone team can tell you the after-hours call-out fee when you call, and your plumber gives you a firm price on site before any work starts.
No call-out fee in business hours
If the problem can wait until business hours, there’s no call-out fee. After-hours call-out fees vary based on the day, time and location.
Firm price agreed on site
Your plumber looks at the problem, explains what’s needed and agrees a firm price with you before any work starts.
No obligation
You decide whether to go ahead. Nothing starts until you agree to the price.
Further work quoted first
If we find something else that needs doing, we stop and quote it before doing it.
Pay on completion
Cash, credit card or debit card, or bank transfer with Osko, collected when the job is done.
Not sure if it can wait?
Call 1300-655-827 and ask. Booking for business hours avoids the after-hours call-out.
What customers say about our urgent call-outs
“Nathan responded quickly to an after hrs call out to repair a burst water pipe. Fast and efficient work. Would recommend the Tap Doctor.”
“Wonderful service and excellent communication. We had a burst water mains in our laundry on a Sunday. They came out as soon as possible, and did a wonderful job, left everything neat and tidy…”
“Prompt after hours service and very thorough in trying to find a suspected gas leak.”
“I had a copper pipe start leaking under my kitchen sink. I got in touch at 8am on a Saturday and the issue was solved by about 9.30am Mitch knew easily how to fix the problem, I understood there was a higher price for a Saturday, service was high quality and very timely.”
“Initial contact on a weekend, I was advised that my water heater would be okay until weekday, saved me from paying weekend prices. The Technician arrived at appointment time, discussed the price and options facing me on inspection of my hot water heater.”
“Quickly and efficiently saved us from thousands in water damage on the Saturday from hell.”
Local plumbers, since 1985
Tap Doctor Plumbing & Gas has been doing plumbing and gas work since 1985. Our plumbers and gasfitters live and work in the areas they cover, so there’s usually someone close by, and our phones are answered 24/7.
Customers mention our plumbers by name in their reviews, from Mitch and Nathan to Chris and Charlie.
- Perth
- Plumbers in Perth →
- Mandurah
- Plumbers in Mandurah →
- Canberra
- Plumbers in Canberra →
- Gladstone
- Plumbers in Gladstone →
- Phone
- 1300-655-827, 24/7
Emergency plumbing FAQs
Do you answer the phone 24/7?
Yes. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1300-655-827. For anything urgent, call rather than booking online so we can talk it through with you straight away.
Can you send a plumber after hours?
In most cases, yes. After-hours plumbing depends on the time of day, whether it’s a public holiday and which plumbers are available in your area. Call 1300-655-827 and we’ll tell you what we can do.
How much does an after-hours call-out cost?
After-hours call-out fees vary based on the day, time and location, and our phone team can tell you the fee when you call. During business hours there’s no call-out fee. Either way, your plumber gives you a firm price before any work starts.
How do I turn off the water at the mains?
Most houses have a stop tap at the water meter, usually near the front boundary. Turn it clockwise until it stops. For a single burst flexi hose under a sink or behind a toilet, turning off the small isolation valve on that pipe may be enough. Units and apartments often have their own isolation valve as well; if you can’t find it, ask your strata manager.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Turn the gas off at the meter (or close the valve on your LPG bottle), open doors and windows, and don’t use light switches, phones or anything with a flame inside. Go outside and call us on 1300-655-827. If the smell is strong or you can hear gas escaping, call 000 first.
Is a blocked toilet an emergency?
If it’s your only toilet, or sewage is coming up through a drain or overflowing inside, call us. If another toilet in the house still works and nothing is overflowing, it can usually wait until business hours.
Is no hot water an emergency?
A hot water system that is leaking or dumping water should be turned off and looked at quickly: switch an electric system off at the switchboard, or turn the gas off for a gas system, and close the cold water valve going into it. If there’s no leak and you just have no hot water, it can often wait until business hours, when there’s no call-out fee.
Should I use the online form for an emergency?
No. The online form is for jobs that can wait: we call or email to confirm your booking. For a burst pipe, gas smell, overflowing sewage or anything else urgent, call 1300-655-827.
Are your plumbers licensed and insured?
Yes. Tap Doctor plumbers are licensed, gas work is done by licensed gasfitters, and Tap Doctor is fully licensed and insured.
Plumbing emergency?
Call us now. Our phones are answered 24/7. Book online only for jobs that can wait.