A burst pipe is one of the few plumbing problems where what you do in the first five minutes genuinely changes the outcome. Here's a clear, calm checklist — worth reading now, before you need it.
1. Shut off the water
Find your main shutoff valve — usually near the water meter, in a garage, utility closet, or crawlspace access point — and turn it fully closed. If you don't know where yours is, this is worth figuring out today, not during an emergency.
If you can't find or reach the main shutoff, look for a local shutoff valve at the fixture or appliance closest to the leak (under a sink, behind a toilet, at the washing machine). Stopping water at the closest point is better than nothing.
2. Shut off the water heater
If the burst is anywhere near your water heater or if you're shutting off the main line for an extended period, turn off the water heater's power (electric) or gas supply. Running a water heater with no water flow can damage the unit.
3. Turn off electricity in the affected area
Water and electricity don't mix. If water is pooling near outlets, appliances, or a breaker panel, shut off power to that area at the breaker box — don't wade through standing water to reach a switch.
4. Move what you can
Get furniture, electronics, and anything irreplaceable away from the water. Photos and documents especially — those are hardest to salvage after water damage.
5. Start documenting
Take photos and video of the damage as it's happening and as you find it. This matters for insurance claims later, and it's much harder to reconstruct after the fact.
6. Call for emergency help
Call a licensed plumber's emergency line — not just any handyman — someone who can diagnose and repair the actual cause, not just stop the immediate flow. A real emergency dispatcher should walk you through anything else specific to your situation while help is on the way.
What NOT to do
- Don't turn the water back on to "test" if it stopped leaking — burst pipes often have more damage than the visible leak suggests.
- Don't ignore a slow leak because it's not actively flooding — pipes under pressure can fail suddenly.
- Don't wait until morning if it's overnight. Water damage compounds by the hour, and a real emergency line should answer any time.
After the immediate crisis
Once the leak is stopped and the immediate danger is handled, the next steps are drying out the affected area (fans, dehumidifiers, or a water restoration company for serious damage), documenting everything for insurance, and getting the actual cause diagnosed and repaired properly — not just patched.
Keep your plumber's number somewhere you'll actually find it at 2am — saved in your phone, on the fridge, wherever you'll look first. When it matters, you don't want to be searching.