What should I do if a pipe bursts?

Step by step

1. Close the main shutoff (meter box, exterior wall, or utility area).
2. Open the lowest faucet in the house to relieve pressure and drain remaining water from the pipes.
3. Switch off breakers serving any wet rooms before you enter them.
4. Shut down the water heater's power or gas once the supply feeding it is off.
5. Photograph the leak, the standing water, and any affected walls or ceilings before you start moving anything.
6. Move furniture and belongings off wet flooring and begin removing standing water.

When to treat it as an emergency

Any break you cannot isolate at a fixture valve, any water reaching outlets, panels, or appliances, and any break affecting a ceiling or more than one room should be handled the same night rather than scheduled for regular business hours. A pipe that has already soaked drywall or subflooring is also racing against mold growth, which most guidance puts at 24 to 48 hours on damp material.

Urgent vs. can wait

A pinhole leak that only drips into a bucket, or a break you've already isolated with a fixture shutoff, can usually wait for a next-day appointment. Active spraying, water you can't stop, or water near electrical equipment cannot wait.

What a plumber actually does on arrival

• Confirms the water is fully isolated and checks for secondary leaks along the same line
• Cuts out and replaces the damaged section, matching pipe material where possible
• Pressure-tests the repair before closing up any wall or ceiling access
• Flags whether the failure was age, freeze damage, or a pressure problem likely to recur elsewhere

Common mistakes

• Leaving the main open while you look for the leak, which lets damage keep spreading
• Using a hairdryer or open flame to thaw a frozen section, which can ignite nearby materials
• Patching with tape or a clamp and treating it as done rather than a temporary stall

South Florida notes

In slab-on-grade homes common across South Florida, a burst supply line under the slab won't spray visibly — it shows up as a wet baseboard, a warm floor patch, or a spike in the water bill, and needs detection equipment rather than a wrench. During hurricane season, sustained pressure surges after a boil-water notice or storm-related main repair can also stress aging copper and galvanized lines in older Miami-Dade and Broward housing stock.