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Still deciding whether this is an emergency? The homeowner FAQ answers the 36 questions homeowners ask most before calling anyone, and the homeowner tools help you size up the problem first.
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Requests are accepted 24/7 across Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade County. Individual provider hours and after-hours availability vary.
Plumbing
Burst pipes, leaks, backups and water heaters — our deepest library, with problem guides, cost guides and city pages. Open the plumbing hub.
HVAC
Tell us the symptom — no cooling, no heat, water leaking, warm air, or a system that won't turn on — and we'll help match you with a local HVAC professional. If it's blowing warm air, check the thermostat setting and filter first; if you smell gas or hear the outdoor unit humming without starting, that needs a professional visit.
AC Repair
If your AC is blowing warm air, first check the thermostat mode and a clean filter; if that doesn't fix it, the likely causes are low refrigerant, a failed capacitor, or a frozen coil — all need a technician.
AC Installation
Air conditioning installation means sizing the system to the house, not just swapping the box. A contractor should perform a load calculation, confirm the ductwork can carry the airflow, and check the electrical supply and condensate drainage before quoting. In Florida, replacement of a central system is normally a permitted job with an inspection, and the equipment must meet current federal efficiency requirements. Ask for the load calculation and the permit in writing before work starts.
Furnace Repair
If a gas furnace won't heat or you smell gas, treat any gas odor as an emergency and leave the house immediately, then call 911 or the gas utility; for other heating failures, a technician can typically diagnose the issue during a scheduled visit.
Heating Repair
If your heat pump blows cool or lukewarm air on the heat setting, the reversing valve, defrost control, or auxiliary electric heat is the most likely area to check — a technician can pinpoint it quickly.
HVAC Installation
A full HVAC installation covers the outdoor unit, the indoor air handler or furnace, the refrigerant lines, the condensate path, the thermostat and the ductwork that ties them together. The single biggest determinant of whether the system performs is correct sizing, established by a load calculation rather than by matching the old unit's tonnage. Installation in Florida generally requires a permit and inspection, and duct changes are part of the scope, not an extra.
HVAC Maintenance
A typical HVAC tune-up includes filter replacement, coil and condensate drain cleaning, refrigerant level check, and testing electrical components like the capacitor — most homeowners benefit from at least one visit a year given how much systems run in South Florida.
Emergency HVAC
If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 or your gas utility's emergency line immediately — do not call an HVAC professional first. For no cooling in extreme heat or an electrical hazard, treat it as urgent and seek help right away.
AC leaking water
Water leaking from an indoor AC unit is usually a blocked condensate drain, a full or cracked drain pan, or a frozen coil that is now melting. Switch the system off at the thermostat so it stops producing more water, mop up what has already escaped, and call an HVAC technician. If water has reached drywall, insulation or flooring, a water-damage company may be needed as well.
AC keeps shutting off
Short cycling usually means something is tripping the system off early: a dirty filter or frozen coil restricting airflow, a full condensate pan tripping a float switch, a failing capacitor or contactor, a thermostat placed in the wrong spot, or an oversized system. Replace the filter and check the drain pan first; if it continues, stop running the system and have an HVAC technician diagnose it before the compressor is damaged.
AC dead after an outage
If your AC will not run after the power returned, check the thermostat, then the breaker for the air handler and the outdoor unit, then wait. Many systems have a built-in delay of several minutes before the compressor restarts. If the breaker trips again, the outdoor unit hums without starting, or the thermostat is dead with the breaker on, stop resetting it and call an HVAC technician — repeated restart attempts can damage the compressor.
Electrical
If you smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or a breaker won't reset after tripping, treat it as an emergency: cut power at the main if it's safe to reach, call 911 if there's any sign of fire, and then request an electrician. For non-urgent issues like adding outlets or upgrading lighting, a licensed electrician can typically schedule the work.
Emergency Electrician
If you smell burning, see sparks or smoke, or a panel/outlet is hot to the touch, call 911 if there's any fire risk, shut off power at the main if you can do so safely, and then request an emergency electrician.
Panel Repair
Panel repair fixes specific faults like a bad breaker, loose connection, or corrosion inside the existing panel. If the panel itself is undersized, obsolete, or a documented problem brand, replacement (a panel upgrade) is usually the better path.
Panel Upgrade
A panel upgrade is generally needed when a home's electrical service can't support new load — like an EV charger, a heat pump, or an addition — or when the existing panel is outdated, undersized, or a documented problem brand.
Outlet Repair
A dead outlet with no heat, smell, or damage can typically wait for a scheduled repair. A warm, scorched, sparking, or burning-smelling outlet should be treated as urgent — stop using it and have it inspected promptly.
Wiring
Residential wiring work covers new circuits, replacing damaged or undersized cable, correcting unsafe connections and bringing older installations up to current code. It is licensed work: circuits must be sized to their load, protected by the right breaker, and connected in approved enclosures. Warning signs that wiring needs attention include warm outlets or switch plates, repeated breaker trips on one circuit, flickering that follows a specific load, and any burning smell. Do not open panels or splice cable yourself.
Lighting Installation
Swapping a light fixture on an existing electrical box is a routine job; adding new lighting where no wiring exists, installing recessed lighting, or mounting a ceiling fan usually requires new wiring and proper structural support, which is best handled by a licensed electrician.
EV Charger Installation
Installing a home EV charger is an electrical project before it is a car project. A licensed electrician confirms the panel has spare capacity, calculates the load, runs a dedicated circuit at the right conductor size for the distance, and installs the required protection. Level 2 chargers typically need a 240-volt dedicated circuit, and the work is normally permitted and inspected. A panel that is already near capacity may need an upgrade first, which changes the scope significantly.
Burning smell from an outlet
Treat a burning smell from an outlet as a fire risk. Stop using the outlet, switch that circuit off at the breaker panel, and do not plug anything else into it. If you see smoke, flame, scorch marks or hear crackling, leave the building and call 911 first. Once it is safe, a licensed electrician needs to open and inspect the device and its connections — the smell means heat, and heat at a connection does not fix itself.
Half the house has no power
Check the breaker panel and any GFCI outlets first; a single tripped device explains most partial outages. If roughly half the circuits in the house are dead at once, or lights brighten and dim in opposite halves of the home, that pattern suggests a lost service leg or neutral — switch off sensitive equipment, call your utility, and have a licensed electrician involved for anything on the house side of the meter.
Water Damage
If water is actively flowing, shut it off at the source if it's safe to do so and stop using electricity in wet areas, then request a local water damage professional — extraction and drying need to start quickly to limit damage and mold risk.
Emergency Water Removal
If water is actively flowing, shut off the source if it's safe, cut power to wet areas at the breaker, and request emergency water removal — the sooner extraction starts, the less material will need to be removed later.
Flood Cleanup
Flood cleanup after storm or surface water is different from a clean-water leak, because floodwater is treated as contaminated. The sequence is safety first — power off if water is near electrical equipment — then extraction, removal of porous materials that cannot be cleaned, cleaning and disinfection, and controlled drying with monitoring. Public-health guidance is to dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours where possible, because that window is when mold growth typically begins.
Water Extraction
Water extraction is the first physical step of restoration: removing standing and absorbed water with pumps and extraction units before any drying equipment goes in. It matters because air movers and dehumidifiers cannot outrun water still sitting in carpet, pad, subfloor or wall cavities. Extraction alone is not drying — after the water is out, the structure has to be dried and monitored with moisture readings until materials return to a documented dry standard.
Structural Drying
Structural drying uses air movers to speed evaporation and dehumidifiers to pull that moisture out of the air, typically running for several days and monitored with moisture meters until materials return to a normal moisture range.
Burst Pipe Cleanup
After a burst pipe, the cleanup runs in a fixed order: shut the water off at the main, cut power to affected areas if water is near outlets or equipment, get the plumbing repaired, then extract water and dry the structure. The plumbing fix and the drying are two different trades and both are needed. Water that has entered wall cavities, cabinet bases or subfloor will not dry on its own within the 24 to 48 hour window that matters for mold.
Storm Damage Cleanup
After a storm, prioritize safety first (avoid downed power lines and structural hazards), then request cleanup — water intrusion from a compromised roof or windows needs extraction and drying quickly, and may need coordination with a roofer to stop ongoing leaks.
Sewage Cleanup
After a sewage backup, stop using every drain and fixture in the home, keep people and pets out of the affected area, and cut power to wet areas at the breaker if it is safe to do so. Sewage is treated as Category 3 (grossly contaminated) water, so cleanup normally means extracting the water, removing porous materials it soaked into, sanitizing hard surfaces and then drying the structure — not simply mopping and airing out the room.
Moisture Mapping
Moisture mapping means measuring moisture throughout the affected structure with moisture meters and thermal imaging, marking where water actually travelled, and recording readings daily until materials reach a documented dry standard. It exists because a surface can feel dry while framing, subfloor and wall cavities behind it are still wet enough to support mold growth.
Roofing
Most active leaks come from flashing, valleys, and roof penetrations rather than the field of the roofing material itself; a licensed roofer can trace the source, and whether repair or full replacement makes sense depends on the roof's age, material, and how widespread the damage is.
Roof Repair
Roof repair fixes a specific, localized problem (flashing, a section of shingles or tile, a penetration seal) rather than replacing the entire roof, and is appropriate when the surrounding roofing and decking are still in sound condition.
Roof Replacement
Roof replacement means removing the existing covering down to the deck, repairing or replacing damaged sheathing, installing new underlayment and the new roof system. In Florida it is permitted, inspected work, and current code requirements for secondary water barriers, fastening and product approval apply to the new roof even if the old one predates them. Age, repeated leaks across multiple areas, and widespread storm damage are the usual reasons replacement beats another repair.
Roof Leak Repair
Fixing a roof leak requires locating the actual entry point — most often flashing, a valley, or a penetration like a pipe boot — because water frequently travels along the decking or framing before it shows up as an interior stain.
Emergency Roof Repair
If your roof has active water intrusion or storm damage exposing the interior, do not go on the roof yourself — a professional can install an emergency tarp or temporary dry-in to stop further damage until conditions are safe for permanent repair.
Storm Damage
After a storm, inspect only from the ground or through windows — never walk the roof — and watch for downed power lines; a professional inspection will identify wind and water damage that isn't visible from below.
Shingle Roofing
Asphalt shingle roofing is the most common residential covering in South Florida after tile, and its performance depends as much on underlayment, fastening pattern and edge detailing as on the shingle itself. Wind ratings only apply when the product is installed to its approved specification. Common failure points are lifted or missing tabs after wind, exposed fasteners, worn valleys and failed flashing at penetrations — most leaks originate at a detail rather than in the field of the roof.
Flat Roof Repair
Flat and low-slope roof problems most often trace back to failed membrane seams, flashing at edges and penetrations, or ponding water that isn't draining properly — all of which a professional can diagnose and address without a full replacement in many cases.
Missing shingles after a storm
Missing shingles need temporary protection before the next rain and a roofer's inspection soon after. Photograph the damage from the ground, check the attic and ceilings for water entry, and arrange tarping if bare deck or underlayment is exposed. Do not go onto the roof yourself — storm-damaged decking, wet surfaces and hidden fastener damage make that one of the most common post-storm injuries.
Garage Door
Most garage door issues are fixable in a single visit — spring replacement, opener repair, cable and roller service, or track alignment — but anything involving torsion springs or high-tension cables should be handled by a trained technician, not attempted DIY.
Garage Door Repair
Garage door repair covers the springs, cables, rollers, hinges, tracks, brackets, panels and the opener that drives them. The safe first check is to disconnect the opener and lift the door by hand: if it is very heavy, will not stay put halfway, or binds, the problem is mechanical rather than electrical. Torsion springs and lift cables hold enough stored energy to cause serious injury and are not homeowner-serviceable at any skill level.
Spring Repair
A broken garage door spring usually announces itself with a loud bang, after which the door is far too heavy to lift and the opener strains or does nothing. Springs counterbalance the door's weight and store a large amount of energy even when the door is closed, which is why replacement is a trained-technician job. Springs are normally replaced in pairs, because a matched pair that has cycled together will typically fail within a short time of each other.
Opener Repair
Garage door opener repair covers the safety photo-eyes, the logic board, the capacitor, the gear and sprocket assembly, the drive and the remotes. Before assuming the opener failed, disconnect it and lift the door by hand — a broken spring or an off-track door mimics opener failure and replacing the opener will not fix it. Safety reversal is a federal requirement for residential openers, so sensors are realigned or replaced, never bypassed to force a door closed.
Installation
Garage door installation involves setting new tracks, sizing and installing springs to match the door's weight, mounting the panels, and installing or reconnecting an opener; in hurricane-prone areas, a wind-rated door is a common upgrade.
Emergency Repair
A garage door that won't close, is stuck open, or has a broken spring or cable while raised is an urgent situation — avoid forcing the door and use the manual release only if the door is fully closed, then request a technician.
Garage door won't open
If the opener is silent, check power, the wall button and the lock-out feature. If the opener runs but the door does not move, the carriage has likely disengaged or a spring has broken. If the door starts down and reverses, the safety sensors are usually misaligned or blocked. Broken springs, cables and anything under tension are professional repairs — do not attempt them.
Garage door off track
Stop using the opener immediately, keep people and vehicles out from under the door, and call a garage door technician. A door off its track is unstable and often accompanied by a broken cable or spring. Do not try to force it back into the track or lift it by hand — doors typically weigh well over a hundred pounds and can fall or twist without warning.
Storm damage
After a storm, a garage door that is bowed, off its track, separated at a panel seam or no longer sealing has to be treated as damaged structure, not a cosmetic problem. Do not force it open or closed and do not stand under it. Photograph it from a safe distance for your insurer, keep vehicles and people out of the bay, and have a garage door professional inspect the door, tracks, rollers and springs before the door is operated again.
Locksmith
For most lockouts and lock problems, a licensed local locksmith can get you back in or install a new lock the same day. If someone is trapped in a hot car — especially a child or pet — call 911 first, then request locksmith help.
Emergency Locksmith
An emergency locksmith call is for situations where you cannot secure or enter your property now: a lockout, a door that will not lock after a break-in or storm damage, a key snapped in the cylinder, or keys lost where someone else may have your address. Confirm the total price and the company's identity before anyone starts work — consumer-protection guidance treats an unquoted, unverified call-out as the main locksmith scam pattern.
House Lockout
If you are locked out of your house, check every other door and any spare key before calling, then call a locksmith rather than forcing a window or door — forced entry usually costs more to repair than the lockout costs to resolve. Expect to prove you live there; a legitimate locksmith will ask. Confirm the full price, including any after-hours charge, before the technician is dispatched, and get the company name and arrival estimate.
Car Lockout
For a car lockout, the first question is whether anyone — a child or a pet — is inside the vehicle. If so, call 911 immediately: a parked car heats to dangerous temperatures within minutes in Florida, and this is not a wait-for-a-locksmith situation. Otherwise, check the other doors and the trunk, then call a locksmith or your roadside assistance provider, and confirm the price and whether your key type requires programming.
Lock Rekeying
Rekeying changes the pins inside an existing lock so old keys no longer work, while the hardware stays on the door. It is the right choice when the lock itself is sound and the problem is who holds a key — after a move, a tenant change, a lost keyring or a relationship ending. Replacement is the right choice when the hardware is damaged, worn, corroded, or you want a different security grade or a smart lock.
Lock Replacement
Lock replacement swaps the hardware itself, and is the correct call when the lock is damaged, seized, corroded, has been forced, or no longer matches the security you want on that door. If the lock still works properly and you only need old keys to stop working, rekeying achieves that without new hardware. Exterior door hardware in coastal South Florida also fails from salt corrosion, which rekeying cannot fix.
Commercial Locksmith
For businesses, a commercial locksmith can set up master keying so management retains access while staff or tenants keep individual keys, and can install exit hardware that meets life-safety egress requirements on doors along an exit path.
Key broken in the lock
Stop turning the lock and do not push the fragment further in. If a piece protrudes, grip it with fine needle-nose pliers and pull straight out without twisting. If it is flush or recessed, leave it for a locksmith with an extractor — glue, drills and improvised tools usually destroy the cylinder and turn a small job into a lock replacement.
Lock won't turn
If the key goes in but will not turn, first take the weight off the door — lift or push it slightly and try again. If that frees it, the door or strike plate is misaligned. If the key barely enters, or turns roughly on every door, the key or cylinder is worn. Do not force it: a key that snaps in a stiff lock turns a small adjustment into an extraction and often a replacement.
Pest Control
Pest control in South Florida is a year-round problem rather than a seasonal one, because the climate never forces a hard reset. Effective treatment starts with correct identification of the species, then addresses the conditions supporting it — moisture, food, harborage and entry points — before or alongside any product application. Pest control operators in Florida are licensed by the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and you can verify a company's license before work begins.
Termite Control
Termite control depends on which termite you have: subterranean termites are treated through soil barriers or baiting systems, while drywood termites live inside the timber and are treated locally or by whole-structure fumigation. Both are established in South Florida, and swarming — winged insects appearing indoors, or discarded wings on sills — is the sign most homeowners notice first. Identification drives the treatment, so a licensed inspection comes before any decision about method or cost.
Rodent Control
Rodent control is an exclusion problem before it is a trapping problem. Trapping reduces the animals already inside; sealing the gaps they use is what ends the infestation, and in South Florida those are commonly roof-line and soffit gaps, vents, and utility penetrations. Public-health guidance also treats droppings and nesting material as a contamination hazard: do not sweep or vacuum dry droppings, wet the area with disinfectant first and wear gloves.
Bed Bug Treatment
Bed bug treatment uses heat, targeted insecticide application, or both. Whole-room heat can kill all life stages including eggs in one treatment; chemical programs usually need follow-up visits because most products do not kill eggs. Either way, treatment depends on thorough inspection, preparation and a follow-up check — a single spray of a retail product does not resolve an established infestation.
Ant Control
Ant control depends on identifying the species, because the ants you see are foragers and the colony is elsewhere. Treatment that kills foragers without reaching the nest produces a few quiet days and then the same trail. Baiting is used precisely because workers carry it back. In South Florida heavy rain regularly pushes soil-nesting colonies indoors and upward, so control usually pairs treatment with fixing the moisture and entry conditions that made the trail attractive.
Cockroach Control
Roaches seen in daylight generally indicate an established population rather than a stray, because they are otherwise nocturnal. Control combines identification, sanitation and moisture reduction with targeted baiting; broadcast spraying tends to scatter a population without ending it. South Florida's outdoor species also wander in through door sweeps, drains and soffits, so exclusion and moisture control matter as much as product, particularly after heavy rain or storm damage.
Mosquito Control
Mosquito control on a residential property is mostly water management. Container-breeding species need only a small amount of standing water for several days, so tipping and draining plant saucers, tarps, gutters, buckets, tyres and boat covers removes the next generation before it hatches. Adulticide treatment knocks down mosquitoes flying at the time but does not stop production, which is why source reduction is the step public-health guidance puts first after flooding.
Wasp & Stinging Insect Removal
A wasp, hornet or bee nest near a doorway, walkway, play area or work area is a same-day problem rather than a scheduling problem, because disturbance is what triggers stinging. Do not spray, knock down or seal a nest yourself, and never do it from a ladder — falls and mass stinging both happen this way. Anyone with a known sting allergy in the household should treat an active nest as urgent, and any sign of a severe reaction is a 911 call.
Pests after a storm
After a storm, the two changes that matter are standing water and new entry points. Mosquito numbers rise within roughly one to two weeks of flooding because eggs hatch in water that sat for days, so tipping and draining every container on the property is the single most effective step. Rodents, ants and roaches move indoors through storm-damaged soffits, screens and door seals, so sealing openings and removing wet debris matters more than spraying.
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UrgentHomePro is a home-services matching platform. We help connect consumers with independent home-service providers. UrgentHomePro does not perform home repairs and does not employ the independent providers it may route requests to. Provider availability, qualifications, licensing, pricing, warranties and service terms are determined by the individual provider. Calls placed through this site may be connected to an independent provider or a partner provider network, and UrgentHomePro may be compensated for qualifying calls and requests. Availability and arrival times vary by provider, location and current demand.