What to Do When a Pipe Bursts

A burst pipe is one of the few plumbing problems where the first five minutes genuinely matter. Move fast and you save a floor; hesitate and you're dealing with soaked ceilings and warped hardwood. Step one: shut off the water. If you can see the isolation valve for that fixture, close it. If not, go straight to your home's main shutoff and turn it all the way off — that stops water to the entire home and buys you time.

Step two: protect against electrical hazard. If water is anywhere near outlets, light fixtures, or the panel, do not wade in — cut power to the affected area at the breaker if you can reach it safely and stay dry doing so. Step three: contain and drain. Open the lowest faucets in the house to bleed the remaining water out of the lines, move valuables and electronics clear, and put down towels, buckets, or a bin under the active leak.

Step four: document and call. Photograph the damage for your insurer before you clean up, then get a plumber on the way. A burst supply line on an accessible pipe is often a same-visit repair — we stock the fittings common in NYC residential construction. If the break is inside a wall, on a shared riser, or on a line your building requires a licensed plumber to touch, we'll tell you straight and coordinate the right fix rather than guess. The goal in the moment is simple: stop the water, stay safe, limit the damage.