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Austin Emergency Plumbers
Austin’s Plumbing Emergencies Come in Two Seasons
Austin does not have many plumbing emergencies in April. It has them in August, when a water heater that has been cooking in a 130-degree attic finally splits its tank over the bedroom ceiling, and in the handful of nights each winter when a blue norther drops the temperature into the teens and every uninsulated attic line and exposed hose bib in Pflugerville, Leander and Buda is at risk. February 2021 was the extreme case, but a two-night hard freeze does the same damage on a smaller scale most winters.
The rest of the year, the emergencies are the slow ones that finally announce themselves: a slab leak in a Round Rock house that has been running under the foundation for a month, or an old cast iron sewer line in Crestview that backs up into the tub the night you have guests. We have answered those calls since 1999, from the same Reinli Street office, and the price after midnight is the price at noon. For a full picture of what counts as an emergency and how we handle it, read our emergency plumbers page.
- Same price at 2 a.m. Upfront pricing with no surprise fees, even on weekends and holidays.
- Since 1999 in Austin More than 25 years of freeze nights and August attic failures.
- Home Comfort Guarantee A written quote before the work, honored for 72 hours, with no hidden fees.
Call Now, Not Monday
The Austin Plumbing Problems That Cannot Wait
If you are unsure, call anyway. We would rather talk you through a false alarm than see the damage from a real one.
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Water coming through a ceiling
In an Austin suburb that is usually the attic water heater or a split attic line. Kill the main, then the breaker or gas to the heater.
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A pipe that froze and is spraying as it thaws
The burst happens during the freeze; the flood happens when it warms up. Shut the water off before the thaw, not after.
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Sewage backing up into a tub or shower
The main line is blocked, often by roots in an older central Austin sewer. Stop running water anywhere in the house.
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The smell of gas near a water heater or range
Leave the house, do not flip switches, and call the gas utility first. Then call us for the repair and pressure test.
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The whole house lost water pressure
A broken yard line between the meter and the house, or a failed pressure-reducing valve. Check the meter for movement with everything off.
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A warm spot on the floor and a hissing sound
A hot-side slab leak. It is not a flood yet, but it is running the water heater nonstop and saturating the soil under your foundation.
What We Handle After Hours
Emergency Plumbing Repairs Across the Austin Area
The truck carries what these calls need: shutoffs, supply line, water heater connectors, cabling and jetting equipment.
- Burst and frozen pipes Attic lines, hose bibs, and the exposed runs in garages and crawl spaces that go first in a freeze. See burst pipe repair.
- Failed water heaters Leaking tanks, stuck relief valves and attic units draining through drywall. Repair when it is sound, replacement when it is not.
- Sewer and drain backups Main line cabling and hydro jetting, with a camera to show you why it blocked, and our no-backup promise afterward.
- Active slab leaks Located and isolated the same visit so the water stops, then repair options priced in writing. More at Austin leak detection.
- Gas leaks and gas line repair Leak location, repair and a pressure test before the gas goes back on. Licensed for gas work in Austin under M-42438.
- Yard lines and main shutoffs Broken service lines from the meter, and the corroded main valves that will not close when you need them to.
While You Wait
What to Do Before the Truck Arrives
Three minutes of the right steps can save a floor. Then we handle the rest.
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Shut off the water
The main valve is usually near the front hose bib or in a box at the street. If it will not turn, tell us when you call. For a water heater, close the cold valve on top of the tank too.
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Cut power or gas to what is wet
Flip the breaker for an electric water heater or anything under a ceiling leak. Turn a gas heater’s control to off. Do not stand in water to do either.
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Call us and describe it
Where the water is, what you have shut off, and your address from Georgetown to Buda. We book the soonest window and tell you what to expect.
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Approve the price, then we fix it
We stop the water first, then give you a written quote for the permanent repair. Nothing beyond that happens until you say so.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Plumbing Emergency in Austin Right Now?
Licensed plumbers on call 24/7 across the Austin area. No after-hours surprise fees, ever.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
I had Radiant Plumbing replace my tankless water heater, damaged in the Feb. 2021 snowmageddon storm with a new unit. The process was smooth and professional from start to finish. The plumber, James, was extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly explained my options to me. The cost and time to perform the installation were just as estimated. When he was done, James explained how to maintain the system, what service would be needed and how to perform it, and answered all of my engineering geek questions. It was a thoroughly positive experience. I have used several different plumbers in Austin over the past 15 yrs, but my search is over - I will not hesitate to call Radiant next time and would recommend them unreservedly.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
★★★★★
We called Radiant Plumbing after we noticed a water leak in our kitchen. We were in a time crunch and they were able to schedule us quickly, before we left for vacation. They sent their representative, Preston Nichols, and he was excellent to deal with! He was on time, skillful, friendly, and very professional. It turned out to be a problem with our dishwasher but Preston was quick to diagnose it and set our minds at ease. While he was here, we mentioned that our one year-old water heater needed to be flushed. Preston was quick to take care of that, as well, saving us time and money in the process. Radiant charged us almost half the price another plumber quoted us for that service! While Radiant Plumbing isn’t our usual plumber, they gained a new customer. We won’t hesitate to call Radiant again in the future based on our VERY positive experience with them.
★★★★★
Had 3 different systems installed by them approx. 3 years ago for a total of approx $20k. I was quite happy with the install until the year later when they came for a maintenance call and started finding deficiencies in their own install. they wanted extra money to address those deficiencies. Now I am in the process of selling my home and an inspector has found a few items that need to be addressed and they will not even look at the report unless I schedule a $139.00 service call. Very poor customer service.. This company does not stand by their work and would not recommend.
I am revising my review of this business from 1 to 5 stars. After my original review I was contacted by the company's service manager and he made sure that I was taken care off. I had a team of 3 technicians coming to my house to double check the system and make the necessary adjustments. I was very satisfied by their attention to details and professionalism.
I am revising my review of this business from 1 to 5 stars. After my original review I was contacted by the company's service manager and he made sure that I was taken care off. I had a team of 3 technicians coming to my house to double check the system and make the necessary adjustments. I was very satisfied by their attention to details and professionalism.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Austin Emergency Plumbing Questions
How do I find the main water shutoff for my Austin house?
In most Austin-area homes built since the 1980s, there is a valve on the supply line where it enters the house, often near the front hose bib, in the garage, or in a plastic box in the front yard near the meter. Older central Austin homes may only have the valve at the meter box by the curb, which takes a meter key or a pair of pliers to turn. Find it on a calm day, turn it once to make sure it moves, and show the rest of the household. If it is seized or crumbling, we can replace it with a quarter-turn ball valve so it works when it matters.
What should I do if my pipes freeze during a winter storm in Austin?
Open the faucets slightly so pressure can escape, and shut the main off if you can reach it, because the pipe does not usually flood while it is frozen; it floods when it thaws. Do not use a torch or open flame on a pipe. Warm the room and the attic access if you can, and check the exposed lines in the garage and at the hose bibs first, since those freeze before anything inside the walls. In Austin, the lines that split are almost always in attics and exterior walls that were never insulated for a hard freeze. Once things thaw, walk the house and look for wet drywall; a slow leak from a hairline split can run for days. Our frozen pipe repair page has more.
Is a slab leak an emergency?
It depends on the leak. A hot-side slab leak that has turned a section of tile warm is running your water heater around the clock and pumping water into the clay under your foundation, and that soil movement is what damages slabs in Round Rock, Pflugerville and Kyle. That is worth a call today, not next week. A small cold-side leak that only shows as a higher bill is urgent but not a middle-of-the-night call. Either way, we can locate it without tearing up floors at random, isolate it so the water stops, and give you the repair options in writing before anything is opened. Our leak detection service explains how the location work is done.
Does Care Club change anything for an after-hours plumbing call?
Yes. Care Club members get 24/7 emergency service at standard rates with no after-hours trip fee, no dispatch fees at any time, priority scheduling, and 5% off the repair itself. The membership is $9.99 a month and also includes an annual plumbing safety inspection, which is where we catch the attic water heater that is about to fail and the hose bib that is about to freeze before either becomes an emergency call. Full details are on the Care Club page.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
