Burst pipe at 2 a.m.? Sewer backing up before company arrives? Call us. A real person picks up the phone, and a licensed plumber is usually on your block in 2 to 4 hours.
Family-owned since 1981NYS Master Plumber on callReal person answeringTrucks pre-stocked nightly
When a pipe lets go in a Hempstead basement at 2 a.m., the clock matters more than the diagnosis. Every minute of pressurized water means more drywall, more flooring, more insulation, and more boxes ruined in the corner of the basement. We have been answering that phone call from our shop on Clinton St since 1981, and we run a real 24 hour plumber line every night, weekend, and holiday.
The line is answered by a person, not a recording. When you call (516) 927-4347 you get our dispatcher, and a licensed master plumber is on call for every shift. The dispatcher can put you on the phone with the on-call plumber if your situation needs a quick gut check before the truck arrives.
Our trucks are stocked the night before for emergencies, not in the morning when somebody finally drives to the supply house. So when a call comes in from West Hempstead about a burst pipe, our guy is already loaded with copper, PEX, SharkBite fittings, replacement shutoff valves, sump pumps, drain machines, and the most common water heater parts. Most emergency repairs end on the first visit.
When to Call Us Right Now
What Counts as a Plumbing Emergency
Short version: anything actively causing damage, anything you cannot shut off, and anything that is unsafe.
Active Damage
Active damage means water on the floor, water dripping through a ceiling, sewage on a basement floor, or a leak you cannot see but can clearly hear inside a wall. None of these get better while you sleep on it. The cost of a same-day emergency plumbing repair is almost always smaller than the cost of letting it run until morning.
Cannot Shut Off
Cannot shut off means a stuck shutoff valve, a corroded shutoff that snaps when you turn it, or a leak upstream of every valve in the house. If the water main itself is leaking, that is a same-day visit, not next-week scheduling. We can usually crimp or band the line to buy time while a permanent repair is planned.
Unsafe
Unsafe means a smell of natural gas, a hissing sound near a meter, a CO alarm tied to a water heater or boiler, or a leak near electrical panels and outlets. For a confirmed gas leak, leave the house and call National Grid first. Then call us so we can repair the line once the utility has shut and locked out the meter.
Slow drips, mild discoloration, and noises that have been there for a year are not emergencies. We are happy to schedule those during business hours, often same day, and you skip any after-hours rate by booking the regular slot. If you are unsure, call us and describe it. We will tell you honestly whether you can wait.
How Fast We Show Up
2 to 4 Hours Across Most of Hempstead
Most emergency calls inside Hempstead get a truck on site within 2 to 4 hours. Garden City, Uniondale, West Hempstead, and the streets around Hofstra usually fall in that window too. Calls in Mineola, Levittown, Rockville Centre, and Freeport are typically 3 to 6 hours, depending on traffic and what is already in the schedule.
2–4Hour Arrival
Hempstead · West Hempstead · Garden City · Uniondale · Hofstra area
Once or twice a year a regional event hits, like a hard freeze that bursts pipes across Nassau County in the same overnight. Response stretches when that happens. We will be straight with you on the phone if it does, tell you exactly where you are in the queue, and walk you through what to do until we arrive.
While the truck is rolling, the dispatcher stays on the line with you if you want. We help you locate and operate the main water shutoff, the gas shutoff, and the breaker for an electric water heater or sump pump. Stopping the source matters more than the repair itself. A lot of homeowners do not know exactly where their main shutoff is until somebody walks them through finding it, and that minute saves drywall.
What It Costs
Up-Front Pricing, Same Rate Day or Night
Flat rate, day or night
We work on flat-rate pricing for emergency calls. The trip charge is the same at noon as it is at midnight. We do not double-bill weekend rates or holiday rates, and there is no extra surcharge for being an after-hours plumber call. The diagnostic fee is applied toward any repair you authorize.
Written estimate first
Before any tools come out you get a written estimate on the spot. If the repair turns out to be more involved than the visible damage suggested, we stop, explain what changed, and get your approval before continuing. That is the part most homeowners care about, and it is the part most plumbing companies skip.
Free phone estimates
Free phone estimates are available whenever we can scope the job from your description and a photo or two. When the situation is genuinely an emergency, we skip the estimate phase and just get there. Pricing happens once we are looking at the actual problem.
Cash, check, or credit
We accept cash, check, and major credit cards on the truck. Larger emergency repairs can be quoted on payment terms if you need them, especially when an insurance claim is involved. We document everything in a written work order so your adjuster has what they need.
Before We Arrive
Four Things You Can Do in the Next Five Minutes
The minutes between the phone call and the truck pulling up are when most preventable damage happens. There are four things you can do that often matter more than the repair itself.
1
Find your main water shutoff
In most Hempstead homes the main valve is in the basement near where the water service enters from the front yard, or in a utility closet on a slab home. If a fixture-side leak is the problem, the local valve under the sink or next to the water heater is faster.
2
Kill power to anything wet, or about to be
If water is anywhere near electrical panels or outlets, throw the breaker. Same with sump pumps and water heaters that are leaking. We can turn breakers back on once the area is dry.
3
Take a few photos of the damage
Insurance adjusters appreciate timestamped photos showing the source and the path of the water. We document our work, but more pictures are always better when claims get paid.
4
Move what you can
Boxes off the basement floor, rugs out of the hallway, electronics off low shelves. We help when we get there, but those minutes between phone call and arrival are when stuff that can be saved usually gets ruined.
Common Emergencies
The Calls We Run Most Often
Most after-hours plumber calls in Hempstead are one of these. Knowing which one you are dealing with helps us bring the right truck.
Burst & Leaking Pipes
Frozen, corroded, or pressure-fatigued copper. We carry sweat, ProPress, and SharkBite tools, so the repair works on whatever your house is actually piped in. Most basement repairs are sub-hour visits once the water is off.
Sewer & Drain Backups
Multiple drains gurgling, a basement floor drain bubbling, or a tub filling when the washing machine drains are all signs of a main line backup. We bring a snake and a camera every call so you know whether it is a soft clog or a broken line.
No Hot Water in Winter
A failed thermocouple, a tripped element, a bad gas valve, or a popped breaker. Most no-hot-water calls turn out to be repairs, not replacements, and we often have a working shower again before we leave.
Water Heater Floods
A bottom-leaking tank is end of life. Once it goes, the whole tank dumps, plus whatever incoming water can flow before the inlet is closed. We shut it down, drain it safely, and quote a same-day replacement on the spot.
Sump Pump Failures
A power flicker, a stuck float, or a worn impeller, almost always showing up exactly when the basement is filling. We carry primary pumps and battery backup units in stock so the basement does not finish the storm under water.
Gas Smells & Gas Leaks
Always call National Grid first to lock out the meter. Once the gas is off, we find the leaking joint or appliance, replace the failed component, and pressure test before service is restored. Licensed for natural gas and CSST work in Nassau County.
Frozen Pipes
Thawing has to be slow and controlled, never with an open flame. We thaw, pressure test, repair the splits the ice created, and reroute or insulate so the same length of pipe does not freeze again next week.
No Heat in the House
The boiler is not firing, the radiators are cold, or a single zone has stopped responding. Most no-heat calls are a thermocouple, gas valve, flame sensor, zone valve, or thermostat. We carry the parts that fail most often on Long Island boilers and usually get the heat back on the first visit.
Boiler Not Working
Ignition lockouts on condensing units, low pressure on the boiler gauge, water leaking from a relief valve or boiler drain, or chronic banging from a steam system. We service Weil-McLain, Burnham, Slant/Fin, Buderus, Navien, and Bosch, and we are licensed for natural gas work in Nassau County.
Not Sure What's Wrong?
Call. We will diagnose on the phone for free, and tell you whether it is a real emergency or a next-day visit.
Common questions we get on the phone before the truck arrives.
Yes. The emergency line is answered by a person every hour of every day. There is a licensed master plumber on call for every shift, and the dispatcher can put you on the phone with the on-call plumber if needed. Voicemail is not part of how we handle emergencies.
No. The emergency rate is the same at noon as it is at midnight, on a Sunday, or on a holiday. We charge a single flat trip fee per emergency visit, and that fee is applied toward any repair you authorize. Parts and labor beyond the trip charge are quoted in writing before the work starts.
Most calls inside Hempstead, West Hempstead, and Garden City get a truck on site in 2 to 4 hours. Mineola, Levittown, Freeport, and Rockville Centre are usually 3 to 6 hours. During regional events like a hard freeze, response stretches; we will be honest with you on the phone about the queue.
Yes, but call National Grid first if you smell gas. The utility shuts the meter and locks it out, which is required before any work happens on the line. Once the meter is locked we repair the failed joint, valve, or appliance, pressure test the line, and stay on site until the utility restores service. We are licensed for natural gas and CSST work in Nassau County.
Call us anyway and we can talk through options. New York law allows a tenant to make habitability repairs in some emergency situations. We document the condition with photos and a written invoice so you have a paper trail, and we can also speak directly with a landlord by phone if that helps move things forward.
Often, yes. For a known-failed water heater, a burst supply line, or a clear sewer-side backup we can usually scope the job within $100 on the call. For anything inside a wall, in the slab, or down in the sewer line we will need to physically look. We tell you up front instead of guessing.
Related Services
Other Services Often Tied to Emergency Calls
Most emergency visits start as one of these. Each has its own deeper page if you want the full picture.
Frozen Pipes Repair
Thawing, repairs on splits the ice created, and reroute or insulation so the same line does not freeze again.
