Emergency Plumbing When You Need It Most

Licensed by Skilled Trades Ontario

Every after-hours call is dispatched to or supervised by an Ontario 306A licensed plumber (Skilled Trades Ontario certified) — not a general handyman with a wrench. That matters because temporary repairs to potable supply or sanitary drain need to be code-defensible if you file an insurance claim on the resulting water damage.

Expanded description

A burst pipe at 11 p.m. is not the moment to research plumbers. RenoHouse provides emergency plumbing service across Toronto and the GTA — dispatch within business hours for same-day response, after-hours dispatch for active flooding, sewer backups, and gas-related emergencies (gas: also call Enbridge 1-866-763-5427 immediately).

Common emergencies we handle: burst supply lines (frost-related in January–February peak), failed water heaters with active leaking, sewage backups into basement fixtures or floor drains, overflowing toilets that won't stop, no hot water in winter (TSSA-priority for gas-fired units), gas smell at a fixture (always shut off and call Enbridge first, then call us), kitchen line floods after holiday-meal grease accumulation, sump pump failures during storm events, and outdoor hose-bib frost-bursts that have flooded inside a wall.

Our pre-arrival guidance: shut off main water at the street valve or basement isolation, kill power to the affected area, contain visible water with towels and buckets, photograph for insurance, do not use any electrical appliance standing in water, and call 289-212-2345. We dispatch with photos of the situation you've sent — speeds parts loading.

Emergency Categories & Response Approach

Active Flooding (Burst Pipe, Failed Tank, Sewer Backup)

First priority: stop the water. Main shut-off valve at the meter or street curb box (every Toronto homeowner should know this location — many don't). Then containment and triage. RenoHouse technician arrives equipped for immediate isolation, sub-shutoff installation, and damage-control while diagnosing root cause.

Gas Emergencies (Smell of Gas at a Fixture)

Call Enbridge 1-866-763-5427 FIRST. Evacuate. Do not operate electrical switches or open flames. Enbridge will isolate at the meter. After their visit, RenoHouse handles the appliance-side repair under our TSSA G2/G3 licensed gas-fitting scope.

Sewer Backup Into Basement

Stop all upstream water use immediately (no toilet flushing, no laundry, no dishwasher). Backup pattern indicates main line blockage or City sewer main surcharge. RenoHouse runs camera + cable on the main line; if it's a City main issue, we coordinate with Toronto Water 311. See [Drain Cleaning](/services/plumbing/drain-cleaning) and [Backwater Valve + Sump Pump](/services/plumbing/backwater-valve-sump-pump-bundle).

No Hot Water (Winter)

Diagnose pilot light (gas), thermocouple, gas valve, or for electric: reset button, element, thermostat. Often a 60-minute on-site fix; sometimes a same-day tank swap if end-of-life. See [Water Heater Repair](/services/plumbing/water-heater-repair).

Frost Burst (Hose Bib, Outdoor Kitchen, Exposed Pipe)

Shut off the upstream interior valve immediately. RenoHouse installs frost-free hose bibs ($280–$420), repairs split copper inside the wall ($380–$780), and provides winterization guidance.

Response Times & Geographic Coverage

After-hours response is a best-effort commitment. We prioritize active water damage, gas safety, and sewage backups; cosmetic leaks queue until morning.

Cost Breakdown — Emergency Pricing

Service call fees apply to dispatch; standard repair quoted after diagnosis.

Toronto / GTA Insurance & Documentation

Emergency plumbing events trigger most homeowner insurance "sudden and accidental" coverage clauses. What insurers need:

• Date, time, and cause of the event (we document on invoice)
• Photos of the damage at first observation (homeowner, before arrival ideal)
• Receipt of mitigation work (RenoHouse invoice)
• Photos of failed component for sub-rogation if applicable

The City of Toronto Sewer Backup Coverage in homeowner policies is now standard but the coverage limit varies by carrier ($10K–$50K typical). Worth checking your policy. Sewer backwater valve installation often qualifies for the Toronto Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy AND for insurance premium reduction (5–10% with most carriers post-install).

Pre-Emergency Preparation (Reading This Page Now)

Three things every Toronto homeowner should do this week:

1. Locate and label the main water shut-off. Usually basement, near the street-side wall, often near the water meter. Tag with a bright label. Test the valve operates — most don't until the emergency.
2. Locate the gas shut-off and learn how to operate it. Quarter-turn next to the gas meter. Quarter turn perpendicular = off.
3. Photograph the basement, mechanical room, and any finished space below grade. Insurance baseline. Updates every 12 months.

FAQ (12)

1. Do you offer 24/7 service? Business-hours regular response plus after-hours dispatch for active emergencies. Not a "24-hour storefront" — best-effort after-hours for safety/property-damage situations.
2. What's an after-hours rate? Typically 50–80% premium on labour. Service call fee $220–$320 vs $140 business hours.
3. What should I do before you arrive? Shut off the main water, kill electrical to affected areas if water is contacting outlets, contain with towels and buckets, photograph everything, do not stand in water near appliances.
4. Can you fix a gas leak? Yes, on the appliance/fixture side. Enbridge must first isolate at the meter. We then perform the repair under TSSA G2/G3 gas-fitter licensing.
5. What if it's a City of Toronto issue? Sewer main backups, water main breaks, lead service line issues on the City side — coordinate with Toronto Water through 311. We facilitate the handoff.
6. Will my insurance cover this? Usually yes for sudden/accidental events. Document with photos, save our invoice. Gradual-failure events (leaks unnoticed for months) often not covered.
7. Do you stock parts on the truck? Yes — common repair parts (couplings, valves, copper, PEX, fittings, supply lines, hose bibs, sump pumps, residential water heaters in standard sizes). Specialty parts may require next-day return.
8. Can you handle sewage backup cleanup? We handle plumbing repair and source diagnosis. Bio-hazard cleanup (Category 3 water) is a remediation specialist scope — we refer to one of two GTA remediation partners.
9. What if my sump pump fails during a storm? Same-day swap available; if we can't get there fast enough, install a battery backup with battery on-site (we can ship a battery for homeowner installation).
10. Frozen pipe — what do I do? Shut off water upstream. Apply heat gently (hairdryer, heat tape — never open flame). Call us. Most frozen pipes can be thawed without rupture if caught early.
11. Burst pipe but I can't find the shut-off? Toronto water mains have a street curb box (typically near the property line) — homeowner CAN operate it with a curb key (or call 311 and Toronto Water dispatches). If you can't access either, call us and we'll dispatch with a curb key.
12. Will the work be permitted? Permitted plumbing work as required by OBC Section 7. Emergency stabilization (capping a leak) typically doesn't require a permit; full restoration that alters system layout does. We handle permits.

Word count: ~1,900 compact (renders ~2,800 with template). Internal links: drain-cleaning, water-heater-repair, backwater-valve-sump-pump-bundle, leak-detection. Compliance: TSSA G2/G3, OBC Section 7, Toronto Water 311 coordination, insurance documentation standards. Toronto utility refs: Enbridge 1-866-763-5427, Toronto 311, Toronto Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy.

Toronto/GTA neighborhood considerations

• Forest Hill / Rosedale / Lawrence Park (heritage): Pre-1950 1/2-inch copper Type-K branches + 3/4-inch lead-jointed cast-iron stack — typical emergency = pinhole on copper near solder joint, repair with ProPress Viega + 1/2-inch L-copper coupling $480-$780 after-hours; or cast-iron stack split repair with Fernco SDR-35 no-hub coupling $680-$1,200.
• North York / Scarborough / Etobicoke (60s-70s): Galvanized-steel supply pipe pre-1965 burst at threaded coupling — typical full-house 1/2-inch + 3/4-inch galvanized re-pipe to PEX-A (Uponor AquaPEX) over 2 days $4.8K-$8.5K. Emergency stub-out swap $580-$980 after-hours.
• Mississauga / Brampton / Vaughan (90s+): Builder-grade PEX-AL-PEX (Kitec) 1996-2007 failure — full re-pipe to PEX-A or copper $5.8K-$12K. Emergency clamp-and-cap $380-$680 after-hours pending full re-pipe.
• Caledon / King City / Aurora (rural well): Rural well-pump pressure-tank failure — typical Goulds J5SH or Grundfos SQE jet/submersible pump $1,850-$3,800 + 60-gallon Wellmate WM-9 tank $580-$880, installed after-hours $880-$1,800 add. Frozen well-head line in winter: heat-trace cable $280-$480 + insulation upgrade.
• Downtown condos: Concealed in-slab leak above suite — Aquatrip MeterShark or Flow ALR-50 ultrasonic leak-detection $380-$580 service call; condo-corp common-element vs in-suite responsibility per Section 89/91 reference often disputed. Emergency stop-and-cap $480-$780 + restoration claim.

Permit + license: Skilled Trades Ontario 306A mandatory after-hours. CSA B125.3 fittings, NSF/ANSI 61 drinking-water. Lead-Free Plumbing Fittings Act under-0.25% lead at any drinking-water fitting. WSIB clearance + after-hours premium 1.5x. Toronto Section 7C downspout + Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy up to $3,400 (backwater valve, sump pump).