San Francisco emergency plumbing
Emergency plumber in San Francisco, still answering our own phones Monday to Friday.
Lutz Plumbing answers its own phones Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and sends a stocked truck for burst pipes, sewer backups and leaking water heaters across San Francisco. After hours, leave a voicemail and a dispatcher calls back for genuine emergencies.
Quick answer
Who do I call for a plumbing emergency in San Francisco?
Water running where it should not be?
If you can reach it safely, close the fixture stop under the sink or behind the toilet, or your home's main shutoff (usually in the garage, basement or crawlspace, or outside in line with the meter). Then call (415) 621-4292 and tell the dispatcher what you closed.
Lutz Plumbing Inc. has handled emergency plumbing in San Francisco since 1929, works from 3123 17th Street in the Mission District, and staffs its phones Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with a dispatcher callback after hours for genuine emergencies.
Call Lutz Plumbing at (415) 621-4292. A dispatcher triages the call, a technician comes out on a stocked truck, and you get a written quote before any work starts.
Our phones are staffed Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. After hours the line goes to voicemail; a dispatcher calls back for genuine emergencies, such as a burst pipe, active flooding or a sewer backup, and rolls a truck as quickly as we can.
What counts as a plumbing emergency?
Burst or leaking pipe
Close your home's main shutoff if you can reach it safely and move rugs and furniture out of the water. Lutz Plumbing repairs burst pipes and water mains.
Water heater leaking or no hot water
If the tank is leaking, close the cold-water valve above the heater if you can reach it safely. Lutz confirms the source, diagnoses the cause of no hot water before any parts go in, and tells you whether to repair or replace.
Sewer backup or sewage smell
Stop using every drain and toilet and keep people and pets away; standing sewage is an electrical and health hazard until we arrive. Lutz clears main-line clogs, finds the cause on camera, and handles permits if the sewer line to the street needs repair.
Overflowing toilet
Do not flush again, close the fixture stop if safe to reach, and use towels to limit the spread. Lutz clears single-toilet clogs and treats wastewater returning through more than one fixture as a drain or sewer problem.
Drain backing up into a tub or sink
Stop running water to that fixture; repeated flushes or running faucets risk a backup elsewhere in the house. Lutz restores flow, with a camera inspection on every drain service to show whether it is grease, roots, scale or damaged pipe.
Smell of gas
Leave the building, then call 911 and PG&E at (800) 743-5000 from outside, before you call a plumber. Do not switch anything electrical on or off. Lutz Plumbing provides licensed gas fitting and gas leak repair, signed off by PG&E.
Water through the ceiling from upstairs
Contain the drip with buckets or towels, move furniture and rugs out from under it, and ask the occupant above to stop running water. Lutz finds the source with acoustic, thermal and pressure testing rather than guesswork.
What happens when you call about a plumbing emergency?
- 01
Call and describe the problem
Call (415) 621-4292 and say where the water or sewage is, what you have shut off, and your address. If you smell gas, leave the building, then call 911 and PG&E from outside, before you call a plumber.
- 02
A dispatcher triages the call
During business hours a real dispatcher answers and quotes a realistic arrival window. After hours, the dispatcher calls you back from your voicemail.
- 03
A stocked truck arrives
The technician comes with the right fittings on a stocked truck, so most emergencies are resolved in one visit.
- 04
Diagnosis and a written quote
The technician inspects the actual problem, with camera or thermal tools where it matters, and gives you a written quote before any work starts.
- 05
Repair, paperwork and follow-up
If a part, permit or larger scope is needed, the technician explains that before going further. The work is permitted, licensed and to code, in as few visits as possible; if it is not right, we come back.
What happens after hours and on weekends?
After hours and on weekends, leave a voicemail and a dispatcher calls back for genuine emergencies.
If water is flowing, stop it first if you can reach your home's main shutoff safely. Then leave a voicemail with your name, address, callback number and what is happening. If you smell gas, do not wait for a callback: leave the building, then call 911 and PG&E from outside.
Emergency plumbing services we handle
Emergency calls Lutz Plumbing handles, with more detail on each service.
What affects the cost of an emergency plumbing call?
You get a written quote before any work starts: a fixed price for simple jobs, a clear scope for complex ones.
Emergency plumbing questions
Do you offer 24/7 emergency plumbing in San Francisco?
No, Lutz Plumbing is not staffed around the clock: it answers its own phones Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and after hours a dispatcher calls back from voicemail to roll a truck for genuine emergencies.
What should I do before the plumber arrives?
Stop the water at the fixture stop or your home's main shutoff if you can reach it safely, move valuables away from the water, and take photos for your insurance company. Do not pour drain chemicals into a backed-up line; tell the technician if any were used.
Is a leaking water heater an emergency?
Yes, a leaking water heater is an emergency: a leaking tank rarely fixes itself, and a gallon of water an hour becomes damage fast in a San Francisco closet. Close the cold-water valve above the heater if you can reach it safely, then call.
Do you handle gas leaks?
Yes, but call 911 and PG&E first. If you smell gas, leave the building, then call 911 and PG&E at (800) 743-5000 from outside, before you call a plumber; do not switch anything electrical on or off. If the leak is in the building's gas piping, Lutz Plumbing repairs it with licensed gas fitting and PG&E sign-off.
Which areas do you cover for emergency plumbing?
Lutz Plumbing serves every San Francisco neighborhood, Daly City, Brisbane and South San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin County, and Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda in the East Bay. Give the dispatcher your address when you call.
How fast can an emergency plumber get to my San Francisco home?
It depends on crew availability, so Lutz Plumbing does not promise a set arrival time. During business hours the dispatcher quotes a realistic arrival window when you call. After hours, leave your address and number, and a dispatcher calls back for genuine emergencies.
Save the number before you need it.
For emergencies, calling is faster than the online form. Save (415) 621-4292 to your contacts now; use the request form for anything that can wait until the next business day. To have the water shut itself off next time, read our guide to smart water shutoff valves and insurance.
Call Lutz Plumbing at (415) 621-4292, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. After hours, leave a voicemail and a dispatcher calls back for genuine emergencies.