No call-out fee

First, there is no charge just for an engineer to attend and look at the problem. You only pay for the work we actually do. So you never pay simply to find out what is wrong.

The price is agreed before work starts

First, your engineer assesses the job. Then they confirm a fixed price before doing any work. Because you know the number upfront, the only real decision left is whether to go ahead.

Why this matters more in an emergency

In normal circumstances, most people would get a second opinion or compare quotes. However, an emergency does not allow for that. Water damage or a loss of service gets worse the longer you leave it. A fixed price agreed on the spot means you do not have to choose between waiting to compare and accepting an unknown cost.

What can still affect the price

Even so, every job is different. The final figure depends on what is wrong, how long it takes and whether parts are needed. If the scope changes once work is underway, your engineer should tell you before doing anything extra, not after.

Requesting help

Next, the emergency plumber request form is open 24/7. Use it for a burst pipe, a major leak, or a total loss of water or heating. Get in touch online with your postcode and a description of the problem.

For example, this applies across the area, including Sidmouth, Dawlish and Exeter. Drainage emergencies are different from plumbing ones. Our emergency drain services page covers flooding, sewage backup and blocked drains under the same fixed-price approach.

What drives the cost

For example, a small property with one suspected leak is usually quicker to check than a large one with several possible sources. Access matters too. A leak behind an easy-to-reach wall takes less time to trace than one under a solid floor or fitted furniture.

Why non-invasive methods matter for cost

In the past, leak finding sometimes meant digging up floors on a guess. That added real cost, even when it was not needed. Acoustic and thermal equipment finds the leak without that mess. As a result, you pay for the survey, not for repair work that proves unnecessary.

What is included

In short, a typical visit covers the survey, pinpointing the leak and a clear explanation of what we found. There is no call-out fee. We agree the price for any follow-up repair separately and confirm it before work starts, so there is no surprise once the survey is done.

Getting an accurate figure

Leak detection is available across Exeter. The only way to get a genuine cost is to request a quote online and describe what you have noticed. That might be a rising water bill, a meter that will not stop moving, or a damp patch with no clear cause.

However, digging sometimes turns out to be needed after all, for example if a pipe has failed. Our drain repairs team covers that separately. Coverage currently runs through Exeter, with wider drainage work across Tiverton and Honiton.

An unexplained rise in your water bill

Your usage may jump for no clear reason, such as a new appliance or extra people in the house. In that case, a hidden leak is one of the most common causes. Compare a recent bill with the same period last year if you can. A steady rise tells you more than a single odd month.

Your water meter keeps moving

First, turn off every tap and appliance in the house, then check your water meter. If it still moves with everything off, water is escaping somewhere in the system. You may not see or hear it.

Damp patches and musty smells

A damp patch on a wall, ceiling or floor away from a bathroom or kitchen is worth investigating. However, damp can also point to other issues. So a professional check rules leaks in or out properly instead of guessing.

Also, a musty smell that cleaning does not shift is another clue. If it is strongest in one area, that is often close to the leak.

Reduced water pressure

For example, a drop in pressure at one or more taps can mean water is going elsewhere. It may be escaping upstream of the tap instead of reaching it as it should.

What to do next

If any of this sounds familiar, leak detection finds the source without digging up your floor on a guess. Acoustic and thermal equipment helps pinpoint the leak before any work begins. As a result, the fix can be targeted instead of exploratory.

Meanwhile, this service is currently available across Exeter. Our blocked drains team covers the drainage side if that turns out to be the real issue. For anywhere else, including Topsham and Crediton, get in touch online to check coverage.

What affects the price

A straightforward job, like isolating a leaking valve, usually costs less than something that needs parts sourced or a longer repair. Out-of-hours callouts, nights, weekends, and bank holidays, often cost more than a daytime visit, since a wider pool of trades work during normal hours. Access also matters: a fault behind a wall or under a floor takes longer to reach than one in plain sight.

Why a fixed price matters

Because emergency work happens under pressure, it's easy to agree to a job without knowing what it will cost. Ask for a fixed price before any work starts, not just an hourly estimate. A clear quote agreed upfront means the only real decision left is whether to go ahead, not how the final bill will land.

Typical structure

Most emergency plumbing pricing in the UK breaks into two parts: a call-out element covering the engineer's time getting to you, and a labour or parts element covering the actual work. Because these vary by provider and by job, the only reliable way to know your own cost is a quote for your specific problem, not a generic figure.

Requesting a quote in Exeter

The request form is open 24/7, so a request can go in the moment a problem shows up, whether that's the middle of the night or a Sunday afternoon. Request a quote online and describe what's happening, and your engineer confirms the price before starting.

This applies across the area covered, including Exeter, Exmouth, and Newton Abbot. If the issue turns out to be a drainage problem rather than a plumbing one, our drain repairs service covers that side of things too.

1. Find your stopcock and turn it off

This is the single most useful thing you can do. Your stopcock is usually under the kitchen sink, though older properties sometimes have it elsewhere. Turn it clockwise until it stops. Once the water supply is cut, the burst pipe can't keep flooding the property, even if it takes a while for an emergency plumber to arrive.

2. Turn on the taps

With the stopcock off, open the taps in the house, starting with the lowest ones. This drains the remaining water sitting in the pipes, so it comes out somewhere controlled rather than continuing to leak from the burst.

3. Deal with electricity, if it's anywhere near the water

If water is pooling near sockets, switches, or a fuse box, turn off the power at the consumer unit if you can reach it safely. Never touch a switch with wet hands, and don't wade through standing water to reach one.

4. Contain what you can

Towels, buckets, and anything absorbent help limit how far the water spreads while you wait. Since carpets and flooring absorb water quickly, moving rugs and furniture out of the way early is worth the effort.

5. Get help on the way

Once the water is under control, request help online so an engineer can get to you. Give as much detail as you can about where the burst is and what you've already done. That helps your engineer arrive prepared.

What happens next

Once your engineer arrives, they'll trace the burst, repair or replace the damaged section, and check nothing else nearby was affected before restoring your water supply. If insurance is likely to be involved, photograph the damage before anything gets cleared up, since that record is genuinely useful for a claim.

This applies whether you're in Exeter, Exmouth, or Newton Abbot — the stopcock-first approach works the same way everywhere. For the fuller picture on repairs themselves, see our burst pipe repair service page.

Start with where the water is coming from

A blocked drain almost always shows itself at a fixture. That might be a sink, toilet, bath, or an external gully that's slow to empty or backing up. The water you see is already waste water, not fresh supply. It's coming back up a pipe designed to carry it away, not appearing from nowhere.

A burst pipe behaves differently. Because it's usually clean mains water, the water appears somewhere with no obvious route, often from a wall, ceiling, or floor with no fixture nearby. If you're looking at a damp patch spreading with no drain or plughole nearby, think pipe, not blockage.

Smell is a genuinely useful clue

Blocked drains smell, because decomposing waste sits in a pipe that isn't draining. A burst pipe, carrying clean supply water, generally doesn't smell at all. The only giveaway is the general dampness of water sitting somewhere it shouldn't.

How fast the problem is getting worse

A blockage tends to develop gradually, with slower draining over days before it stops completely. However, a burst pipe is usually sudden: dry one moment, then actively leaking or flooding the next. It keeps getting worse until you isolate the water supply.

What to check yourself, safely

- **For a suspected blockage:** check whether more than one fixture is affected. Several backing up together usually means a shared drain problem needing drain unblocking or drain jetting, not something a single plunger will fix.

- **For a suspected burst pipe:** find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink or near where the mains enters the property) and know how to turn it off. If you're not sure whether a leak counts as an emergency, our emergency plumber guide covers what does and doesn't.

- **For a leak with no obvious source:** if your water bill has crept up, or you can hear or feel dampness with no visible pipe damage, that's more likely a hidden leak than either a blockage or an obvious burst — leak detection finds it without digging up your floor on a guess.

When it's genuinely both

Occasionally, a long-standing blockage puts enough pressure on a pipe to crack it, or separate a joint. As a result, a drainage problem left too long can turn into a leak problem too. This is exactly what a CCTV drain survey is for. It shows whether a blockage has caused structural damage, instead of just clearing the immediate symptom.

Getting the right help the first time

Across Exeter, Exmouth, and the surrounding area, we cover both sides of this. For anything backing up or overflowing, that's blocked drains and emergency drain services. For water escaping from a pipe instead of a blocked fixture, that's emergency plumber and burst pipe repair. If a gas appliance like a boiler is involved instead, that work needs a Gas Safe registered engineer. Check the [Gas Safe Register](https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/) if you're not sure whether yours is up to date.

If in doubt, describe what you're seeing through our contact form. We'll tell you honestly which service you need before we come out — get in touch online.

Slow draining is the first clue

A sink, bath, or shower taking longer to empty than before usually means a partial blockage. It's easy to get used to a slow drain and stop noticing it. Still, it helps to time how long a full sink takes to empty. Compare that to a few weeks ago.

Gurgling after you flush or empty a sink

A gurgling sound from a nearby drain, plughole, or toilet often means trapped air. Water pushes that air around the pipe run as it tries to pass a partial obstruction. This alone isn't an emergency, yet it's a reliable early warning sign.

A smell that won't go away

Standing water or trapped debris starts to smell within days. Cleaning around the plughole won't fix a smell that keeps coming back. When that happens, the source sits inside the pipe, not on the surface.

The toilet behaves differently

A toilet that flushes slowly often signals a blockage further down the system. The same applies if the water rises higher than usual before settling. If more than one toilet shows this, the shared drainage likely has the problem. It's probably not just one fixture.

More than one fixture affected at once

A single slow sink is probably local to that one pipe run. Several fixtures failing at once, such as a downstairs toilet and an upstairs bath, share one drain. That shared drain usually needs professional equipment, not a plunger.

Damp patches with no obvious cause

A damp wall or floor patch can mean pressure is escaping from a blocked or cracked pipe. This can happen even with no leak visible above ground. Left alone, it can cause real structural damage. Because of that, it's worth getting it checked rather than simply painting over it.

When it stops being a "watch it" situation

Water coming back up through a drain or toilet means the blockage is complete, not just slow. At that point, DIY methods won't help, and professional drain unblocking is the right call.

If several of these signs show up together, book a CCTV drain survey. It shows exactly where the blockage sits and what's causing it, instead of leaving you guessing. For anything backed up or flooding, our emergency drain services cover Exeter and the surrounding area 24/7. If it's a burst pipe instead of a blockage, our emergency plumber service handles that too. Not sure which one you're dealing with? Our guide on telling a blocked drain from a burst pipe walks through the difference.

Request a quote online and we'll get someone out to assess it properly.

Areas we cover

- Exeter

- Emergency Drain Services in Exeter

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Topsham

- Blocked Drains in Exmouth

- Drain Repairs in Exmouth

- Drain Jetting in Crediton

- Drain Unblocking in Tiverton

- Honiton

- Emergency Drain Services in Honiton

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Sidmouth

- Blocked Drains in Dawlish

- Drain Repairs in Dawlish

- Drain Jetting in Newton Abbot

Why kitchen drains are the worst offenders

Fats and oils go down the sink hot and liquid. As the water moves further along the pipe, they cool and solidify against its inside wall. Each time this happens, the layer gets a little thicker and traps more debris. Eventually, the gap left in the pipe can't cope with normal use.

The one habit that matters most

Never pour cooking oil or fat straight down the sink. Instead, let it cool in the pan, then scrape it into a container or the food waste bin. Only pour genuinely small residual amounts away, and flush them with plenty of hot water. This single change prevents more blockages than anything else on this list.

A strainer earns its keep quickly

A cheap mesh strainer over the plughole catches food particles before they reach the pipe. It needs emptying after most washing-up sessions. Still, that small chore is far less hassle than an emergency callout.

Scrape plates properly, even with a waste disposal unit

A waste disposal unit breaks food into small pieces. However, it still needs enough water flow to carry that debris away. Large amounts of rice, pasta, or vegetable peelings can still build up downstream, even after grinding.

A weekly hot flush helps

Once a week, pour a full kettle of just-boiled water slowly down the kitchen drain. This softens and shifts grease before it fully sets on the pipe wall.

Skip the harsh chemical cleaners

Shop-bought chemical drain cleaners can shift a very minor blockage. However, repeated use corrodes older pipework over time. That's not something to rely on every few weeks instead of good habits.

When habits aren't enough

If a kitchen drain still runs slow despite all this, there's usually a deeper issue. The same applies if the same blockage keeps coming back. That could be a partial collapse, root ingress, or a badly laid section of pipe. A CCTV drain survey identifies the actual cause instead of just treating the symptom. Professional drain jetting clears grease buildup far more thoroughly than any DIY method, and your engineer usually sorts a stubborn blocked sink in a single visit.

Get in touch online if your kitchen drain needs more than a good clean.

Areas we cover

- Blocked Drains in Exeter

- Drain Repairs in Exeter

- Drain Jetting in Topsham

- Drain Unblocking in Exmouth

- Crediton

- Emergency Drain Services in Crediton

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Tiverton

- Blocked Drains in Honiton

- Drain Repairs in Honiton

- Drain Jetting in Sidmouth

- Drain Unblocking in Dawlish

- Newton Abbot

- Emergency Drain Services in Newton Abbot

What a CCTV drain survey actually involves

The engineer feeds a small, waterproof camera through the drainage system. It goes in through existing access points, such as manholes or inspection chambers. It records footage of the pipe's internal condition the whole way through. Nothing gets dug up or disturbed in the process.

Why a standard survey misses this entirely

Homebuyer and even full building surveys only cover what's visible and accessible. Drains run underground, out of sight. There's often no obvious symptom above ground, such as damp, subsidence, or a bad smell. Since nothing stands out, a surveyor has no reason to flag anything.

What actually turns up on these surveys

**Root intrusion.** Tree roots grow toward moisture, since a drain is a reliable source of it. Roots can force their way into joints and small cracks. What starts as a minor intrusion can eventually block the pipe or crack it further.

**Cracked or collapsed sections.** Since clay and pitch-fibre pipes were standard for decades, they do deteriorate over time. A survey shows exactly where, and how badly.

**Displaced joints.** Ground movement or heavy traffic vibration can pull joints apart slightly. This lets waste seep into the surrounding soil, which can contribute to subsidence over time.

**Incorrect connections.** Older properties sometimes wrongly connect surface water into the foul sewer, or vice versa. That's a compliance issue, and putting it right can carry real cost.

**Buildup with no structural fault.** Even where the pipe itself is sound, heavy accumulation can build up inside it. However, it's worth knowing about before you move in, rather than discovering it the hard way.

Why the cost of skipping this can be so high

Drain repairs get expensive fast once excavation gets involved. Digging up a driveway or garden costs far more than clearing a simple blockage. What decides the cost is usually timing. Either the problem gets caught early, or it's found by accident after it fails.

A pre-purchase survey costs much less by comparison, and the price is fixed. Since it's also the only reliable way to know which scenario you're walking into, it's worth doing before you exchange contracts.

What you can do with the results

If a survey turns something up, you're not stuck. You can ask the seller to fix it before completion, or negotiate the price down. Alternatively, go ahead with your eyes open and budget for the repair. Either way, a clear survey report is solid evidence for the talk with the seller or their agent.

What a good survey should include

A proper report gives you full HD footage, a clear summary of the findings, and honest recommendations. It shouldn't feel like a hard sell on repairs you don't need. Ask upfront whether you can keep a copy of the footage.

We provide pre-purchase drain surveys across Exeter and the surrounding area. If a survey does turn something up, our drain repairs service can quote for putting it right. That includes pipe relining and drain excavation. It might turn out to be a hidden leak instead, not a drainage fault. If so, our leak detection service finds it without unnecessary digging. See how to tell a blocked drain from a burst pipe if you're not sure which you've found.

Book a CCTV drain survey before you exchange contracts — contact us online.

Areas we cover

- Drain Unblocking in Exeter

- Topsham

- Emergency Drain Services in Topsham

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Exmouth

- Blocked Drains in Crediton

- Drain Repairs in Crediton

- Drain Jetting in Tiverton

- Drain Unblocking in Honiton

- Sidmouth

- Emergency Drain Services in Sidmouth

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Dawlish

- Blocked Drains in Newton Abbot

- Drain Repairs in Newton Abbot

Recognising when it's genuinely urgent

Some situations count as genuine emergencies. Act on these immediately, rather than waiting to see if they settle down:

- Sewage coming back up through a drain or toilet

- Water flooding from a blocked drain

- Several fixtures backing up at once

- A strong sewage smell indoors

- A pipe actively spraying or pooling water

Stop putting more water into the system

If drains are backing up, stop using water in the property right away. That means no flushing, no taps, and no washing machine or dishwasher. Because every extra bit of water going in makes a backed-up system worse, hold off until help arrives. Not sure whether you're dealing with a blocked drain or an escaping pipe? Our guide to telling the two apart covers the key differences.

For a burst pipe, find your stopcock

If water is actively escaping from a pipe, find your stopcock. It's usually under the kitchen sink, or near where the mains enters the property. Turn the water off completely. This single step does more to limit damage than anything else you can do before help arrives.

Protect what you can

Move furniture and anything valuable away from the affected area. Roll up rugs and carpets if there's time. Meanwhile, towels or anything absorbent can help slow the water from spreading further.

Keep clear of contaminated water

Since sewage carries genuine health risks, keep children and pets well away from it. If you have to be near it, wear gloves and boots. Avoid touching your face, and wash thoroughly afterwards.

Don't reach for chemical drain cleaner

In a genuine emergency, pouring anything down the drain won't help. Chemicals can make a bad situation worse, especially because an engineer may need to work on that pipe.

While you're waiting for us

Take photos of the damage for insurance purposes, and note when the problem started. Clear access to manholes or your stopcock if you haven't already. It also helps to check whether a neighbour has the same problem. That can point to a shared sewer issue, since it would then not be specific to your property.

Getting help fast

We respond to emergency drain services callouts across Exeter and the surrounding area. We're available 24 hours a day. It might turn out to be a burst pipe, a major leak, or a total loss of water or heating, rather than a blocked drain. If so, our emergency plumber service covers exactly that. That includes emergency plumber cover in Exeter, Exmouth, and Newton Abbot.

Whether it's a flooding emergency, a sewage emergency, or burst pipe repair, your engineer carries the equipment to diagnose the problem. In most cases, they fix it on the same visit.

Request urgent help online if you're dealing with any of the above right now.

Areas we cover

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Exeter

- Blocked Drains in Topsham

- Drain Repairs in Topsham

- Drain Jetting in Exmouth

- Drain Unblocking in Crediton

- Tiverton

- Emergency Drain Services in Tiverton

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Honiton

- Blocked Drains in Sidmouth

- Drain Repairs in Sidmouth

- Drain Jetting in Dawlish

- Drain Unblocking in Newton Abbot

- Emergency Plumber in Exeter

- Emergency Plumber in Exmouth

- Emergency Plumber in Newton Abbot

How drain rods work

Rods are flexible sections that screw together end to end. Different attachments push through or break up a blockage. The operator feeds them in, rotating and pushing to dislodge whatever's causing the problem.

**Where rods make sense:** they work well for simple, accessible blockages you can see from the access point. They're a useful stopgap when professional help isn't available, since they're cheap and need no power source.

**Where rods fall short:** their reach only stretches to roughly 15 metres. They can also push debris further down the pipe instead of removing it. An inexperienced hand can also crack older pipework. Because they don't clean the pipe walls, the same blockage often recurs.

How high-pressure jetting works

The operator feeds a flexible hose with a specialist nozzle into the pipe. Water then flows through it at high pressure. Jets point forward to cut through the blockage. Others point backward, pulling the hose through while flushing debris toward the access point.

**Where jetting wins:** it removes blockages completely, instead of just pushing past them. At the same time, it cleans grease and scale off the pipe walls. It also reaches well over 100 metres if needed. Used correctly on modern pipework, it doesn't risk damage the way inexperienced rodding can.

**The trade-off:** it needs professional equipment and a proper water supply, and it costs more than basic rodding. It also isn't the right call on pipework that's already cracked or structurally compromised.

A rough guide to which one you need

Rods suit a genuinely minor, visible blockage, or work as an interim fix. Anything stubborn or recurring is a jetting job. That includes blockages caused by grease or tree roots, or ones affecting a commercial kitchen. If a blockage keeps coming back despite jetting, that's usually a sign of a structural problem. In that case, it's worth investigating with a CCTV drain survey rather than repeating the same clear-out indefinitely.

Why we use jetting as standard

Jetting clears what rods can't, and it works faster. Because it cleans rather than just clears, the resulting pipe is less likely to block again soon. The water flow itself often reveals other issues worth flagging while your engineer is there. Our usual approach follows five steps:

- Assess the access points

- Use CCTV first if the cause isn't obvious

- Select the right nozzle for the job

- Clear the blockage

- Verify with another camera pass, so you can see the before and after

If DIY rodding hasn't worked, or the blockage keeps returning, drain jetting across Exeter is usually the faster, more lasting fix. Sometimes what looks like a blocked drain turns out to be a leaking or burst pipe instead. If so, our leak detection service handles that side of things too. See our guide on spotting the difference between a blocked drain and a burst pipe if you're not sure which you've got. If it turns out to be a gas appliance fault instead, that needs a Gas Safe registered engineer — see the [Gas Safe Register](https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/).

Request a quote online and we'll tell you honestly which method your problem actually needs.

Areas we cover

- Drain Jetting in Exeter

- Drain Unblocking in Topsham

- Exmouth

- Emergency Drain Services in Exmouth

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Crediton

- Blocked Drains in Tiverton

- Drain Repairs in Tiverton

- Drain Jetting in Honiton

- Drain Unblocking in Sidmouth

- Dawlish

- Emergency Drain Services in Dawlish

- CCTV Drain Surveys in Newton Abbot

- Leak Detection & Repair in Exeter