Plumbing emergencies and storms in Florida: what to do first
Shutting off water, boil-water notices, flooded homes and sewage backups, and how to hire a plumber safely when everyone is in a hurry.
Burst pipes are less common in Florida than in cold states, but plumbing emergencies are not rare: failed supply lines, clogged mains, water heater leaks, and storm damage. What you do in the first fifteen minutes can decide whether the problem costs hundreds or thousands.
Know your shut-off valves
Find your main water shut-off before you need it. It is usually near the water meter, at the street, or where the line enters the house. Learn which way it turns and test it once a year. Fixtures such as toilets and sinks also have their own shut-off valves under or behind them. Closing the main stops the flow while you wait for help. If a water heater is leaking, shut off its cold-water supply and turn off its power or gas.
After a hurricane or flood
- Do not use electrical equipment standing in water. If water has reached outlets or your panel, stay out and call an electrician.
- Check for a boil-water notice. Local utilities issue these when pressure drops or contamination is possible. If one is in effect, follow your utility's instructions. The CDC's general advice for emergencies is to bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before drinking, brushing teeth or preparing food.
- Sewage backups carry bacteria. Keep children and pets away, avoid contact, and ask a licensed plumber and your local health department what cleanup steps apply.
- Photograph everything before cleanup, and save receipts for emergency repairs for your insurer.
Hiring in a hurry
Storms bring door-knockers and out-of-area crews. The law is stricter then: unlicensed contracting is a first-degree misdemeanor for a first offense and a third-degree felony for a repeat offense, and it is a third-degree felony even on a first offense during a declared state of emergency (section 489.127). Ask for the licence number, which must appear on bids, contracts and advertising (section 489.119), and check it on DBPR's Verify a License page or in this directory. Our licence guide has the details.
Warning signs
- No licence number on the truck, estimate or advertisement.
- A demand for a large cash deposit before any work or written contract.
- A claim that your whole system must be replaced, without evidence you can see.
- A refusal to give a written estimate or to explain the permit.
Emergency work and written estimates
You can authorise emergency work that is needed immediately, such as stopping a leak. Even then, ask for a written description of what was done, the hourly rate or the price, and the parts used. For anything beyond stopping the damage, take time for a written estimate and a second opinion.
Drains and sewer lines
A single slow drain is usually local. If several fixtures back up, or sewage smells come up from a floor drain, the problem may be in the main line, which can be caused by roots, collapsed pipe or a blockage outside your home. Ask for a camera inspection to see what the plumber sees, and ask whose responsibility the section of line is, since the utility owns the part under the street and you own the part serving your house. Your utility can tell you where the boundary is.
After the emergency
Once the water is stopped, have the cause fixed properly. A temporary patch is fine for a night but not for a season. Ask the plumber to explain what failed, to show you the old part, and to put the repair in writing with the licence number and the date. If the repair involved a water heater or main line, ask whether a permit was required and who pulled it. Keep the paperwork: it supports an insurance claim and helps the next owner of the house.
Prevent the next one
Replace old rubber washing machine hoses and flexible connectors, check under sinks and around the water heater for moisture, and consider a water leak detector. Know where your insurance policy's water damage coverage begins and ends, and keep your plumber's contact details in your phone.
General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Florida Plumber Check is not a recommendation or a guarantee of anyone's work. A licence record shows registration status on the date shown, not workmanship, insurance coverage at the time of your job, or suitability for your project. Confirm licence, insurance and permits directly before you hire. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.