An emergency plumber that tells you the rate up front.
Every emergency plumber on the Gold Coast promises "30 minute response" and "$0 call out". Almost none of them will tell you what the visit actually costs until the van is in your driveway and the water is still rising. We think that is the wrong way round.
So here is how it works with us: the after hours rate is quoted on the phone before we leave, then the repair is a fixed price quoted on site in writing before anyone starts. You know both numbers before you commit to either. Everything else on this page is the same straight talk.
If water or gas is getting away from you right now, skip the reading and call 0472 657 042. A person picks up, not a callback service.
What counts as a plumbing emergency.
If any of these is happening, call now, day or night:
- A burst pipe flooding your home, or a burst pipe under the slab
- A gas leak or the smell of gas anywhere on the property
- Sewage overflowing inside or around the house
- No water supply to the whole property
- A blocked toilet in a one bathroom home
- A leaking or split hot water tank
- Stormwater backing up into the house
- Total drainage failure, nothing draining anywhere
If it can safely wait until morning, a dripping tap, a slow drain, a running toilet in a two bathroom house, then let it wait and pay standard rates instead. We will tell you on the phone which one you have got, honestly, even when the honest answer earns us less.
Do this right now, before we arrive.
The first five minutes decide how much damage you end up with. In order:
- Turn off the water main. It is usually at the front boundary near the meter, sometimes at the house wall. Turn the valve clockwise until it stops.
- Turn off the cold water inlet to your hot water system if the tank is leaking, the valve on the pipe entering the unit.
- Kill the power to affected wet areas at the switchboard if water is anywhere near power points or appliances. If the switchboard itself is wet, do not touch it.
- For gas, turn off the gas at the meter, get everyone outside and do not operate switches or naked flames. Call us from outside.
- Move what you can and photograph everything. Furniture up, rugs out, then photos and video of the water and the damage before cleanup. Your insurer will want them.
We will talk you through any of these steps on the phone while help is on the way.
What it costs after hours, no games.
The emergency plumbing industry runs on unverifiable promises. "30 minutes." "$0 call out," which usually means the call out fee is hiding inside an inflated repair price. You cannot check any of it until you have already committed.
Here is how we handle it instead:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| After hours emergency attendance | Rate quoted on the phone before we leave |
| Burst flexi hose replacement | $20 to $40 a hose at trade, plus labour |
| Burst pipe repair, accessible | $250 to $650 plus parts |
| Business hours emergencies | Standard rates, no emergency loading |
The after hours rate moves with the time of night, the distance and the job, so we tell you the figure on the phone before we are dispatched rather than when the van is already in your driveway. The repair is then a fixed price in writing on site before any work starts. No surprise rate when we arrive, and nothing added afterwards.
If another plumber quotes you "$0 call out", ask them what the first hour costs all in. That number is the one that matters.
What happens when you call.
- A person answers. Not a menu, not a message service. At 2am you talk to the plumber who is coming, and because we are owner operated, that is Jieye, QBCC licensed (licence 15243081) with 13+ years on the tools.
- We work out the urgency together. A few quick questions tells us whether this is a right now job or a first thing tomorrow job, and we will tell you straight.
- You get a real ETA and the cost. We quote the after hours rate and an arrival time before you commit to anything.
- We talk you through damage control while the van is moving, water off, gas off, power off, whatever the situation needs.
Honest talk about response times.
You will see "30 minute emergency response" plastered across Gold Coast plumbing ads. Think about what that promise is worth from a plumber who might be in Coolangatta when you call from Coomera, or on another job with the floor open.
We do not publish a response time we cannot always keep. Instead, we quote you a genuine ETA on the phone, based on where we actually are, and for true emergencies that is typically 60 to 90 minutes anywhere from Coomera to Coolangatta. If we genuinely cannot get to you quickly, we will say so on the phone and you can make an informed decision, rather than waiting on a promise nobody intended to keep.
The burst flexi hose, still the number one culprit.
The braided flexible hoses under your sinks and toilets are the most common cause of catastrophic water damage in Australian homes, and they fail without warning, usually while nobody is home. A hose costs $20 to $40 at trade. The insurance claim after one bursts can run past $50,000.
If we are already at your place for an emergency, ask us to check every flexi hose in the house while we are there. Any hose over 7 years old, or showing rust spots or fraying on the braid, should be replaced on the spot. It is the cheapest insurance in plumbing.
Working with your insurer.
Most home policies cover sudden and unforeseen escape of liquid, which includes burst pipes, split hot water tanks and failed appliance hoses. To keep the claim smooth: photograph and video everything before cleanup, keep every invoice we give you, and do not throw out damaged items until the assessor has seen them or approved it. Our invoice itemises the cause and the repair, and we supply photos of the fault and the fix, which is exactly the evidence assessors ask for.
After we leave.
Every emergency job ends the same way: a written itemised invoice, photos of the fault and the completed repair, our workmanship guarantee in writing, and an honest assessment of whether this will happen again. If preventative work is worth doing, old copper, ageing flexi hoses, root prone sewer lines, we will quote it separately with no obligation. We will not invent follow up work to pad the bill.
In an emergency, call 0472 657 042 now. Answered 24/7, Coomera to Coolangatta.
Frequently asked questions.
What does an emergency plumber cost after hours on the Gold Coast?
We quote the after hours rate on the phone before we leave, then the repair is a fixed price quoted in writing on site before it starts. An accessible burst pipe repair typically runs $250 to $650 plus parts. Emergencies during business hours are charged at standard rates with no emergency loading.
How fast can you get to me?
We quote a genuine ETA on the phone based on where we actually are, typically 60 to 90 minutes for true emergencies anywhere from Coomera to Coolangatta. We do not promise 30 minutes to every suburb because no honest plumber can, and if we cannot get to you quickly we will tell you straight away.
Do you charge a call out fee?
During business hours, no. After hours there is an emergency attendance rate, and you get the exact figure on the phone before we are dispatched, so there is no surprise on the invoice. We would rather give you a real number up front than advertise "$0 call out" and bury the cost in the repair price.
What should I do while I wait for you to arrive?
Turn off the water main at the meter, shut the cold inlet on the hot water system if the tank is leaking, and kill power to wet areas at the switchboard if it is safe. For gas, shut the gas off at the meter and wait outside. Then photograph the damage for insurance. We will talk you through all of it on the phone.
Are you licensed and insured for emergency work?
Yes. Hills Plumbing & Gas is QBCC licensed (licence 15243081), a licensed gas fitter, and carries $20 million public liability insurance. All emergency work comes with a written workmanship guarantee and an itemised invoice you can put straight in front of your insurer.