My toilet had ceased flushing so needed immediate attention and Emergency Plumber responded very quickly. It proved impossible to repair my very old system so it had to be removed and a new toilet system installed. Dani is an extremely effective plumber and problem solver and did a very professional job, alongside being very personable.
Emergency Plumber in Highgate
Highgate sits high, and pipes here freeze before most of London. If one bursts, an emergency plumber in Highgate can usually be at your door within 60 minutes. We work as a 24 hour plumber across N6, and you pay no call-out fee.
Highgate at a glance
- Postcodes
- N6
- Arrival
- Usually within 60 minutes
- Homes
- Georgian village houses, Victorian and Edwardian homes, and 1930s blocks of flats
- Most common
- Old pipework and frozen pipes on high, exposed ground
- Also covering
- Highgate Village, Dartmouth Park, Archway
Burst pipe on the hill?
Turn the stopcock off: older Highgate houses keep it beneath the sink, in the cellar or by the front door, and Highpoint flats in the kitchen. If lights get wet, cut the power at the fuse box. Smell gas? 0800 111 999. Plumber: 020 3674 8514.
Emergency plumbing problems we fix in Highgate
Exposed hillside pipes, steep clay drains and Georgian houses with hidden pipework explain the six emergencies listed here for Highgate homes.
- 01
Blocked drain or sink in Highgate
Highgate's hillside drains drop steeply from house to sewer, and on the older clay runs the joints shift as the ground moves, letting in roots and causing repeat blockages.
Highgate: usually £140 – £240. Blocked drain or sink: first steps →
- 02
Blocked or overflowing toilet in Highgate
In the flats over Highgate High Street shops the soil pipe is often shared with the business underneath, so a toilet that will not clear may be blocked further down.
Highgate: usually £95 – £150. Blocked or overflowing toilet: first steps →
- 03
Water leak or leak through the ceiling in Highgate
Georgian and Victorian houses in Highgate often hide pipes under timber floors and inside old walls, so a slow leak can show as a damp patch well away from its source.
Highgate: usually £280 – £600. Water leak or leak through the ceiling: first steps →
- 04
Leaking radiator in Highgate
Large houses on the Highgate slopes often have radiators over three or four floors on an open-vented system, and air gathering at the top floor is a common cause of cold radiators.
Highgate: usually £110 – £170. Leaking radiator: first steps →
- 05
No hot water or no heating in Highgate
Highgate homes that still have a loft tank and copper cylinder often suffer from scale from the hard water, which slowly kills the immersion heater and weakens the hot water.
Highgate: usually £130 – £420. No hot water or no heating: first steps →
- 06
Burst or frozen pipe in Highgate
Highgate stands on one of London's highest hills and takes the full force of cold winds, so pipes in lofts, garages and along exposed outside walls burst first.
Highgate: usually £150 – £280. Burst or frozen pipe: first steps →
How fast we get to you in Highgate
Within 60 minutes is normal. For flats over High Street shops, tell us the side entrance and buzzer. In Highpoint, Holly Lodge or another block, give the flat number and entry code. On steep roads, mention where a vehicle can stop safely near your door.
Streets and places we cover in Highgate
Highgate High StreetHighgate West HillNorth RoadNorth HillSouthwood LaneJackson's LaneCholmeley ParkArchway RoadPond SquareThe GroveSouthwood AvenueCromwell AvenueBisham GardensView RoadStanhope Road
We also cover Highgate Village, Dartmouth Park, Archway, Tufnell Park, Fortis Green, Whitehall Park, Holly Lodge Estate.
Emergency plumber prices in Highgate
A split pipe that is easy to reach in a Highgate loft or garage usually costs £150 to £280 to repair. Charges are £110 for the first sixty minutes and £45 for every half hour after. No call-out fee, no overnight surcharge, and a written fixed price before work.
Plumbing in Highgate: what goes wrong and why
Highgate began as a village at the top of a steep hill, and its Georgian houses around The Grove, Pond Square and the High Street are still there, with flats over many of the shops. Down the slopes the houses are mostly Victorian and Edwardian, and many have been split into flats. Highgate also has some well-known 20th-century flats: Highpoint on North Hill, built in the 1930s, and the Holly Lodge Estate off Highgate West Hill. Older houses can still have lead supply pipes and original clay drains, and the hill means steep drain runs and exposed walls. The village is well over 100 metres above sea level, one of the highest places in London, so pipes in lofts and on outside walls freeze before those lower down. Thames Water supplies hard water here.
Most common here: old pipework and frozen pipes on high, exposed ground.
What customers near Highgate say
Great service. All on time and courteous. Polite and professional.
I recently had an urgent plumbing issue over the weekend and called Emergency Plumber London Ltd. I was impressed with their 24/7 service and how quickly they responded to my call. The plumber arrived promptly and was very polite and professional.
Had a washing machine valve start leaking, contacted at 11pm on a Friday evening and the work was done by 8.30am the next day (didn't need an immediate fix so next morning was fine). Engineer arrived on time, knew exactly what to do, and replaced and gone very smoothly
What you read below is copied directly from Checkatrade, word for word, for Highgate homeowners comparing plumbers. Read all 147 reviews or our Google reviews.
Emergency plumber in Highgate: your questions
Will a plumber really reach Highgate in under an hour?
Usually, yes: arrival is normally within 60 minutes. Highgate's steep, narrow roads and the gated parts of some blocks, such as Highpoint or Holly Lodge, can add a little time at the door. Telling us your exact entrance, any code and the nearest place to stop helps the engineer get straight in.
How much is an urgent plumbing visit in Highgate?
You are not charged a call-out fee. Labour costs £110 for hour one plus £45 for every half hour on top, whatever the time. A fixed figure is settled in writing before the job starts, and any part is shown to you and approved before it is purchased.
Do you come out to Highgate at night and at weekends?
Yes, at any hour of any day, including bank holidays and Christmas, and you will speak to a person rather than a recording. Cold snaps on Highgate's high ground can bring burst loft pipes overnight, and the rate for those calls is no higher than during the day.
Which problems in an old Highgate house cannot wait?
A burst or frozen pipe, water spreading under timber floors, a damp patch that keeps growing on a wall, or a toilet in a flat over a shop that will not clear because the shared soil pipe is blocked lower down. Water you are unable to shut off, or a toilet you cannot use, makes it urgent.
Is a lead supply pipe in my Highgate house a problem?
Lead pipes were common in older homes, and some Highgate houses still have them. Generally, the pipe from the boundary into the house is the owner's responsibility, while the water company looks after the pipe from the main to the boundary. Old lead joints can weep, so a leak on one should be dealt with promptly.
Where is the stopcock in a Highgate home?
In an older Highgate house it is often under the kitchen sink, in the cellar, or by the front door where the supply enters. In Highpoint, Holly Lodge and other blocks it is usually in the kitchen or a cupboard, with the main supply controlled by the building.
Which streets in Highgate do you cover?
All of them. That includes Highgate High Street, Highgate West Hill, North Road, North Hill, Southwood Lane and Jackson's Lane, and nearby Highgate Village, Dartmouth Park, Archway, Tufnell Park and Fortis Green.
What goes wrong most often in Highgate homes?
Old pipework and frozen pipes on high, exposed ground. Most homes in Highgate are georgian village houses, Victorian and Edwardian homes, and 1930s blocks of flats, and that is where it comes from.