Both of the plumbers came on time and immediately identified and checked all potential sources where a leak could come. Were extremely professional and gave their honest advice and estimations.
Emergency Plumber in South London
South London is mostly converted terraces, and when a shared drain backs up or water drips between flats you need an emergency plumber in South London who answers now. Our 24 hour plumber team aims to be there within 60 minutes, with no call-out fee charged.
South London at a glance
- Arrival
- Usually within 60 minutes
- Homes
- Victorian terraces and converted flats
- Most common
- Upper and lower conversion drainage disputes
- Also covering
- Brixton, Peckham, Camberwell
Upper flat or lower, act fast
In a converted terrace each flat may have its own stopcock in the kitchen or hall cupboard, or one valve under the floor by the front door serves both. Switch off power to anything wet. For gas, phone 0800 111 999; for water, 020 3674 8514.
Emergency plumbing problems we fix in South London
From Brixton conversions to Orpington semis, these are the six emergencies that south London housing throws up again and again.
- 01
Blocked drain or sink in South London
Across Peckham, Brixton and Lewisham the drain under a Victorian terrace is often shared by two flats and runs into a clay sewer laid well over a century ago.
South London: usually £140 – £240. Blocked drain or sink: first steps →
- 02
Blocked or overflowing toilet in South London
In a south London terrace split into upper and lower flats, a blocked toilet upstairs often shows up first as water rising in the ground-floor flat or the back yard gully.
South London: usually £95 – £150. Blocked or overflowing toilet: first steps →
- 03
Water leak or leak through the ceiling in South London
A leak through a ceiling in a converted south London house usually starts in the upper flat, where the bathroom was added over a room never built to take one.
South London: usually £280 – £600. Water leak or leak through the ceiling: first steps →
- 04
Leaking radiator in South London
Heating in many south London terraces was added in the 1970s or later on small-bore pipe run under floorboards, and sludge and air in those runs leave rooms cold.
South London: usually £110 – £170. Leaking radiator: first steps →
- 05
No hot water or no heating in South London
Hard water from both Thames Water and SES Water scales combi heat exchangers and old copper cylinders, from the Brixton flats to the semis of Bromley and Sutton.
South London: usually £130 – £420. No hot water or no heating: first steps →
- 06
Burst or frozen pipe in South London
In the outer boroughs, from Orpington to Sutton, long supply pipes under front gardens and outside taps on garage walls are the first things to freeze in a cold snap.
South London: usually £150 – £280. Burst or frozen pipe: first steps →
How fast we get to you in South London
Tell us whether you are the upper or lower flat, which of the two front doors is yours, and the name on your buzzer. On a main road such as Brixton Road or Lordship Lane, mention the nearest side street. We usually get to you within 60 minutes.
Streets and places we cover in South London
Old Kent RoadWalworth RoadBrixton RoadColdharbour LaneRye LaneLordship LaneDenmark HillClapham High StreetLavender HillBalham High RoadStreatham High RoadTooting High StreetLewisham High StreetGreenwich High RoadNorwood Road
We also cover Brixton, Peckham, Camberwell, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Streatham, Tooting, Catford, Norwood.
Emergency plumber prices in South London
Clearing a blocked outside drain, the classic shared-drain job in south London, usually comes to £140 to £240. That sits within our standard rate: hour one is £110 and each extra half hour £45, with no call-out fee, one price day or night, and the figure fixed in writing first.
Plumbing in South London: what goes wrong and why
South London is conversion country. Street after street of Victorian terraces through Brixton, Peckham, Clapham and Lewisham have been split into upper and lower flats, each with its own bathroom stacked onto drainage that was designed for one household. That leads to the most familiar south London argument: a blockage in a shared drain where it is not clear whose problem it is until the run has been checked. Around Greenwich the World Heritage and conservation rules limit what pipework can be seen from outside, and the older Lewisham and Croydon streets keep salt-glazed clay drains that tree roots find. Further out, Bromley, Orpington and Sutton are mostly interwar semis with loft tanks and long garden supply pipes. Thames Water supplies most of the region, with SES Water around Sutton and southern Croydon, and the water is hard in both.
Most common here: upper and lower conversion drainage disputes.
What customers near South London say
I contacted Emergency Plumbing on a Sunday evening and Danny was very responsive and helpful. He and his colleague came over the next morning and fixed the issue professionally (unblock with vacuum and chemical deep clean). Excellent.
Came to our business to sort out leaks that we had found the night before - they also found a blockage which they also were able to clear. Great professional service
Emergency Plumber gave great advice and did excellent work. Really good at keeping us in the loop and explained the problem really clearly.
Below, customer reviews copied word for word from our Checkatrade profile. Read all 147 reviews or our Google reviews.
Emergency plumber in South London: your questions
How long will you take to reach me in South London?
Within 60 minutes is the usual target, from Clapham and Brixton out to Croydon and Bromley. Converted terraces have two front doors side by side and blocks have entry systems, so the time you spend telling us exactly which door and which bell is time saved at your step. Keep your mobile on you too.
Do South London callers pay anything just for the visit?
Not a penny for the visit itself. You pay for time on the job: hour one is £110 and each extra half hour is £45, with no call-out fee. The rate is identical overnight and at weekends. Before work begins you receive a written fixed price, and we ask your permission before buying any part.
Can I get a plumber in South London on Christmas Day or at 2am?
Yes. A real person picks up at any hour, including Christmas, Boxing Day and every bank holiday. There is no premium for when you call, so a midnight leak in Peckham is billed exactly like a Tuesday afternoon one. Call 020 3674 8514 or message 07865 292684 on WhatsApp.
Which problems in a South London conversion need an emergency call?
Water dripping through your ceiling from upstairs, a shared drain pushing sewage into the yard gully, the only toilet refusing to flush, or a cold house with no hot water when it freezes. In a split terrace one fault often affects both flats, so ring even if the leak seems to start next door.
Who fixes a blocked drain shared by upper and lower flats in South London?
Pipes that serve only your building and sit within its boundary are normally private, so the freeholder or the flat owners deal with them under the lease. Once a pipe carries waste from more than one property, or runs beyond your boundary, it is usually the water company's. Finding where the blockage sits tells you which applies.
Where is the stopcock in a South London home?
In a Victorian terrace it is usually under the kitchen sink or under the floor just inside the front door. In a converted flat check the kitchen and hall cupboards, and in a purpose-built block there may also be a valve in a communal riser.
Which streets in South London do you cover?
All of them. That includes Old Kent Road, Walworth Road, Brixton Road, Coldharbour Lane, Rye Lane and Lordship Lane, and nearby Brixton, Peckham, Camberwell, Dulwich and Herne Hill.
What goes wrong most often in South London homes?
Upper and lower conversion drainage disputes. Most homes in South London are victorian terraces and converted flats, and that is where it comes from.