What to Do When You Find a Burst or Leaking Pipe

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Stop the water first, then worry about everything else. A burst or badly leaking pipe is one of the few household problems where the right order of actions decides how much of your home you keep dry. The water that is on the floor now is far less important than the water still pushing through the break, so your first job is to cut the supply, not to mop, not to find the exact crack, and not to call anyone yet. Everything below is arranged in the sequence you should actually move through, from the first seconds to the moment you pick up the phone.

This guide covers the response. The temporary fix that holds a line until help arrives is a separate skill, so once the water is off and the line is drained, see our guide on how to temporarily stop a pipe leak (116). If your pipe burst because it froze, the thaw-and-inspect context is different, and that lives in our guide on what to do if a frozen pipe bursts (127).

First Thirty Seconds: Stop the Water at the Nearest Shutoff

Close the valve nearest the leak before you do anything else. Most fixtures and appliances have a small shutoff valve right where the supply line meets them: under a sink, behind a toilet, behind a washing machine, near a water heater. If the burst is at or near one of those, turn that valve clockwise until it stops. This isolates the problem without cutting water to the rest of the house, which means you can still flush a toilet or get a drink while you deal with the mess.

Quarter-turn lever valves move ninety degrees from open to closed. Older round-handle stop valves may need several full turns, and if one is corroded and will not budge, do not force it hard enough to snap it. Move straight to the main instead.

Speed matters more than precision here. A pipe under household pressure can put a surprising volume of water on the floor in a single minute, so a valve you close in ten seconds saves far more than a perfect choice made in two. If you are not sure which local valve feeds the broken line, skip the guessing and go to the main shutoff, covered next. For the step-by-step on closing a single fixture valve, see our guide on how to shut off water to a single fixture (132).

When to Go Straight to the Main Shutoff

Go directly to the main shutoff whenever the leak is inside a wall, ceiling, floor, or anywhere with no nearby fixture valve, or when you cannot identify which line is broken. The main valve cuts water to the entire house, which is exactly what you want when the source is hidden or large.

Your main shutoff is usually where the water line enters the house, often in a basement, a crawl space, a garage, or a utility closet on the side facing the street. Homes on a slab in warmer climates sometimes have it near the water heater or in an exterior box. There is also a curb or street valve out near the meter, but that one often needs a special key and is meant for the utility, so the interior main valve is your target. Locating it before an emergency, rather than hunting for it while water spreads, is what makes the next part fast: turn the lever a quarter turn, or turn the round handle clockwise until it stops.

After the main is closed, open a few faucets at the lowest and highest points of the house to relieve the remaining pressure and let the water still sitting in the pipes drain out at controlled points rather than through the break. If you have an electric or gas water heater on that line, switching it off keeps it from trying to heat an empty or draining tank. The whole-house shutoff has its own detailed walkthrough, including how to find a stubborn or buried valve, in our guide on how to shut off the water to your whole house (131).

Electrical Safety: Cutting Power Where Water Is Spreading

Do not touch electrical equipment, outlets, switches, or appliances if they are wet or if you are standing in water. Water conducts electricity, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission and FEMA both warn that energized water can shock or electrocute you. The American Red Cross notes that electrocution is among the leading causes of death during and after floods, which is why this step sits ahead of cleanup, not after it.

If water is spreading toward outlets, a power strip, the electrical panel, or plugged-in appliances, cut the power, but only if you can reach the breaker box without stepping into or standing on water. Ready.gov puts it plainly: turn off electricity at the main breaker if it is safe to do so, and do not touch electrical equipment while wet or standing in water. If your panel is in the flooded area, or you would have to wade to reach it, do not attempt it. Call your electric utility to shut power at the meter, or call a licensed electrician.

A few specifics worth holding onto. Never replace a fuse or flip a breaker with wet hands. Stay clear of any submerged appliance, and assume anything that has been wet needs to be checked by a qualified professional before it is powered again, because equipment that sat in water can be dangerous if it is simply switched back on. When in doubt about whether the area is safe to enter at all, keep everyone out and let a professional make that call.

Draining the Lines and Containing the Damage

With the water off and the power addressed, open faucets to drain the lines, then contain the water already in the room. Opening cold and hot taps at the lowest point in the house, plus a couple higher up, lets the residual water in the pipes empty out where you choose rather than dripping through the broken section. This is also why you turned the water heater off: it should not run while the tank is draining down.

Now manage what is already loose. Move what you can lift out of the water first, especially electronics, furniture legs, rugs, boxes stored on the floor, and anything that stains or warps. Lift cords and power strips off wet surfaces if you can do it safely and dry-handed. Then slow the spread with towels, buckets under an active drip, and a wet-dry vacuum or mop once standing water is no longer near live electricity.

There is a timing point that protects both your home and your wallet: do not start tearing out wet drywall or pulling up flooring yet, and do not throw damaged items away. The next section explains why. Stopping the active water and getting valuables clear is the goal for now. If you have water you cannot pin to a pipe and you suspect the source is hidden, locating it is its own task, and that is covered in our guide on how to find the source of a water leak (109). A backed-up drain or sewage is a different hazard entirely and is handled in our guide on what to do during a sewage backup (084).

Documenting for Insurance Before You Call a Plumber

Photograph and video everything before you clean up or repair anything. The Insurance Information Institute advises homeowners to document the loss with photos or video, take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage, and avoid throwing out damaged items until an adjuster has seen them. Cleanup that erases the evidence can complicate or reduce a claim, so the camera comes out before the mop finishes the job.

Work wide to close. Capture whole rooms first to show the extent, then move in on the burst pipe, the soaked drywall, water lines on the walls, ruined flooring, and damaged belongings. Get model numbers and brand names on appliances and electronics where you can. The Insurance Information Institute also suggests preparing a detailed inventory of damaged property, including a description, approximate age, and original cost of each item, and keeping receipts for any emergency expenses, since some policies reimburse them. Save your receipts and keep copies of everything.

Once the water is off, the area is electrically safe, and you have your photos, then call a licensed plumber to find and repair the break. This is response, not repair, and a burst line, a slab leak, a main-line break, or any major flooding belongs to a professional. If you want to keep a small leak from dripping while you wait, a temporary patch can help, and the methods and their limits are in our guide on how to temporarily stop a pipe leak (116). Call your insurer too, so the claim starts while the damage is fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the first thing to do when a pipe bursts?
Shut off the water before anything else. Close the valve nearest the leak if there is one, such as the stop valve under a sink or behind a toilet. If the break is hidden, large, or you cannot tell which line feeds it, go straight to the main shutoff where the water line enters your house and close it. Stopping the supply limits the damage far more than mopping or trying to find the exact crack first.

Should I turn off the electricity if a pipe bursts?
Yes, if water is spreading toward outlets, appliances, or the electrical panel, but only if you can reach the breaker box without standing in or touching water. Turn off power at the main breaker when it is safe to do so. If your panel is in the flooded area or you would have to wade to reach it, do not attempt it. Call your electric utility to shut off power at the meter, or call a licensed electrician. Never touch electrical equipment while wet or standing in water.

This article is general information, not professional advice. For any situation involving electricity near water, major flooding, gas, or a damaged main line, contact a licensed plumber, a licensed electrician, or your utility.

Sources

Consumer Product Safety Commission, Electrical Shock hazard information: https://www.cpsc.gov/recall-hazards/electrical-shock
American Red Cross, Flood Safety: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/flood.html
Ready.gov (FEMA), Floods: https://www.ready.gov/floods
Ready.gov (FEMA), Utility Shut-Off and Safety: https://www.ready.gov/utility-shut-safety
Insurance Information Institute, How to file a homeowners claim: https://www.iii.org/article/how-to-file-a-homeowners-claim

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