Pipe burst? Drain backed up? Hot water out? Phone first.
Same-day callouts across East Auckland. I keep my afternoons flexible because that's when most reactive work lands. If I can't get there today, I'll tell you that on the phone — not after I've taken a deposit.
The calls that don't wait until next week.
Anything that's leaking, flooding, blocking, or letting cold water through a hot tap. The classic reactive list — and the unusual one too.
- Burst pipes. Mains, hot, cold, embedded copper, push-fit gone walkabout. Isolating, repairing, and pressure-testing the line before I leave.
- Blocked mains and gully traps. Clearing the line, finding the cause, and saying honestly whether the section needs replacement now or watching for six months.
- Hot water failures. Cold showers in the morning. Loud cylinder. Element gone, valve weeping, thermostat tripping. Fix where it can be fixed; replace where the maths says replace.
- Slab leaks & ceiling stains. Tracing the leak before the gib comes out. Working with insurers when that's part of the picture.
- Toilets that won't stop running — and the ones that won't flush. Cistern parts, fill valves, blockage clearing.
- Mystery drips. The ones that come and go and only happen on Sundays. I'll take it seriously and find it.
Two minutes that save a lot of damage.
If you're staring at water and waiting for me, here's what I'd be doing while I wait.
Find your mains stopcock and turn it off.
For a burst pipe or anything spraying, the fastest fix is to stop new water joining the party. The mains tap is usually at the front of the house near the boundary, sometimes inside a small concrete box flush with the lawn. Turn it clockwise until it stops.
If you've got a hot water cylinder leaking, isolate the cold inlet to the cylinder as well — that's a separate isolating valve, usually mounted on the wall above or beside the cylinder.
Then call. 021 128 3813. Tell me what's wet and how long it's been wet. I'll talk you through anything else from there.
Take a photo. Or three.
Half the diagnosis happens before I get there. If you can take a photo of the leak, the appliance, the cylinder, or whatever else is involved — text it to 021 128 3813 and I'll know what tools and parts to bring.
Insurance claims, especially: photograph everything before you start moving things or mopping up. Date-stamped phone photos are gold for an EQC or contents claim later.
And if you're not sure whether it's an emergency at all — call anyway. I'd rather tell you it can wait until tomorrow than have you stew about it overnight.
Straight on pricing — no after-hours surcharge sleight of hand.
I quote callouts up front. No call-out fee + first hour + parts markup + travel surcharge maths that you only see at the bottom of the invoice.
For an after-hours emergency I charge a higher hourly rate — and I tell you what it is on the phone before I drive over. If the job turns out to be smaller than expected, the invoice is smaller than expected. If it's bigger, I stop and call you before adding cost. That's the deal.
Most reactive jobs are done in one visit. Where parts need ordering — a specific cylinder, a model-specific cartridge — I'll fix what can be fixed, make the place safe, and book the return visit before I leave.
Not an emergency? I do the planned work too.
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Replacement, repairs, pressure issues, slow recovery — and the calm conversation about whether to repair or replace.
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Renovation rough-ins, fit-offs, single-fixture swaps. Working alongside builders or homeowners.
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Blocked drains, slow gully traps, smelly stacks, downpipe and stormwater work.