Burst Pipe? Do These 5 Things in the First Hour (and Protect Your Insurance Claim)
Water coming through the ceiling? Spraying from under the sink?
A burst pipe gives you no warning and no manual. But the first hour decides two things: how much damage your home takes, and how smoothly your insurance claim goes afterwards.
Here's the order to do things in — written for the moment you're standing in the water.
1. Stop the water at the toby
The toby is the shut-off valve at your front boundary, usually under a small lid near the footpath or beside the water meter. Turn it clockwise until it stops.
If it's stiff, buried or you can't find it, turn off the isolation valve under the leaking fixture instead. Anything that stops the flow buys you time.
If the burst is on a hot pipe or at the cylinder, switch off the power (or gas) to your hot water cylinder as well. A cylinder left heating while it drains can cause damage of its own.
2. Kill the power to affected areas
If water is anywhere near power points, light fittings or the switchboard, switch off the affected circuits. If the switchboard itself is wet, don't touch it — stay clear and call an electrician.
Water and live wiring is the one combination worse than the flood itself.
3. Photograph everything before you clean up
This is the step people skip — and regret.
Before the mop comes out, photograph the water, the source if you can see it, and everything it's touched: flooring, walls, skirting, ceilings, furniture. A short video helps too. Your insurer assesses what they can see evidence of, and the mess is the evidence.
4. Then limit the damage
Now mop, towel, lift rugs, move furniture and get air circulating. Open windows. Run a dehumidifier if you have one.
Insurers expect you to take reasonable steps to stop damage getting worse. Acting quickly protects the claim as much as the carpet.
5. Call a plumber who documents properly
Your insurer will usually want a licensed plumber's report on the cause — what failed, where, why, and what the water affected. A repair with a vague invoice can stall a claim for weeks. A repair with a clear report keeps it moving.
When we attend an insurance-related job, the documentation is part of the service: cause identified, photos before, during and after, resulting damage noted, and an itemised invoice your insurer can process without follow-up questions. If your insurer asks for it, we'll write a supporting letter too.
We take after-hours calls, and our call-out and after-hours rates are published in full on our plumbing pricing page — so there's no guessing what an emergency visit will cost.
Most bursts announce themselves first
Genuinely sudden failures happen. But experience has taught us that many "bursts" were quietly leaking first: a creeping water bill, a damp patch, pressure that faded over months.
If you've noticed any of those, leak detection now costs a fraction of the flood later. Our leak locate visit is $210 + GST, and you'll know exactly what we've found before any repair is discussed.
In many Auckland homes built or replumbed between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, the weak point is the pipe itself. Here's how to check for Dux Quest in five minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I turn the water off?
At the toby — the small valve at your boundary, usually under a plastic or metal lid near the water meter. Every adult in the house should know where it is before they ever need it.
Will insurance cover a burst pipe?
That's your insurer's call, not ours — our job is to make their call easy. Photograph everything before cleanup, keep the failed section of pipe, and keep every invoice. We document what we find and repair, and can provide a supporting letter if your insurer asks; the insurer decides cover.
Does the type of pipe affect the claim?
It can. Dux Quest era pipework is treated by many insurers as a known issue — a first sudden leak may be covered while later ones often aren't. If the burst pipe is black plastic with white lettering, that conversation is worth having now. More on Dux Quest and house insurance.
What if the burst is outside, at the water main?
Same first move: toby off. Then it's a water main repair rather than an internal one — different digging, same urgency about not letting it run. A patch of lawn that stays wet in dry weather is often the early warning.
I live in an apartment. Who do I call?
Stop the water if you can, call a plumber, then let your body corporate manager know straight away. Who pays depends on where the leak started — our guide to apartment leaks and body corporates explains how that's decided.
Can a burst pipe be repaired the same day?
Often, yes. Most internal bursts are a straightforward section repair once the water's off. Where the pipe is concealed or the pipework is near the end of its life, we'll explain the options before any work begins.
What areas do you cover?
East and Central Auckland, including St Johns, Meadowbank, Remuera, Mission Bay, St Heliers, Glendowie, Howick, Pakuranga, Ellerslie and Parnell. See our eastern suburbs and central Auckland pages for more.
Water's off? Let's get it fixed properly
Every hour water sits in a wall cavity or under the flooring, the drying-out bill grows — and the claim gets more complicated.
Our plumbers have extensive Auckland plumbing and gasfitting experience. We'll find the cause, repair it properly, and give you the paperwork your insurer needs.
Not urgent any more? Book online and leave your preferred day or time — we'll do our best to fit you in.
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