Plumbing · King's Cross, London
Emergency Plumbing in King's Cross, London
Water does not keep office hours, and neither does the line at [Anytime Plumber London](/). Ring 07588 689186 at 3am on a Tuesday, on a bank holiday afternoon or on Christmas morning and a person answers, asks what the water is doing, and starts finding the independently owned plumbing company nearest to you that suits the fault.
That matters in King's Cross, where the building you are standing in decides how bad a leak becomes. A burst joint on the top floor of a Georgian house in Bloomsbury runs down through four or five storeys of other people's ceilings. A failed valve in a converted hotel off Argyle Square can fill a shared riser. A flat in the new blocks behind Granary Square may have its stopcock in a locked riser cupboard that only the managing agent can open.
Published 2026 London guides put an emergency call-out at roughly £80 to £150 on a weekday daytime, £120 to £200 in the evening and £150 to £250 overnight, with hourly rates of about £80 to £120 after the first hour at night. Those are published ranges, not our quotes. The partner company who attends confirms its own price in writing before any work begins, and invoices and takes payment directly.
Before anyone arrives we text you the name of the partner company that is coming, so you know who to expect at the door. If something goes wrong afterwards, you ring the same number and we chase it. The five minutes below are what you can do while you wait, and most of them are free.
24-hour line · Open 24 Hours
Call now07588 689186Speak to a real person straight away. Or request a free quote
What We Do
Emergencies We Take Calls For
If water, gas pressure or a heating failure cannot wait until morning, ring.
Escaping Water
A burst pipe, a failed washing machine hose, a cistern that will not stop filling or a ceiling that is dripping. The partner company's first job is to stop the water, then dry out the picture and quote the repair. In an older Camden Town terrace that often means finding a stopcock buried under decades of paint.
No Heat or Hot Water
A combi that has locked out in a cold snap, a cylinder that has stopped heating, or a communal system that has left a whole stair cold. We can arrange a same-night visit, and where the fault is the building's shared plant the partner will say so, so the right person gets the call.
Overflowing Toilets and Drains
Foul water coming up a gully, a toilet that fills and will not go down, or a basement drain backing up after heavy rain. Camden has recorded sewer surcharge as its main flood risk, so the partner will check whether the fault is your pipe or the public sewer before clearing anything.
The Benefits
What Happens After You Ring
A short, predictable sequence, whatever the hour.
We Answer and Ask
A person takes the call, asks where the water is, whether you can reach the stopcock and which floor you are on, and writes the fault down so you do not repeat it.
We Match and Text
We pick the nearest partner company that suits the job and text you its name before it sets off. We do not promise a clock time, because we would rather be honest than quote one.
Written Quote, Then Work
The partner assesses, gives you a written price and only then starts. Payment goes to the partner company directly, and you can ring us if anything is not right.
Good to Know
Your First Five Minutes
Do these while the line is connecting you to the right partner.
Make It Safe
Stop the flow and protect the electrics before anything else.
- Turn the stopcock clockwise; try the one under the kitchen sink first
- Switch off the electrics at the consumer unit if water is near sockets or lights
- Open cold taps to drain the system once the stopcock is shut
- Switch the boiler or immersion off if the tank may be empty
- If you smell gas, leave and ring 0800 111 999 before us
Tell Us and Tell the Building
A few facts speed the match up.
- Floor, building type and whether it is a flat, house or mansion block
- Whether you can reach the stopcock, and where it is
- Whether water has reached a neighbour's flat
- Your managing agent or freeholder's out-of-hours number
- Photos of the leak, if you can take them safely
Why Us
Why the Streets Around King's Cross Are Hard on Pipes
Age, hardness and access all add up.
Old Pipe in Old Houses
Bloomsbury and Clerkenwell are full of Georgian terraces now split into flats, offices and hotels. Old lead and early copper supply, shared cast-iron stacks and tall risers mean one failure reaches many neighbours quickly.
Hard Water Wears Fittings
Thames Water supply measured 266 mg/l as calcium carbonate in its 2025 annual mean for the City zone, which is classed hard. Limescale seizes isolation valves, which is exactly when you need them to close.
Tight Streets, Busy Roads
Congestion Charge roads, controlled parking zones and HS2 works at Euston all slow a van down. That is one reason we match by who can reach you, not who is on a list.
If the water is already under control and you want to know why it happened, our guides to blocked drains and leak detection & repair cover the usual culprits, and emergency boiler repair covers a heating failure on a cold night. Browse every service, or read about how we work with partner companies.
What Counts as a Plumbing Emergency?
A plumbing emergency is any fault where waiting until morning makes the damage, the risk or the cost worse. Water that will not stop, sewage that is coming back, water meeting electrics and a total loss of heating in winter all qualify. A weeping joint you can catch in a bowl usually does not.
Work on a home water system is governed by the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, which exist to prevent leaks, contamination and waste, and gas work falls under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Good emergency work respects both even at three in the morning.
What Affects the Price of an Emergency Call
Hour and Day
The same fault costs more at 2am than at 2pm. Published London guides show the step up clearly, from roughly £80 to £150 in the day to £150 to £250 overnight, and the written quote shows which band you are in.
Access and Parts
A reachable stopcock and a common fitting keep a job short. A buried valve, a locked riser or a part that has to be fetched adds time, and the partner will say so before it adds to the bill.
Whose Pipe It Is
If the fault is in a shared riser or the public sewer rather than your own pipework, the call-out may still be needed to make things safe, but the repair bill belongs elsewhere. Saying so plainly, before you pay, is part of the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an emergency plumber cost in King's Cross?
Published 2026 London guides put weekday daytime call-outs at roughly £80 to £150, evenings at £120 to £200 and overnight at £150 to £250, with an hourly rate of about £80 to £120 after the first hour at night. Those are indicative ranges, not our quotes. The partner company gives you its own price in writing before starting, so nothing is a surprise at the door.
Can you really come at 3am or on Christmas Day?
The line is answered at every hour, including bank holidays, and we start matching a partner company as soon as we know the fault. We do not promise a particular arrival time, because that depends on the partner and the roads at that moment. What we do promise is that you will be told who is coming before they set off, by text.
Where is my stopcock in a Georgian house or mansion block?
In houses it is usually under the kitchen sink, in a cupboard near the front door or in the cellar. In flats and mansion blocks it may sit in a communal riser or meter cupboard that the managing agent controls. If you cannot find it, ring us and describe the building, and the partner company will often know where these are fitted in that type of property.
What should I do while I wait for the partner company?
Close the stopcock, switch off electrics near the water and open the cold taps to drain the pipes. Move valuables and rugs, and put a bowl or bucket under any drip. Take photographs of the damage in case you need them later. If you can smell gas, leave the building and ring the National Gas Emergency number 0800 111 999 first.
Is a burst pipe in my flat my problem or the freeholder's?
It depends on where the pipe is. Pipework that serves only your flat is normally yours, while shared risers, stacks and communal plant normally belong to the building and are the freeholder's or managing agent's responsibility. Your lease decides the detail. The partner company will say where the fault sits, so you know who to contact before paying for a repair that is not yours.
Do you charge extra at night or at weekends?
Published London guides suggest evening and weekend work often carries an uplift of around 30 to 50 per cent on daytime rates. Whether that applies is up to the partner company, and it will be set out in the written quote before anything starts. If the figure is not what you were expecting, you are free to say no at that point.
Who actually does the work, and who do I pay?
An independently owned local plumbing company in our partner network does the work. It quotes in writing, invoices you directly and takes payment itself, because we handle no invoices or payments. We answer the line, find the partner who suits the fault, and text you its name before it arrives. If anything goes wrong afterwards, you ring us and we follow it up.
What counts as an emergency, and what can wait?
Escaping water you cannot stop, sewage coming back up, no heating in cold weather for a vulnerable household and anything involving water near electrics are emergencies. A dripping tap or a slow drain can usually wait for a daytime visit, which costs less. If you are unsure, ring and describe it, and we will say honestly whether it needs a night call.
Will the repair be done properly or just patched?
Repairs are built to the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 and the manufacturer's instructions, using WRAS-approved fittings. In an emergency the partner company may make the water safe first and recommend a fuller repair for daylight. It should explain the difference, put both options in writing and let you choose rather than leaving a temporary fix unexplained.
Do you cover Camden Town, Clerkenwell and Bloomsbury as well?
Yes. Our anchor is King's Cross, but the brand covers London, and we regularly arrange work across Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell, Camden Town, St Pancras and Euston. See the pages for Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell and Camden Town for local detail. Ring 07588 689186 and we will match the nearest suitable partner company. Callers from the Euston Road end and the Pentonville Road side are matched in exactly the same way.
What if water has gone through to the flat below?
Stop the flow first, then tell the neighbour and your managing agent. Photograph the damage and keep any damaged items. The partner company will repair your pipe, and a leak detection visit can help if the source is not obvious. Liability for damage is a matter between you, your lease and your own cover, so keep records and do not agree anything on the doorstep.
Can you help with a burst pipe that is hidden in a wall?
Yes. Concealed bursts are common in older buildings where pipes run in chases and under floorboards. The partner company will isolate the supply, find the failed section and explain how much opening-up is needed. In listed or conservation-area buildings that matters, so tell us up front. See burst pipe repair for how those jobs are run.
