Emergency Plumber in Laurens, SC: The First-Hour Checklist

Stop the water

Every minute water runs, the repair gets bigger. Most Laurens houses have a main shut-off where the supply line enters the crawl space or basement, usually on the wall facing the street. If you have never turned it, find it now, before you need it. Old gate valves can break at the stem, so turn them firmly but slowly.

If the house valve will not close, CPW's freeze page describes the property owner's cut-off valve next to the water meter box, under a small metal lid. It recommends a little penetrating oil on the valve before turning it so it does not break. That valve is on your side of the meter and is meant for exactly this situation.

On a private well, switch off the pump breaker. That stops the pressure tank from refilling the broken pipe.

Make the house safe

Turn off power to an electric water heater at the breaker, or set a gas water heater to pilot, once the water is off; heating an empty tank damages it. If water has reached outlets, cords or a panel, keep away from it and shut off power at the main if you can do so from a dry spot. Open a low faucet to drain the lines and an upstairs faucet to let air in.

Move furniture, rugs and boxes out of wet areas, and put down towels to slow the spread. Take photos and video before you clean up. An insurer will want to see the damage as it was.

Sewage is different

If sewage is coming up a floor drain, tub or toilet, stop using water in the house: no flushing, no laundry, no dishwasher. Every gallon you send down has to go somewhere, and the lowest drain is where it comes out. Keep children and pets away, and wear gloves if you have to touch anything.

Inside the city, the line from the house to the main is usually the owner's, while the main is CPW's. If neighbors have the same problem, or there is sewage around a manhole in the street, the main may be blocked; report it to CPW. The sewer backup checklist has the rest.

The permit rule for emergency repairs

Emergencies do not wait for City Hall to open. The City of Laurens FAQ says that where equipment replacement or repairs must be performed in an emergency, the permit application must be submitted to the building official within the next working business day. That covers the classic weekend water heater failure: the plumber can make the house safe and replace the unit, and the permit follows on the next business day.

Ask the plumber who will file it. In practice the contractor usually does, since the City's plumbing permit application asks for the plumbing contractor's name and South Carolina license number. Get the permit number for your records.

In unincorporated Laurens County, ask the County Building Codes office how it handles after-the-fact applications for emergency work, and keep in mind that the County fee schedule charges double for working without a permit.

What counts as a repair that needs no permit

Not every emergency turns into permitted work. The City lists the stopping of leaks in drains, water, soil, waste or vent pipe, the clearing of stoppages, and repairs of leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures as exempt, as long as the work does not replace or rearrange valves, pipes or fixtures. If a concealed pipe has to be removed and replaced with new material, that is new work, and a permit and inspection are required.

So a clamp on a pinhole leak may be exempt, while cutting out three feet of corroded pipe in a wall is not. When in doubt, ask the plumber to tell you which it is before the work starts.

Inspections after the emergency

Once the permit is filed, the inspection needs 48 hours' notice. The City asks for the property address, the permit number, the type of inspection and the site contact. If the inspector has to come back because the work was not ready, was not accessible or failed, a re-inspection fee applies and must be paid before the next visit.

Choosing who to call

When you request help, describe what failed, where the water is, whether you have it stopped, and whether you are on CPW sewer or septic. That lets a plumber judge how urgent the visit is and what to bring. Ask whether the price includes the permit and the inspection, and who will file the permit after an emergency repair.

The Free Quote Request form on this page lets independent plumbers who work in Laurens County follow up. It is free to send. If you need help right away, also check the hiring checklist for the license lookup that takes a minute to do.

After the water is off: a short record-keeping list

Write down when the problem started, when the water was shut off and what you did. Keep the photos, the plumber's invoice describing what failed and what was replaced, the permit number and the inspection result. If water ran for a long time, read the meter and keep that number as well; the high water bill checklist explains what to ask CPW about the next bill.

Figures on this page come from: City of Laurens Planning and Development: Do You Need a Permit? and FAQ; City of Laurens: Plumbing Permit Application (PDF); Laurens Commission of Public Works: Pipes Freezing; Laurens Commission of Public Works: Wastewater; Laurens County, SC Building Codes: Fee Schedule. Checked 2026-10-29.