Burst pipe? Repair costs, and the shutoff drill that saves you $10k of water damage
The pipe repair itself is cheap ($150–$2,100). Everything after the first hour is what costs money.
You're reading this because a pipe just let go, or your kitchen sink turned to a trickle because the line froze — and you can't remember where the main shutoff even is.
Ninety seconds of drill here means fewer thousands in water damage later, plus you'll know the fair price before any plumber quotes you.
Ranges below are national published estimates with wall-access variables marked. When you need a plumber tonight, we match vetted locals free.
Ninety seconds of drill here means fewer thousands in water damage later, plus you'll know the fair price before any plumber quotes you.
Ranges below are national published estimates with wall-access variables marked. When you need a plumber tonight, we match vetted locals free.
Do-this-now drill (memorize it before winter)
- Find your main shutoff NOW (not during the flood). Usually where the water line enters the house — basement, crawlspace, or street-side box. Turn clockwise to close. Tag it with a bright zip-tie; photograph where it is.
- Burst pipe: shutoff first, then open the lowest faucet to drain pressure, then call for extraction + plumber (drying clock started — see the 10-minute plan).
- Frozen pipe: open the faucet slightly, thaw gently from the faucet end backward (hair dryer/heat lamp — never a torch on copper with joints nearby, and never on PVC). No water at all out of an open faucet in freezing weather = suspect the line itself.
- Don't ignore a slow drip on a thawed pipe. A drip after thawing means a crack that's one freeze-thaw cycle from a burst.
Honest cost ranges
| Repair | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Accessible burst pipe fix (copper/PEX patch, no wall) | $150 – $500 |
| Section replacement in accessible wall | $400 – $1,200 |
| Burst pipe inside finished wall / ceiling (cut + patch + repair) | $800 – $2,100 |
| Frozen pipe professional thawing service | $400 – $800 |
| Burst pipe + water damage drying (see hub) | + $1,000 – $5,000 |
National published ranges, November 2026 review. Labor in high-cost metros runs 15–25% higher; slab-access repairs are a different math — see slab leak guide. Sources →
Insurance angle
Burst pipes are the single friendliest water-damage claim you can have — sudden, internal, covered on standard policies. Two conditions: describe it as sudden (it was), and document before demo. Claim wording guide →
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