When does a leak become a plumbing emergency?

A leak becomes urgent as soon as the water will not stop, a drain backs up into the basement or a pipe has burst, because the damage grows by the hour. A dripping faucet or a slow drain can usually wait for a regular appointment, though they still deserve attention before they get worse.

What should you do while waiting for the plumber?

Shut off the main water supply or the valve closest to the leak, then cut power to the area if water is getting near outlets or the panel. Mop up to limit seepage and photograph the damage before cleaning, since your insurer will often ask for those photos.

How can you prepare for the visit?

Clear access to the problem and to the cleanout, locate the main shut-off, and note how long the situation has lasted and what you have already tried. That information helps the plumber target the cause on arrival instead of starting with a blind diagnosis.

Why do drains clog, and what should you check first?

Hardened grease, hair, wipes and tree roots are the most common causes. Check whether one fixture is affected or several, because several slow fixtures point to the main line. Avoid chemical cleaners, which damage pipes and expose the plumber to corrosive residue.

How do you prevent water damage at home?

Keep an eye on an aging water heater, replace washing machine and dishwasher hoses when they stiffen, and insulate pipes exposed to the cold. Shut off the water before a long absence. In areas prone to sewer backups, a backwater valve in good condition usually lowers the risk.

What makes the cost of a plumbing job vary?

Cost depends mostly on the type of work, access to the pipe, the parts to replace and when you call, since evenings, nights and weekends are usually billed at a higher rate. No price can be guaranteed from a distance: ask for a written quote that separates travel, labour and parts.

Do you need a licensed plumber?

In Québec, plumbing work must be carried out by a contractor who holds a licence from the building authority (RBQ) in the appropriate subcategory. The licence number can be checked in the RBQ public registry, and that check also conditions the financial guarantee if a dispute arises.

Plumbers by city in Quebec

Find a certified plumber in your city. Browse by administrative region.

Plumber near me in Québec

Hard-hatted plumber carrying a toolbox on a renovation job site

Bas-Saint-Laurent

(01)

Rimouski 10 Rivière-du-Loup 5 Matane 2 La Pocatière 1 Amqui 4 Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac 1 Saint-Antonin 1 Saint-Pascal 1 Trois-Pistoles 1 Dégelis 1 Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska 2 Saint-Fabien 1 Saint-Jean-de-Dieu 1 Lac-au-Saumon 1 Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! 1 Saint-Cyprien 1 Saint-Philippe-de-Néri 1 Packington 1 Saint-Damase 2

Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean

(02)

Saguenay 36 Alma 10 Dolbeau-Mistassini 4 Saint-Félicien 1 Roberval 2 Saint-Honoré 2 Saint-Ambroise 1 Normandin 1 Albanel 1 Mashteuiatsh 2 Sainte-Hedwidge 1 Péribonka 1 Saint-Stanislas 1

Capitale-Nationale

(03)

Mauricie

(04)

Trois-Rivières 38 Shawinigan 14 La Tuque 2 Louiseville 4 Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel 2 Saint-Boniface 2 Saint-Tite 2 Saint-Maurice 2 Saint-Alexis-des-Monts 1 Yamachiche 1 Maskinongé 1 Saint-Paulin 1

Estrie

(05)

Montreal

(06)

Montréal 287 Dollard-des-Ormeaux 4 Côte-Saint-Luc 8 Pointe-Claire 4 Mont-Royal 1 Dorval 3 Westmount 2 Kirkland 4 Beaconsfield 2 Montréal-Ouest 3 Montréal-Est 6

Outaouais

(07)

Gatineau 51 Val-des-Monts 7 Cantley 8 La Pêche 2 Pontiac 2 Saint-André-Avellin 1 Maniwaki 2 Thurso 2 Gracefield 2 Papineauville 1 Déléage 2 Ripon 2 Shawville 2 Montebello 1 Otter Lake 1 Chénéville 1 Egan-Sud 1 Lochaber 1

Abitibi-Témiscamingue

(08)

Rouyn-Noranda 11 Val-d'Or 4 Amos 5 La Sarre 1 Malartic 1 Senneterre 1 Clermont 2 Saint-Dominique-du-Rosaire 1 Saint-Lambert 1

Côte-Nord

(09)

Sept-Îles 4 Baie-Comeau 4 Port-Cartier 2 Havre-Saint-Pierre 2 Forestville 1 Fermont 2 Pointe-Lebel 1 Maliotenam 1

Nord-du-Québec

(10)

Chibougamau 2 Mistissini 1 Kuujjuarapik 1 Kuujjuaq 1

Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine

(11)

Gaspé 5 Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine 2 Chandler 1 Sainte-Anne-des-Monts 3 Carleton-sur-Mer 2 New Richmond 1 Bonaventure 1 Caplan 1 New Carlisle 1 Pointe-à-la-Croix 1 Saint-Elzéar 5

Chaudière-Appalaches

(12)

Lévis 29 Saint-Georges 11 Thetford Mines 9 Sainte-Marie 8 Montmagny 4 Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon 1 Beauceville 2 Saint-Henri 2 Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce 4 Saint-Agapit 1 Lac-Etchemin 2 Saint-Prosper 1 L'Islet 1 Sainte-Claire 3 Saint-Gilles 1 Saint-Côme--Linière 1 Saint-Jean-Port-Joli 1 Adstock 3 Beaumont 1 Cap-Saint-Ignace 1 Laurier-Station 1 Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse 2 Saint-Bernard 1 Saint-Martin 1 Sainte-Croix 1 Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce 1 Saint-Pamphile 1 Disraeli 1 Saint-Victor 2 East Broughton 1 Notre-Dame-des-Pins 1 Saint-Malachie 1 Tring-Jonction 1 Saint-Honoré-de-Shenley 1 Saint-Odilon-de-Cranbourne 1 Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière 1 Saint-Patrice-de-Beaurivage 1 Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague 1 Sainte-Sabine 1

Laval

(13)

Laval 148

Lanaudière

(14)

Laurentides

(15)

Saint-Jérôme 24 Mirabel 23 Blainville 15 Saint-Eustache 10 Boisbriand 13 Sainte-Thérèse 4 Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac 6 Sainte-Sophie 10 Saint-Colomban 18 Deux-Montagnes 5 Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines 6 Lachute 6 Sainte-Adèle 4 Mont-Laurier 6 Prévost 13 Rosemère 3 Saint-Hippolyte 6 Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts 2 Saint-Sauveur 3 Mont-Tremblant 9 Bois-des-Filion 5 Lorraine 2 Brownsburg-Chatham 2 Saint-Joseph-du-Lac 4 Pointe-Calumet 2 Oka 3 Val-David 2 Morin-Heights 1 Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs 2 Mont-Blanc 2 Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard 2 Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson 2 Piedmont 2 Saint-André-d'Argenteuil 2 Val-Morin 4 Grenville-sur-la-Rouge 2 Labelle 1 Wentworth-Nord 1 Saint-Placide 2 La Conception 1 La Minerve 1 La Macaza 1 Brébeuf 3 Huberdeau 1 Arundel 1 Lac-Saguay 1

Montérégie

(16)

Longueuil 44 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu 30 Brossard 14 Saint-Hyacinthe 11 Châteauguay 16 Salaberry-de-Valleyfield 12 Vaudreuil-Dorion 9 Boucherville 14 Sorel-Tracy 3 Saint-Constant 3 Chambly 10 Sainte-Julie 5 La Prairie 7 Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville 4 Beloeil 8 Candiac 5 Saint-Lazare 8 Varennes 6 Mont-Saint-Hilaire 6 Sainte-Catherine 8 Saint-Basile-le-Grand 4 Mercier 2 Beauharnois 2 Pincourt 3 Saint-Amable 7 Carignan 2 Marieville 5 L'Île-Perrot 3 Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot 6 Contrecoeur 2 Saint-Zotique 3 Saint-Rémi 5 Otterburn Park 9 Delson 5 Saint-Philippe 2 Rigaud 2 Acton Vale 2 Les Cèdres 5 Les Coteaux 2 Saint-Césaire 4 Saint-Pie 3 Richelieu 6 Sainte-Martine 1 Hudson 2 Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu 2 Ormstown 1 Napierville 3 Saint-Michel 2 Mont-Saint-Grégoire 1 Saint-Liboire 1 Ange-Gardien 1 Saint-Dominique 4 Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil 6 Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu 1 Sainte-Marie-Madeleine 2 Saint-Isidore 1 Saint-Paul-d'Abbotsford 1 Saint-Anicet 1 Rougemont 1 Léry 2 Rivière-Beaudette 3 Saint-Alexandre 1 Saint-Mathieu 2 Sainte-Victoire-de-Sorel 2 Saint-Polycarpe 1 Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu 1 Sainte-Madeleine 1 Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix 2 Sainte-Anne-de-Sabrevois 1 Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka 2 Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu 1 Saint-Patrice-de-Sherrington 1 Sainte-Barbe 2 Sainte-Hélène-de-Bagot 1 Sainte-Angèle-de-Monnoir 1 Pointe-des-Cascades 2 Saint-Robert 1 Yamaska 1 Saint-Ours 2 Saint-Valérien-de-Milton 1 Saint-Clet 3 Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville 4 Franklin 1 Henryville 1 Noyan 1 Saint-Simon 1 Saint-Édouard 1 Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac 1 Très-Saint-Sacrement 1 Sainte-Marthe 1 Saint-Barnabé-Sud 1

Centre-du-Québec

(17)

Plumbing questions, answered

General answers about emergencies, clogged drains and what affects a plumbing bill in Québec.

When does a leak become a plumbing emergency?: A leak becomes urgent as soon as the water will not stop, a drain backs up into the basement or a pipe has burst, because the damage grows by the hour. A dripping faucet or a slow drain can usually wait for a regular appointment, though they still deserve attention before they get worse.
What should you do while waiting for the plumber?: Shut off the main water supply or the valve closest to the leak, then cut power to the area if water is getting near outlets or the panel. Mop up to limit seepage and photograph the damage before cleaning, since your insurer will often ask for those photos.
How can you prepare for the visit?: Clear access to the problem and to the cleanout, locate the main shut-off, and note how long the situation has lasted and what you have already tried. That information helps the plumber target the cause on arrival instead of starting with a blind diagnosis.
Why do drains clog, and what should you check first?: Hardened grease, hair, wipes and tree roots are the most common causes. Check whether one fixture is affected or several, because several slow fixtures point to the main line. Avoid chemical cleaners, which damage pipes and expose the plumber to corrosive residue.
How do you prevent water damage at home?: Keep an eye on an aging water heater, replace washing machine and dishwasher hoses when they stiffen, and insulate pipes exposed to the cold. Shut off the water before a long absence. In areas prone to sewer backups, a backwater valve in good condition usually lowers the risk.
What makes the cost of a plumbing job vary?: Cost depends mostly on the type of work, access to the pipe, the parts to replace and when you call, since evenings, nights and weekends are usually billed at a higher rate. No price can be guaranteed from a distance: ask for a written quote that separates travel, labour and parts.
Do you need a licensed plumber?: In Québec, plumbing work must be carried out by a contractor who holds a licence from the building authority (RBQ) in the appropriate subcategory. The licence number can be checked in the RBQ public registry, and that check also conditions the financial guarantee if a dispute arises.