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Emergency Services 24H
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Nine emergency trades, one request

The trades we get to your door when something fails

Water coming through a ceiling, no heat in January, a door that will not open. Tell us the trade and what has failed, and your request goes to local contractors who cover that work.

Get help now See all nine trades

Before you request anyone

  1. 1Kill the source. Water at the main valve, power at the breaker, gas at the meter.
  2. 2Fire, gas or injury? Leave and call 911 before anything else.
  3. 3Photograph it before you clean up, or your insurer may not pay.
Request a contractor

The nine trades

Pick the trade that matches what failed

Each page covers the specific failures in that trade, what the repair costs, and what you can safely do before anyone arrives. Every one of them carries the same request form, and all of them route through Emergency Services 24H to local contractors in your area.

Emergency Plumbing

Burst pipes, no water, water-heater failures. Your request goes to local plumbers, and the rate tables come first.

Water Damage & Restoration

Flooded basements and the 24-48 hour mold clock. Certified restoration crews, plus what your insurer will actually cover.

Emergency HVAC

No heat in January, no cooling in July, or a carbon-monoxide warning. HVAC techs dispatched around the clock.

Lockout & Locksmith

Locked out of a house or car, or need locks changed tonight. Local locksmiths, asked to quote up front, no bait-and-switch.

Emergency Electrical

Breakers that will not reset, burning smells, sparking outlets. Local electricians for the faults you must not touch.

Appliance Repair

Fridge, washer, dryer and oven failures, with the repair-or-replace math before a technician is dispatched.

Garage Door

A snapped torsion spring, a door off its track, a car shut in. Garage door technicians and honest spring pricing.

Pest Emergencies

A wasp nest by the door, a sudden rodent problem, bed bugs. Local exterminators, same-day where available.

Storm, Roof & Tree

A roof leaking mid-storm or a tree on the house. Emergency tarping, tree removal, and documentation for the claim.

Why a fast dispatch matters

Home emergencies punish delay. A supply line that lets go at 2am moves clean category-1 water through drywall and subfloor for hours, and the 24 to 48 hour window before mold begins starts the moment it does. The value of a fast dispatch is not convenience, it is the size of the eventual repair.

Finding a trustworthy trade at 2am is genuinely hard. Directories are stuffed with national call centers that subcontract to whoever answers, and the locksmith category has a documented bait-and-switch pattern.

  • This site publishes the price ranges and the safety steps before it asks you for anything.
  • It checks a license before it routes a request.

If water is moving right now, start with the main shut-off valve guide, then send the request below.

What happens after you submit a request Step 1, You describe it: Trade, what failed, how soon you need someone. Step 2, We match: Routed to contractors who work in that trade in your area. Step 3, They call you: The contractor contacts you directly and quotes the job. Step 4, You decide: Hire, or do not. No fee to you either way. What happens after you submit a request 1 You describe it Trade, what failed,how soon you needsomeone. 2 We match Routed to contractorswho work in thattrade in your area. 3 They call you The contractorcontacts you directlyand quotes the job. 4 You decide Hire, or do not. Nofee to you eitherway. Emergency Services 24H is paid a referral fee by the contractor. You pay nothing for the match.
What happens after you submit a request Step 1, You describe it: Trade, what failed, how soon you need someone. Step 2, We match: Routed to contractors who work in that trade in your area. Step 3, They call you: The contractor contacts you directly and quotes the job. Step 4, You decide: Hire, or do not. No fee to you either way. What happens after you submit… 1 You describe it Trade, what failed, how soon youneed someone. 2 We match Routed to contractors who work inthat trade in your area. 3 They call you The contractor contacts youdirectly and quotes the job. 4 You decide Hire, or do not. No fee to youeither way. You pay nothing for the match.
The referral chain, including the step where your details reach a third-party contractor. Nothing is passed on until you submit the form.

Which failures are actually emergencies

Not every broken thing needs a contractor tonight, and being told otherwise is how people end up paying an after-hours premium for a repair that could have waited until Tuesday. The dividing line is whether the situation is getting worse on its own.

Is this an emergency, or can it wait until morning? Stop. Call 911 first: Any smell of gas, indoors or at the meter; Smoke, sparks, or a burning smell from a panel or outlet; Water reaching outlets, a panel, or a running appliance; A carbon monoxide alarm sounding; A tree or structural member through the roof or a wall; Anyone injured, or symptoms of CO exposure. Contractor tonight: Water actively entering the building and not stopping; No heat with outdoor temperatures near or below freezing; A sewage backup into the living space; Locked out of the house overnight or in extreme weather; A garage door jammed open on a ground-floor entry; A breaker that will not reset on a circuit you need. Can wait for an appointment: A slow drip you can catch in a bucket; One appliance failed but nothing else is affected; A garage door that works but sounds wrong; AC underperforming in mild weather; A wasp nest away from doors and walkways; Cosmetic damage after the water is already stopped Is this an emergency, or can it wait until morning? Stop. Call 911 first Leave the building Any smell of gas, indoors or atthe meter Smoke, sparks, or a burning smellfrom a panel or outlet Water reaching outlets, a panel,or a running appliance A carbon monoxide alarm sounding A tree or structural memberthrough the roof or a wall Anyone injured, or symptoms of COexposure Contractor tonight Damage is compounding Water actively entering thebuilding and not stopping No heat with outdoor temperaturesnear or below freezing A sewage backup into the livingspace Locked out of the house overnightor in extreme weather A garage door jammed open on aground-floor entry A breaker that will not reset on acircuit you need Can wait for an appointment Book in normal hours A slow drip you can catch in abucket One appliance failed but nothingelse is affected A garage door that works butsounds wrong AC underperforming in mild weather A wasp nest away from doors andwalkways Cosmetic damage after the water isalready stopped When in doubt, treat it as the more serious lane. A false alarm costs nothing.
Is this an emergency, or can it wait until morning? Stop. Call 911 first: Any smell of gas, indoors or at the meter; Smoke, sparks, or a burning smell from a panel or outlet; Water reaching outlets, a panel, or a running appliance; A carbon monoxide alarm sounding; A tree or structural member through the roof or a wall; Anyone injured, or symptoms of CO exposure. Contractor tonight: Water actively entering the building and not stopping; No heat with outdoor temperatures near or below freezing; A sewage backup into the living space; Locked out of the house overnight or in extreme weather; A garage door jammed open on a ground-floor entry; A breaker that will not reset on a circuit you need. Can wait for an appointment: A slow drip you can catch in a bucket; One appliance failed but nothing else is affected; A garage door that works but sounds wrong; AC underperforming in mild weather; A wasp nest away from doors and walkways; Cosmetic damage after the water is already stopped Is this an emergency, or can it… Stop. Call 911 first Leave the building Any smell of gas, indoors or atthe meter Smoke, sparks, or a burningsmell from a panel or outlet Water reaching outlets, a panel,or a running appliance A carbon monoxide alarm sounding A tree or structural memberthrough the roof or a wall Anyone injured, or symptoms ofCO exposure Contractor tonight Damage is compounding Water actively entering thebuilding and not stopping No heat with outdoortemperatures near or belowfreezing A sewage backup into the livingspace Locked out of the houseovernight or in extreme weather A garage door jammed open on aground-floor entry A breaker that will not reset ona circuit you need Can wait for an appointment Book in normal hours A slow drip you can catch in abucket One appliance failed but nothingelse is affected A garage door that works butsounds wrong AC underperforming in mildweather A wasp nest away from doors andwalkways Cosmetic damage after the wateris already stopped When in doubt, treat it as the more serious lane.
If a situation sits between two lanes, treat it as the more serious one. A callback you did not need costs nothing; a delayed gas leak can cost everything.

What emergency work costs

These are national ranges for after-hours work, drawn from published 2026 cost data and cross-checked against prices homeowners report. Treat them as a sanity check on a quote, not a promise. Region, time of day, equipment age and access all move the number, and a diagnostic fee is usually separate.

Typical after-hours emergency call-out ranges (US, 2026) Locksmith, house lockout: $75 to $250, most often around $150. Emergency plumber, call-out: $150 to $650, most often around $350. Emergency electrician: $150 to $700, most often around $400. Garage door spring pair: $200 to $600, most often around $350. HVAC after-hours repair: $150 to $800, most often around $450. Water damage, first response: $450 to $3,500, most often around $1,400. Source: Aggregated 2026 US cost guides, cross-checked against UGC-reported prices. Typical after-hours emergency call-out ranges (US, 2026) Includes the emergency call-out premium. Parts and major replacement are extra. $0 $500 $1k $1.5k $2k $2.5k $3k $3.5k Locksmith, house lockout $75–$250 Emergency plumber, call-out $150–$650 Emergency electrician $150–$700 Garage door spring pair $200–$600 HVAC after-hours repair $150–$800 Water damage, first response $450–$3,500 Most commonly reported figure Source: Aggregated 2026 US cost guides, cross-checked against UGC-reported prices
Typical after-hours emergency call-out ranges (US, 2026) Locksmith, house lockout: $75 to $250, most often around $150. Emergency plumber, call-out: $150 to $650, most often around $350. Emergency electrician: $150 to $700, most often around $400. Garage door spring pair: $200 to $600, most often around $350. HVAC after-hours repair: $150 to $800, most often around $450. Water damage, first response: $450 to $3,500, most often around $1,400. Source: Aggregated 2026 US cost guides, cross-checked against UGC-reported prices. Typical after-hours emergency cal… Includes the emergency call-outpremium. Parts and major replacementare extra. $0 $1k $2k $3k Locksmith, house lockout $75–$250 Emergency plumber, call-out $150–$650 Emergency electrician $150–$700 Garage door spring pair $200–$600 HVAC after-hours repair $150–$800 Water damage, first response $450–$3,500 Source: Aggregated 2026 US cost guide…
Water damage carries the widest spread because the first response bill depends on how much water moved and how long it sat. Every other trade clusters much more tightly.

The three questions that stop an overcharge

Ask all three on the phone, before anyone is dispatched. A contractor who will not answer them plainly is telling you something useful.

  • What is the diagnostic or call-out fee, and is it credited against the repair if I go ahead?
  • Is the rate quoted the after-hours rate, or does it change once someone is on site?
  • What is your state license number, and are you insured for this trade?

24/7 dispatch network

Tell us what failed

One form covers all nine trades. Give us the symptom and we route it to local contractors who do that work in your area.

Fire, a gas smell, or an injury? Leave the building and call 911 first, then your gas utility or power company. Use this form once you are safe.

  1. 1You tell us the trade and what is happening.
  2. 2We pass your request to local contractors.
  3. 3A contractor contacts you to quote. Free to ask, no obligation to hire.
By submitting this request you agree that Emergency Services 24H and the local contractors in its network may contact you at the phone number and email you provided, including by automated dialing system, prerecorded message, or text.
  • Consent is not a condition of purchase.
  • Message and data rates may apply.
  • You can opt out at any time.
See our privacy policy and terms.
Free to submit. No obligation to hire.
Brass main water shut-off valve with a red lever on a copper riser

While you wait for the callback

Find your main water shut-off before you need it, not during. In most US homes it is where the supply enters the building, on the street side of the meter, or in a basement near the front foundation wall. In slab-on-grade homes it is more often in an exterior box at the property line.

Why that one valve matters

Turning that one valve is the difference between a wet ceiling and a gutted floor. Here is how to find and turn yours, and if a quote you are given does not match the ranges above, our contact page is the place to tell us.

Straight answers

Questions homeowners ask before they submit

Cost, response time and coverage: the checks worth making before you send a request.

Browse all guides
How fast can someone actually get here?

For an active emergency in a metro area, most contractors in the network call back within the hour and can be on site the same evening. Rural areas and severe-weather events stretch that, because every plumber within fifty miles is already dispatched. If nobody has called you within an hour, contact us and we re-route the request.

Does it cost anything to submit a request?

No. The request is free and there is no obligation to hire whoever calls you. Emergency Services 24H is paid a referral fee by the contractor, not by you. What you pay is whatever you and the contractor agree, and you should always get that in writing before work starts.

How do I check a contractor is licensed and insured?

Do not take that on trust from us or anyone. A license has to match the exact trade, the person doing the work and your state, so ask for the number and confirm it with your state licensing board, and ask for a current certificate of insurance, before you authorize anything.

What if I only want a price, not a visit?

Say so in the description field. Many contractors will give a ballpark over the phone once they know the symptom, the age of the equipment and where you are. A firm number almost always needs eyes on the failure, especially for anything behind a wall or under a slab.

Do you cover my area?

The network is nationwide. Coverage is deepest in metro areas and thinner for some trades in rural counties, so the contractor confirms they cover your street when they call. If nobody in that trade can reach you, we tell you rather than sitting on the request.

What happens to my phone number?

It goes to the contractors matched to your request so they can call you, and it is used by us to follow up on whether anyone reached you. It is not sold to advertisers or data brokers. The privacy policy sets out retention and how to have your details deleted.

Is this the same as calling a franchise like Roto-Rooter?

No. A franchise sends its own branded crew. We are a referral service that matches you to independent local contractors, which usually means a wider spread of pricing and availability. The trade-off is that you are comparing several small businesses rather than one national brand.

Should I use this form if I smell gas?

No. Leave the building, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside. Do not flip switches, do not use the garage door opener, and do not wait for a contractor callback. Come back to the form once the utility has made the property safe.

24/7 dispatch network

Get a local contractor moving

Free to submit, no obligation to hire, and a real person on the phone rather than a callback queue.

Fire, a gas smell, or an injury? Leave the building and call 911 first, then your gas utility or power company. Use this form once you are safe.

  1. 1You tell us the trade and what is happening.
  2. 2We pass your request to local contractors.
  3. 3A contractor contacts you to quote. Free to ask, no obligation to hire.
By submitting this request you agree that Emergency Services 24H and the local contractors in its network may contact you at the phone number and email you provided, including by automated dialing system, prerecorded message, or text.
  • Consent is not a condition of purchase.
  • Message and data rates may apply.
  • You can opt out at any time.
See our privacy policy and terms.
Free to submit. No obligation to hire.
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