Emergency plumber in Illinois
Illinois plumbing is basement plumbing: sump pumps, floor drains and older sewer lines, from Chicago bungalows and two-flats to farm homes on wells downstate.
Coverage in Illinois
Covered ZIP codes
816
Cities and towns
679
Most-covered
Chicago, Rockford, Peoria
What to do before the plumber arrives
- Close the main water shutoff, or the fixture's own valve if the leak is at one fixture.
- Keep away from water near outlets or panels; switch off power at the breaker only if you can reach it from a dry floor.
- If sewage is backing up, stop using every sink, toilet and appliance.
- Smell gas? Leave the building first, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside.
Step by step: what to do when a pipe bursts and finding your main water shutoff.
When plumbing emergencies happen in Illinois
Illinois has cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers, with severe thunderstorms in spring and summer. Northern Illinois freezes deeper and longer than the south. Heavy rain over flat terrain and older combined sewers in Chicago-area communities drive basement flooding.
- Spring and summer storms
- Intense rain overwhelms sewers and sump pits, and basement floor drains back up in older neighborhoods.
- Winter
- Pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and attached garages freeze during arctic outbreaks.
Emergency risks specific to Illinois
Basement flooding and sewer backups
When: Heavy rain on combined sewers. What fails: Water or sewage enters through floor drains and sump pits. What to do: Keep the sump pump tested, consider a battery backup and ask about an overhead sewer or backwater valve.
Frozen and burst pipes
When: Arctic air outbreaks. What fails: Supply lines in exterior walls split. What to do: Keep heat on, open cabinet doors on exterior walls and know where the main shutoff is.
Chicago's bungalows, two-flats and greystones often pair clay sewer connections with cast-iron stacks and steel supply pipe, and many have basements below the street sewer. Suburbs built after World War II often have basements with sump pumps, and many farmhouses downstate still draw from shallow or drilled wells.
How an emergency call works
SteadWell is a free referral service, not a plumbing company. Calls to (833) 753-0180 are routed to independent, licensed plumbers who serve the caller's ZIP code; our coverage list includes 816 ZIP codes in Illinois. If no participating plumber serves your ZIP, you're told so. The plumber sets the price and arrival time; no arrival time is guaranteed.
The Illinois Department of Public Health licenses plumbers and apprentices under the Illinois Plumbing License Law, and plumbing contractors must register with the department every year and name a licensed plumber of record. Chicago has its own additional licensing process.
Emergency plumbing in Illinois: questions
What is an overhead sewer in Chicago homes?
It is a system that lifts basement wastewater up to a sewer line that exits above the basement floor, which keeps city sewer backups from flowing into the basement.
Do Illinois plumbing contractors have to register with the state?
Yes. Plumbing contractors register annually with the Illinois Department of Public Health and must have a licensed plumber of record.
How do I check an emergency plumber's license in Illinois?
The Illinois Department of Public Health licenses plumbers and apprentices under the Illinois Plumbing License Law, and plumbing contractors must register with the department every year and name a licensed plumber of record. Chicago has its own additional licensing process.
What does an emergency plumber cost?
National cost guides put emergency labor around $125 an hour on average, with trip fees commonly $100 to $350 and night, weekend or holiday rates 1.5 to 3 times normal. Ask for the price before work starts.