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As your emergency plumber in Malibu, CA, we stop the water, protect your floors and fix the part that failed. Then we tell you if anything else looks close to going.
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Local Emergency Plumber in Malibu, CA
Burst pipe, backup or leaking water heater? Call first. We'll give you an honest arrival window and walk you through shutting it off.
Written by Sergio, owner of Malibu Plumbing Pros. Last updated October 2026.
Water is coming through the ceiling. The toilet won't stop rising. Or there's a puddle under the water heater that wasn't there an hour ago. You need an emergency plumber in Malibu, CA, and you need a straight answer fast. Call us at (310) 359-0140 first. I'm Sergio, and I'll tell you on the phone how fast we can get to you, what to shut off right now, and if it can safely wait until morning.
I won't promise a time I can't keep. PCH traffic, canyon roads and fire closures are real out here. What I will do is be honest about the wait, give you a price before any work starts, and stay until the water is stopped. You talk to me, not a call center.
When Emergency Plumbing May Be the Right Next Step
Sound familiar? These are the calls we get most.
A pipe burst and water's everywhere
Water spraying under the sink, inside a wall or out in the yard, and you can't find the shutoff.
Sewage coming up in the tub
Dirty water in the shower when you flush. On a septic home, that often means the line to the tank is blocked.
Water heater is leaking
A puddle under the tank, water dripping from the side pipe, or no hot water and a wet garage floor.
Ceiling stain keeps growing
A brown spot or a drip from the ceiling under a bathroom. Something upstairs is leaking and it won't stop on its own.
Shutoff valve won't turn
The old valve is stuck, or the handle snapped off, and now you can't stop the water yourself.
I smell gas by the heater
A rotten egg smell near the stove, dryer or water heater. Get everyone out first, then call the gas company.
Emergency Plumber in Malibu, CA for Homes & Businesses
Shops, restaurants & property managers
Restaurants, shops, vacation rentals and property managers call us when a leak or backup shuts things down. We work around your guests and hours when we can.
Request Commercial QuoteOur Approach
Same four steps on every emergency plumbing job.
- STEP 01
Talk it through
You call, I answer. I tell you what to shut off, what it might be, and an honest time window.
- STEP 02
Stop the water
First job on site is stopping the damage: the main valve, the fixture valve or the water heater supply.
- STEP 03
Find the real cause
We find what actually failed, show you, and give you the price before we fix it.
- STEP 04
Fix, test, clean up
Repair it, run water to test it, then clean up. Drop cloths down, wet stuff out, no mess left.
On this page
When the leak is hiding where nobody can find it
Lots of Malibu homes have been added onto and remodeled over the years. So pipes don't always run where you'd think. Shutoffs get buried behind drywall, under a deck or behind a planter. Hillside homes can have a long supply line from the meter, with a few joints out there in the dirt. When something lets go, the water shows up far from the actual break.
A leak nobody can find is the kind of call that sends folks hunting for an emergency plumber in Malibu, CA, and other plumbers walk away from it. Truth is, it's my favorite kind. We trace the line, listen for it, open the smallest hole we can, fix it right and tell you exactly what we did. Happens all the time with older houses here, and with brand new ones too. After the 2018 Woolsey Fire and the January 2025 Palisades Fire, a lot of homes got all new plumbing. New is great, but a fitting that wasn't crimped right can still let go in year one.
What to do before an emergency plumber in Malibu, CA gets there
- Shut off the water. The main valve is usually where the pipe comes into the house, often on the side facing the street or the meter. A lever handle turns a quarter turn. A round handle turns clockwise until it stops.
- Water heater leaking? Turn off the cold water valve on top of the tank. For gas, turn the knob to "off". For electric, flip its breaker.
- Toilet overflowing? Turn the small valve behind it clockwise. Then stop flushing anything in the house.
- Keep people away from wet outlets and anything electric sitting in water.
- Take photos before you clean up. Your insurance company will want them.
Valve stuck? Don't force it with a wrench. Old valves snap, and then it's worse. Call us and I'll talk you through it. If the water is coming up between the street and your meter, that's the water company's pipe. Most of Malibu is served by LA County Waterworks District 29, and they take water leak reports around the clock at 1-877-637-3661.
Smell gas? Don't call from inside. SoCalGas says to leave the area right away, don't flip lights or switches, and call them at 1-800-427-2200 from somewhere safe. Once they've made it safe, we can fix the gas line or the connection to your appliance.
Is it really an emergency, or can it wait?
Before you call any emergency plumber in Malibu, CA late at night, here's the honest answer: a lot of calls can wait until morning, and waiting kinda always saves you the after-hours price. This is how I sort it.
- Call now: water you can't shut off, sewage coming up inside, water near wiring, or no water to the house at all.
- Usually can wait: a dripping faucet, a slow drain, a running toilet, or a water heater that quit but isn't leaking.
A running toilet still matters. The EPA says one leaky or running toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons a day. But turning off the valve behind it fixes that tonight for free. Thats a call for tomorrow, at the normal price. If I think it can wait, I'll tell you, even if it means I don't get the job tonight.
Backups on septic homes need a different plan
Most of Malibu isn't hooked up to a city sewer. Homes here use onsite wastewater treatment systems, called OWTS, which is the official name for septic. The City of Malibu Environmental Health office oversees them. Only the Civic Center area ties into a small treatment plant, which opened in 2018.
So when every drain in the house backs up at once, the block is usually in the pipe between the house and the tank, or the tank is full. We clear and fix the pipe. We don't pump tanks. That's done by City-registered OWTS practitioners, and the city keeps a list of them. If you have a newer "advanced" system with pumps and alarms and the power is out, go easy on water until it's back on.
What emergency plumbing costs, and if it breaks again
Hiring an emergency plumber in Malibu, CA costs more than a daytime visit. That's true everywhere. We give you a price before work starts, every time. For a sense of the national range, Angi's 2026 cost guide puts emergency plumbers at $100 to $500 an hour, with an average near $170 an hour and holiday calls up to $600. They say emergency rates run 1.5 to 3 times normal rates, and many companies add a trip fee of $150 to $300.
What changes your price the most: the time of day, how hard the pipe is to reach, and if the part is on the truck or has to be picked up. If something we fixed isn't right, call me. We come back and make it right. That's Sergio's Done-Right Guarantee.
What to Expect
Here's what to expect when you call us as your emergency plumber in Malibu, CA.
Time: Most stop-the-leak repairs are done in one visit. Bigger repairs, like a pipe under a slab, can take a second day once the water is off and safe.
Mess: Drop cloths go down first. We wet-vac what we can, haul off the old parts, and leave the area clean. Drying out walls and floors is a job for a water damage company, and I'll tell you if you need one.
Permits: Small repairs usually don't need one. Replacing a water heater or running new pipe does, and in Malibu that goes through City of Malibu Building Safety. We handle it.
Cost: Price up front, before work starts. National range is $100 to $500 an hour for emergency calls, per Angi.
Last updated October 2026.
Emergency Plumber in Malibu, CA FAQ
Straight answers to what people ask on the phone.
All plumbing FAQsAre you open all night, every night?
No, and I won't pretend we are. Call (310) 359-0140 any time. If I can come, I'll tell you when. If I can't get there fast enough, I'll say so and walk you through shutting the water off so the damage stops while you line up help. You'll always get a straight answer.
How fast can an emergency plumber in Malibu, CA get to me?
It depends on where you are and what PCH is doing that day. Malibu runs about 21 miles of coast, so Leo Carrillo to Topanga Beach is a real drive. Call and I'll give you an honest window, not a guess to keep you on the phone. If it's too long, I'll tell you.
Do you charge more at night or on weekends?
Yes, after-hours work costs more just about everywhere. I'll tell you our price on the phone before we head out. Angi's national data says emergency rates run 1.5 to 3 times normal. If your problem can safely wait until morning, I'll tell you that and save you the money.
Sewage is coming up in my tub. What do I do?
Stop using every sink, tub, toilet and washer right away. Every drop you send down ends up on your floor. Then call us. On most Malibu homes the backup is in the line to the septic tank, or the tank is full. We'll clear the line, and if the tank needs pumping we'll tell you who to call.
Do you take emergency calls in Topanga and the Palisades?
Yes, Topanga and Pacific Palisades too, not just Malibu. Canyon roads and fire closures can change drive times, so call and I'll tell you straight how long it'll take. See our Topanga and Pacific Palisades pages for more.