Quincy · Emergency Plumbing
No water, a split pipe, or a backup in a Quincy home or apartment? First find out whether the trouble is in the street or your house, close your shutoff, then call to reach an independent local plumber.
Quincy, Massachusetts
When the faucets sputter or a pipe gives way in Quincy, it pays to ask one thing before anything else: is the problem under the street or inside your walls? The city's water report says about a fifth of its pipe is unlined cast iron more than 85 years old, and crews replaced 6.4 miles of main on 30 roads in 2024 alone. A break or a repair on the street can leave a whole block dry, and no plumber can fix that from your basement.
If the trouble is on your side, Quincy's housing shapes what happens next. More than half of the city's homes were built before 1960, and most occupied units are rented, so a leak often involves an upstairs neighbor, a landlord, or a condo association as well as the person with water on the floor.
This page helps you sort out who to call, what to do in the first minutes, and how to hire carefully. Calling or sending a request puts you in touch with an independent plumber who takes Quincy jobs. We're a referral site, not a plumbing company.
If your faucets quit and water is running down the street, the likely cause is a main break or a leak on the city's side. Call the city first.
Water dripping from a light fixture or a bulging ceiling in a two-family or condo usually starts in the bathroom or kitchen overhead. Knock upstairs, then shut off what you can.
Wastewater at a basement floor drain or shower means the house line or the street sewer is blocked. Have everyone in the building stop using water.
After a coastal storm, water surrounding the water heater, boiler, or panel is a hazard before it's a repair. Keep out of it.
Local knowledge
These city rules and conditions decide who handles which part of the problem.
Aging Street Mains
Quincy estimates that about 22% of its pipes are unlined cast iron more than 85 years old. If neighbors lose water at the same time you do, or water is surfacing in the road, report it to the DPW Water, Sewer and Drain Division before calling a plumber.
Sewer Line Cleaning
For homes of four units or fewer, the owner is responsible for the sewer line from the foundation to the edge of the sidewalk, and the city offers one cleaning of that line each fiscal year at no charge. During a slow backup, ask the DPW whether your yearly cleaning is still available.
Source: City of Quincy DPW
Coastal Flooding
A state case study says the Adams Shore coastline, including Houghs Neck, is highly susceptible to coastal flooding and holds most of Quincy's repetitive-loss properties. Storm tide in a basement brings salt water and debris to the water heater and electrical panel, which makes safety the first job.
Right now
Take these steps in order and stop at the first one that applies to you.
Stay out of a flooded basement if outlets, the panel, or appliances are wet, and call 911 or National Grid from somewhere dry. If you smell gas, go outside before calling 911 or National Grid. If sewage has reached living space, move people and pets away from it.
Look outside and ask a neighbor whether their water is off too. Water in the road or a block-wide outage is a city matter, so contact the Quincy DPW Water, Sewer and Drain Division.
For a leak inside, close the main valve where the service enters the basement. In a two-family or condo, there may also be a shutoff for each unit, so find yours and tell the plumber how the units are fed.
If you rent or live in a condo, notify the owner or the management company as soon as the water is off, and note the time you called.
What to expect
Expect the plumber to confirm the leak is on your property before doing anything else, since the city's responsibility for water stops short of your plumbing and the owner's sewer line runs from the foundation to the sidewalk edge. In a multi-unit building they may need to get into more than one apartment to trace a leak, so line up access with the neighbors if you can.
Quincy's Inspectional Services Department moved all of its permits online, and its Plumbing and Gas Department inspects repairs and alterations. An emergency fix made at night can still need a permit afterward, so ask the plumber whether they'll file it and when an inspection will happen.
If the visit is after a coastal storm, the plumber may advise waiting for the panel and gas equipment to be checked before restarting anything that got wet. That's normal, and it's a good reason to keep the first visit focused on stopping water and making the house safe.
Hire smart
Plumbing and gas fitting in Massachusetts require a license from the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, and most plumbing work needs a permit from the town's plumbing inspector.
Before work starts, ask for the plumber's license number and look it up on the Massachusetts occupational license search; it takes a minute on a phone.
Most pipe repairs need a plumbing permit from the city, and only a plumber with a Massachusetts license can apply for one through Quincy's online system.
In a condo or rental, ask the plumber to note on the invoice which unit the failure came from, which helps owners, associations, and insurers sort out responsibility.
If the night's work is temporary, get the permanent repair estimated in writing so you can decide calmly and compare.
Costs
The first cost question in Quincy is whose pipe failed. A leak on the city's side shouldn't be on your plumber's bill, so a quick call to the DPW can save you a service visit you don't need.
On your side, the price follows the hour, how many units the plumber must get into, how much ceiling or wall has to be opened in an older building, and whether a storm has every plumber in the city busy. Ask how the visit is charged before work begins, and ask for the emergency fix and any follow-up work to be priced separately in writing.
More help in Quincy
Every page below is written for Quincy homes. Or start from the Quincy plumbing guide.
Learning Center
A short list of the right questions tells you more about a plumber than any ad. Use these on the phone, during the site visit, and before you sign off on an estimate.
Read the guide
Massachusetts has some of the clearest plumbing rules in the country. Here is how to use them to pick a plumber with confidence, whether the job is a dripping shutoff or a full repipe.
Read the guideQuestions
Still not sure? Send a short request and a local pro can answer the specifics.
It might be. If neighbors are out too, or water is coming up through the street, contact the Quincy DPW Water, Sewer and Drain Division. If only your home is dry, a frozen pipe, a closed valve, or a failure on your service line is more likely, and a plumber can trace it.
For homes of four units or fewer, the city will clean the owner's sewer line once each fiscal year at no charge. Call the DPW to ask whether it can help in your situation. If sewage is already in living space, deal with safety first and don't wait to get help.
Keep out of the water until power to the basement is safely off, and call 911 or National Grid if the panel or appliances are wet. Once it's safe, a plumber can check the water heater, boiler connections, and drains, and the electrician or gas company can check their parts.
Tenants should tell the landlord right away; condo owners should contact both the association and the owner of the unit above if that's where the water is coming from. Close the shutoff you can reach, and keep notes and photos for whoever handles the claim.
No. Quincy treats a sump pump or gutter downspout that drains into the sewer as unauthorized use. Discharge water outside, away from the foundation, and ask a plumber about a proper sump setup once the emergency is over.
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