Emergency Plumbing Repairs in the Charleston Lowcountry
Plumbing emergencies happen. Call An experienced Lowcountry plumber.
Our dispatch fee simply secures your priority slot and goes straight toward the cost of your actual repair—no wasted money, no hidden tricks.
Our Emergency Rates:
Standard Hours: $45
After-Hours (Includes 1st hour): $350
Holidays (Includes 1st hour): $550
Standard Service Hours Plumbing emergencies during our normal business hours are never charged extra—you will always receive our standard, transparent flat-rate pricing.
After-Hours & Holiday Service For late-night, weekend, or holiday emergencies, we bill at an hourly rate. Our primary goal during an after-hours call is to secure your property and stop the leak immediately to prevent further damage. If a permanent fix can be done quickly, we’ll take care of it right then. Otherwise, we will safely isolate the issue and schedule the final repair during normal business hours to help save you money.
Emergency Dispatch Fee We charge a standard emergency dispatch fee to secure your appointment window. Because emergency technicians are dispatched immediately, this fee ensures our team’s time is reserved exclusively for you and helps us maintain a reliable schedule for all of our urgent calls.
What is a plumbing emergency?
We consider the following situations to be immediate plumbing and gas emergencies:
- Active Water Leaks: A pressurized leak that cannot be shut off and is actively damaging your home’s interior.
- Total Water Outage: A complete loss of water supply to the entire home.
- Main Sewer Line Blockage: A backup or clog that completely prevents the use of all toilets, sinks, and tubs.
- Uncontrollable Gas Leak: A suspected gas leak that cannot be safely isolated or shut off.
Your safety is our top priority. Natural gas leaks pose a serious danger. If you suspect a leak and aren’t comfortable turning off the main gas meter, please leave the building right away. Call your gas supplier or emergency services first—then call us, and we’ll be right there to help.
What to do during a plumbing emergency
Plumbing emergencies happen. Most plumbing companies charge extra for after hours and holiday plumbing service – even if they’re charging flat rate. So what should you do if you have a plumbing emergency?
Pressurized Pipe Leak
Immediate Action: Shut off your main water valve or water meter immediately to minimize damage.
Next Steps: Call a plumber. If you successfully stop the flow and can wait until normal business hours, you’ll save on emergency fees. However, if the situation is critical, don’t wait—call right away.
No Water Flowing into the Home
Immediate Action: Check your main shut-off valve to ensure it wasn’t turned off accidentally.
Next Steps: If you know how to read your water meter, check it to see if it registers a high flow rate. If it does, you likely have an underground leak outside. Call a plumber immediately.
Main Sewer Clog
Immediate Action: If using any plumbing fixture causes an overflow—or if upstairs use causes downstairs backups—stop using all water (sinks, toilets, washing machines, and dishwashers).
Next Steps: Locate and remove the sewer clean-out cap in front of your home; a messy yard is much better than a messy house. If you have a tap clean-out near the street and it is full, call the county for free service. If it isn’t full (or you don’t have one), call a plumber.
Gas Leak
Immediate Action: If you smell gas inside your home, go outside immediately and shut off the main gas supply at the meter.
Next Steps: Once the gas is safely turned off, open windows and doors to air out the house (gas dissipates quickly). Call a plumber to locate and repair the leak.
Safety First: If the gas smell is exceptionally strong or you hear a hissing sound, do not attempt to turn off the meter yourself. Leave the area immediately and call 911 or your gas utility provider from a safe distance.
What is (and Isn't) a Late-Night Plumbing Emergency?
Plumbing issues are always frustrating, but calling a plumber in the middle of the night can cost 2 to 3 times the normal rate. Before you dial for emergency service, use this guide to see if your issue can wait until morning to save you money.
No Hot Water
The Reality: Taking a cold shower is no fun, but a lack of hot water isn’t a late-night emergency unless the water heater is actively leaking or flooding.
What to do: If it’s dry, wait until normal business hours to schedule a repair and avoid steep after-hours fees.
Single-Fixture Clogs (Sink, Tub, or Toilet)
The Reality: A clogged kitchen sink or a single backed-up toilet is highly annoying, but it doesn’t warrant a 2:00 AM emergency dispatch fee.
What to do: If you have another working bathroom or sink, leave the clogged fixture alone overnight. We can snake it during regular hours for a fraction of the cost.
Dripping Faucets or Minor Leaks
The Reality: A steady drip won’t double your water bill overnight, nor will it damage your home if the water is contained in the drain.
What to do: Skip the midnight phone call. Place a bucket underneath if necessary, and call us during standard business hours. (Note: If water is actively spraying and causing damage, call us immediately!)
Broken Garbage Disposals
The Reality: Garbage disposals inevitably wear out. However, calling a technician at 1:00 AM just to have them diagnose a dead motor means paying an emergency fee—only for them to return on Tuesday with a replacement part anyway.
What to do: Avoid the extra fee. Leave the disposal alone and call us during the day to schedule a standard replacement.
Toilet “Ghost Flushing”
The Reality: If your toilet randomly flushes or runs every 10–30 minutes, it usually just needs a quick flapper replacement.
What to do: It’s a minor nuisance, not an emergency. Keep the bathroom door shut to block the noise and call us on the next business day.
The Golden Rule:
If water is actively flooding your home and you cannot shut it off, it is a 3:00 AM emergency. If the water is contained, save your hard-earned money and call us during normal business hours!
Our Emergency Plumbing Repair Service Area
Why Do Lowcountry Homeowners Trust Swell Guy Plumbing
For Their Emergency Plumbing Repairs?
- Over 25 Years of Local Experience: We aren’t a massive national franchise, we’re your neighbors. Steven Dyson, owner and licensed plumber at Swell Guy Plumbing, is a lifelong Lowcountry resident with over 25 years local emergency plumbing repair experience. Born and raised in Hanahan, SC – living in Summerville, SC – and operating in Goose Creek, SC. We know the area and strive to maintain a great name in the Lowcountry community.
- Licensed & Experienced: Swell Guy Plumbing is a licensed SC plumbing & gas contractor (M115194). You won’t find our owner sitting behind an air conditioned desk all day because he’s out helping his neighbors solve emergency plumbing leaks.
- Upfront, Transparent Pricing: How many plumbing companies actually post their emergency plumbing dispatch fees online for their Lowcountry neighbors to see before scheduling? Swell Guy Plumbing Co does because we believe in transparent pricing.
- Serving Your Neighborhood: Swell Guy Plumbing works hard to keep your sewer, water, and gas lines flowing in Goose Creek, Hanahan, Ladson, Moncks Corner, North Charleston, Charleston, and Summerville. The Lowcountry is our home and we value the opportunity to help our neighbors solve their plumbing emergencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some common questions we get from customers.
When you have a late-night sewer, water, or gas emergency, you don’t need a sales pitch—you need a solution. We charge hourly because our priority is getting a licensed plumber to your door immediately to isolate the problem and safely restore service to the rest of your home.
We aren’t coming out just to give you a price; we’re coming out to stop the emergency. If a permanent repair isn’t possible right then, we will perform a safe, temporary fix to get your water or gas back on, then return during normal business hours for the final repair to save you money.
Is Your Emergency Plumber A Swell Guy?
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