Hayes Plumbing answers plumbing emergencies across Whitby 24/7, whether the call comes from downtown Whitby, from Port Whitby by the harbour or from Brooklin in the north of the town. Phone (905) 576-3043 at any hour and a live operator picks up, then sends a licensed plumber out from our shop at 448 Ritson Rd. South in Oshawa, the city where Hayes was founded in 1961. Most of Whitby is usually a 10 to 20 minute drive from the shop. Treat that as drive time, not a promised arrival time, and use the steps further down to limit the damage while you wait.
What counts as a plumbing emergency in Whitby
Any of the following is an emergency, day or night, and worth a call straight away:
- A pipe has burst or is leaking and the water is spreading.
- Water is coming through a ceiling or a wall.
- Sewage or drain water is backing up through a floor drain, toilet or tub.
- A sump pump has stopped while water is rising in the pit or the basement.
- The water heater is leaking from the tank.
- You have no water at all.
What to do before the plumber arrives
Some problems can wait for office hours, Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM: a dripping tap, for example, or a toilet that keeps running after you have closed its own valve. When water or sewage is spreading, work through this list first:
- Shut the water off at the main valve. Whitby homes on Region of Durham water have it next to the water meter, usually at the point where the water line enters the basement. The meter has a valve on either side, and looking after both of them falls to the homeowner.
- A seized valve should not be forced. The Region of Durham can turn the water off outside at the service box (curb stop), emergency shut-offs outside normal working hours included, for a fee that goes on your water bill.
- If the leak is coming from the water heater, or the house water is now off, shut the heater down: an electric tank at its breaker, a gas tank by turning its control to the pilot or off position shown on the label.
- Keep clear of any water near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel. In its flood clean-up advice, the Region says to stay away from electrical equipment and not to change fuses while you stand in water or on damp ground.
- With sewage backing up, stop using the sinks, toilets and washer, and keep children and pets out of the area. Photograph the damage: the Region's advice is to call your insurance company as soon as possible and to hold on to receipts for emergency repair work.
Hayes, the Region of Durham or Enbridge: who to call
The Town of Whitby doesn't run the town's drinking water or sanitary sewers; the Region of Durham does. Which number you need depends on where the problem is:
- Watermain breaks, leaks at the water meter itself, and water service boxes that are broken or raised are for the Region of Durham: 311 or 905-668-7711, or 905-576-9991 for a water or sewer emergency after hours.
- Sewer backups: when the blockage is outside private property, Region crews clear the residential connection between the sewer main and the property line, and the Region repairs the connection from the property line to a point one metre outside the foundation. Repairs inside the house, and within that one metre of the foundation, fall to the homeowner.
- Everything else on your side: the water service pipe on your lot, blocked drains, failed sump pumps, leaking water heaters and the rest of the plumbing in the house. The homeowner repairs these, and this is the work our licensed plumbers do.
- Gas: a smell of rotten eggs or sulphur, or a hissing sound near a gas line, means get out right away. Leave doors and windows open on the way if you can do so safely without delay, and once outside, phone Enbridge Gas at 1-866-763-5427 or 911. Don't use switches or phones inside. Once the area is safe again, call us about repairs to the gas piping or a gas water heater.
Emergency plumbing cost and permits in Whitby
An emergency call has no set price. What it costs depends on what failed, how easy it is to get at and which parts it needs. The plumber explains the problem to you first, and the repair is quoted in writing before any work starts. To budget for the repair that follows, our 2026 Oshawa plumbing cost guide gives these ranges: $150 to $400 for drain cleaning, $500 to $1,500 for water heater installation, and $500 to $1,500 for spot repairs under leak and drain line repair.
If the lasting repair means new or rerouted piping, note that the Town of Whitby includes plumbing, drains and heating systems in its list of typical projects needing a building permit. Permit questions can go to the Town at building@whitby.ca.