Emergency line, 24/7
What happens when you call at 2 a.m.
- 01
Step 1: A person answers
Not a recording. Marta Vazquez or another dispatcher picks up at the shop, and can switch to Spanish.
- 02
Step 2: Four quick questions
Where you are, what's wet, whether the water is off, and whether anyone is hurt or smells gas. If someone is hurt or you smell gas, leave and call 911 or your gas utility first.
- 03
Step 3: A text with who's coming
The tech's name and an arrival window. We don't promise a time we can't keep.
- 04
Step 4: Water off first
The tech stops the water before anything else, then looks for the cause.
- 05
Step 5: Price in writing, then work
The after-hours rate is said on the phone and written on the quote. You can say no.
Nights and weekends
Who answers, and do nights cost more?
Yes, nights cost more. Here is what changes and what doesn't.
| Weekday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. | After hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Weekday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.The dispatch desk, led by Ayana Wooten | After hoursNight dispatcher, Marta Vazquez or a colleague |
| Who comes | Weekday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.A tech from the day schedule | After hoursThe tech on the night rotation |
| Rate | Weekday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.Standard rate | After hoursAfter-hours rate, told on the phone |
| When you hear the price | Weekday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.Before work, in writing | After hoursBefore work, in writing |
Shutoff guide
Where's my main shutoff?
Look in these places, in this order.
On the front wall, near the hose bib
A valve on a copper or plastic pipe, often with a lever handle. Turn it a quarter turn so the handle sits across the pipe.
In the box at the street
A lid in the ground by the curb. The city's valve there is theirs; use the one at the house if you can. If you can't find one, tell the dispatcher.
Inside the garage
Many homes keep the water heater in the garage, with a shutoff valve on the pipe above it. That stops hot-water lines only.
Still can't find it?
Call. The dispatcher can talk you through it, or send a tech who will find it first and fix the leak second.
Water running now? Call.
A person answers, any hour.
Emergency line, 24/7.