Water Leak in House Who to Call: Plumber, Restoration, or Roofer
Water leak in house who to call depends on what is still leaking and what is already wet. If a pipe is running, a plumber (or a main shutoff you can reach safely) is first. If rooms, ceilings, or floors are wet, a restoration contractor is the drying and mitigation trade. If the roof is the path, a roofer stops the weather and a restoration contractor dries the interior. This page is the decision guide. We are a referral network for residential water-damage contractors, not a plumbing company and not a roofing company.
A simple split that prevents two half-done jobs
Stopping the source without drying the walls leaves a mold risk. Drying a house whose pipe is still open is wasted work.
Call a plumber for a supply or drain failure you cannot stop, a water heater that is still spilling, or a toilet flange that needs a reset as a plumbing job. Call restoration for standing water, wet drywall, wet floors, a wet basement, or a ceiling that dripped. Call both when a burst has already wet rooms. Call a roofer when rain is still entering; use the roof-leak page for the interior. For sewage, use sewage cleanup and do not treat it as a household mop job.
The how-to-fix-water-damage page covers first safe steps. The choose-a-company page covers how to judge a restoration contractor. Emergency water damage restoration is the urgent path if water is spreading now. We check restoration-contractor availability after a ZIP. We do not dispatch plumbers or roofers as a primary service, though a given independent contractor may have that relationship.
Insurance does not change who you call first
You generally still have a duty to prevent further damage. Photograph, then act.
Notify the carrier as the policy requires. A contractor can document moisture; they cannot guarantee payment. See the insurance guides. If you are trying to decide based only on cost, the cost pillar is educational, not a bid. Dirty water, electricity in the water, and a sagging ceiling are reasons to stop DIY and use a professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about which trade to call first, split scopes, and when to stop DIY.
If the water is stopped and only a small clean area is wet, you may start with the DIY first steps and then decide. If cavities, floors, or a ceiling are wet, call a restoration contractor. Still have a plumber repair the failed part.
Sometimes. Ask for a split scope anyway: pipe repair versus mitigation. Do not assume a drying bid includes a new pipe.
Someone who can stop further rain if it is safe to do so, and a restoration contractor for the interior. Those are often two trades.
You can call the insurer early, and you should not delay a needed shutoff or extraction to wait on hold. Policies differ. See the claims pages.