Repairs, replacements and planned plumbing
Plumbing services
Find the right help for a leaking fitting, faulty pipework or a planned change to your kitchen or bathroom.
Upkeepone takes plumbing enquiries across London, Essex and Kent. Choose a service below, or describe the problem if you are unsure where it belongs. Include your postcode so we can check the work, access and attendance.
For water actively escaping, call to check availability. An online enquiry does not reserve an emergency visit.
Tell us what needs attention
Discuss your plumbing job
Give the postcode, affected fitting and symptoms. For planned work, describe what you want to change and any access restrictions.
We will need to confirm the scope, charges and attendance. Include a contact number if you would like to discuss the job by phone.
Start with the fitting or symptom
Which plumbing service do you need?
A clear description is more useful than a guessed diagnosis. These service pages explain the work in more detail; the general enquiry form is suitable when the fault is unclear or several fittings need attention.
Taps and mixers
For a tap that keeps dripping, leaks around its body, moves on the basin or has a faulty control. Discuss repair of the existing fitting or installation of a suitable replacement.
Bathroom fittings
For problems involving a basin, toilet, bath, waste or visible bathroom connection. Explain which fitting is affected and whether the problem occurs during use or continues afterwards.
Shower installation
For a new or replacement shower arrangement. Share the proposed product and existing system so plumbing, electrical work and any alterations can be considered together.
Slow wastes and blockages
For a sink, toilet or drain which does not clear properly. Mention any backing-up water and whether more than one outlet is affected; the drainage route may be more appropriate than a supply-pipe repair.
Other pipework or fittings
Describe leaks, overflows, isolation-valve problems or proposed pipework changes in the form. For a pump, water heater, cylinder, macerator or specialist fitting, include its make, model and function if known. We need to check the relevant experience, qualifications and service scope before arranging work.
Boiler, radiator and heating-system enquiries have their own central heating service route. For electrical supply or wiring work, use electrical services. A plumbing enquiry alone does not establish suitability for gas or electrical work.
When water is escaping
Report an active leak clearly
Say where water is appearing, whether it is still flowing and what has been affected. A leak contained within a sink is different from water reaching a ceiling, floor or neighbouring property. If you rent or occupy managed premises, alert the landlord or building manager as well.
Take safe action before waiting for a reply
Stop using the affected fitting. If you know the correct isolation valve and can reach it safely, close it without forcing it. If the valve is stiff, faulty or part of a shared supply, seek help rather than dismantling it. Thames Water explains inside stop valves and shared supplies.
Keep away from wet sockets, appliances, exposed wiring or a wet consumer unit. Water-damaged electrical equipment needs professional assessment before reuse. See Electrical Safety First’s advice on water-damaged electrics.
Call to discuss the leak and check whether attendance can be arranged. Explain if isolation has failed or another property is affected. Do not rely on a form response for an immediate attendance decision.
Agree the installation before buying fittings
Planning a plumbing replacement or alteration
Tell us what you have now and what you want to achieve. Replacing an accessible fitting can be a different job from moving it, changing the pipe route or opening a finished wall. Product dimensions, supply requirements and drainage connections should be considered before an installation is booked.
- Replacement products: share the specification and say who will supply the fitting and associated materials.
- Access and finishes: describe cabinets, tiled enclosures, bath panels and flooring that may restrict the work.
- Other trades: agree responsibility for electrical connections, decoration and making good.
- Water shut-off: mention shared supplies, occupied premises and any restrictions on interruption.
Check any notification requirements
Certain work must be notified to the local water supplier before it starts. This can include alterations to water systems in non-household buildings and particular specialist installations. Requirements depend on the proposed work and the applicable regulations or byelaws; ask the installer to identify what is needed and who will handle it. WaterSafe lists work that requires notification.
Qualified plumbers and engineers are used for the agreed work. Any specialist competence or registration should be checked for that job. Electrical scheme membership does not, by itself, establish a plumber’s suitability for every water installation.
A useful enquiry helps define the visit
What to tell us before attendance
- The property and contact: give the postcode, property type and a number on which you can be reached. Say whether you are the owner, tenant, agent or business contact.
- The problem or proposed work: identify each fitting, when the fault began and whether it is continuous or linked to use. Mention previous repairs.
- Known product details: include a visible brand or model reference and existing paperwork. Photos can help when requested; take them only from a safe position.
- Access and authorisation: explain parking or entry arrangements, restricted working space, opening hours and who can approve further work.
Do not remove covers, move heavy appliances or open walls to collect information. If a part must be identified on site, the assessment and any subsequent visit should be agreed. For several rooms or properties, list the jobs separately so priorities are clear.
Landlords, agents and businesses
Tell us who will meet the engineer, authorise the quotation and receive the invoice. Explain any tenant coordination or water-shutdown arrangements that must be agreed. A site visit, specialist parts or permission from a building manager may be needed before the work can proceed.
Compare the complete work
Plumbing costs, quotations and completion
The cost depends on the fault or installation, labour, materials and access. A headline hourly rate will not necessarily describe the whole job. Discuss the charging basis before attendance and ask for the agreed work and exclusions to be clear.
Before the visit
Confirm any assessment or call-out charge, labour arrangements, travel and VAT. For planned work, check whether the price includes supplied fittings, removal, disposal and making good. Ask how additional work will be authorised.
If more work is needed
Clarify the next step if access, further investigation or ordered parts prevent completion. Ask how a return visit is charged and how the installation will be left. Check the actual product and workmanship terms offered for your job.
At handover, ask what was repaired or installed, what checks were carried out and whether any issue remains. Keep the invoice, part references and applicable care instructions. Raise a continuing fault so the follow-up is understood.
WaterSafe’s guidance on hiring a plumber covers checking qualifications, planning work and comparing quotations.
Postcode-led attendance
Plumbing in London, Essex and Kent
London, Essex and Kent are our priority areas for regular enquiries. Hertfordshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Sussex are also covered, with other UK areas considered by request.
Attendance depends on the postcode, installation, access, travel and appropriately qualified engineer availability. Include the location and proposed work so these can be checked before arrangements are confirmed.
Practical booking questions
Plumbing enquiries: common questions
Which plumbing service should I choose?
Choose the service that best describes the fitting or problem: tap repairs, bathroom repairs, shower installation or drainage. For pipework, an unidentified leak or several problems, use the general plumbing enquiry on this page. You do not need to diagnose the fault; explain what has happened and where it is occurring.
Can I enquire about an urgent leak?
Yes. Call and explain whether water is still escaping, whether the supply has been isolated and the property postcode. We need to check attendance before a visit can be agreed. A submitted form is an enquiry and does not confirm an urgent appointment. Keep clear of water-damaged electrical equipment.
What if the leak is behind a wall or beneath a floor?
Tell us where you have noticed the water and whether there is a safe existing access point. The visible wet area may not identify the source. Assessment, opening-up and making good need to be discussed as separate parts of the work. Leave fixed panels, flooring and appliances in place until access is agreed.
Can you consider work at rented or commercial premises?
Enquiries are welcome from landlords, managing agents and businesses as well as homeowners. Explain who can authorise the work, who will provide access and any opening-hour or water-shutdown restrictions. The installation, scope, postcode and suitably qualified engineer availability must be reviewed before attendance is confirmed.
Can several plumbing jobs be included in one enquiry?
Yes. List each fitting and symptom separately, including any urgent problem. That helps us distinguish routine repairs from work which needs different parts, access or expertise. Confirm the agreed scope and charging arrangements rather than assuming everything can be completed during one visit.
How will I know what the plumbing work costs?
Ask for the charging basis before arranging attendance: any assessment or call-out fee, labour, materials, travel and VAT. Check whether access work, disposal and making good are included. If the fault cannot be priced until it has been inspected, agree the assessment charge and how further work will be quoted and authorised.
Tell us about your plumbing work
Share the symptoms or planned change, your postcode and any access concerns. We can then discuss the suitable service and the arrangements needed.
