When water escapes where it should not, the first few minutes matter more than anything that comes afterwards. This article explains what you should do, and in what order, as an owner, tenant or property manager when a pipe bursts or water damage occurs — and when you need an emergency service. And if it has to be quick: for burst pipes and water damage, we can be reached around the clock and are usually on site within 60 to 120 minutes in the city of Zurich and the Limmat Valley — call us directly: +41 76 524 98 98. More on the Plumbing emergency Zurich page. If anyone is in danger, call the fire brigade (118).
1. Shut off the water
First things first: stop the water supply. If the water is escaping from a single fixture — under the washbasin, at the WC cistern, at the washing machine connection — the isolation valve right next to the fixture is often enough. If it is not clear where the water is coming from, or the isolation valve will not close, turn off the main stopcock. It is usually in the basement, close to where the water main enters the building, often by the water meter. Blocks of flats also have shut-off valves for each flat or each riser zone, for example in the bathroom behind an access panel or in the storage room.
Our advice for calm days: find the main stopcock today, not in an emergency. Check that it turns, and tell everyone in the household where it is. Property managers would do well to note its location in the house rules or on the noticeboard.
2. Switch off the power in the affected rooms
Water and electricity are a dangerous combination. If water is running near sockets, lights, distribution boards or electrical appliances, switch off the circuit breakers for the affected rooms at the fuse box — but only if you do not have to stand in water to do so. If there is water in the room with the fuse box, or if it is unclear whether live cables have got wet, do not enter the room and call the fire brigade on 118. Electrical appliances that have got wet must stay unplugged until a qualified person has checked them.
3. Limit the damage
Once no more water is coming in, the aim is to stop the damage from spreading: soak up standing water, move furniture, rugs and cardboard boxes out of the wet area, put valuables and documents somewhere safe, and air the rooms. Do not be too quick to throw away anything that is wet but not obviously ruined — your insurer may want to see damaged items. If the flat below is affected, tell the neighbours straight away so that they can also move furniture and appliances out of harm's way.
4. Document everything
Before anything is cleared up and before tradespeople open up walls or floors, take photos: the point where the water escaped, the standing water, wet walls and ceilings, damaged furniture and appliances — ideally an overview plus close-ups. Note the date and time you noticed the damage and what you did about it. Keep the invoices for the emergency service, drying and repairs. This documentation is the basis for any insurance claim and saves arguments later about how extensive the damage originally was.
5. Notify your insurer
Which insurance is responsible depends on what was damaged and who caused the damage. Broadly speaking:
- Building: Damage to the building itself — pipes, walls, floors, permanently installed parts — is a matter for the owner's insurance. Important for the canton of Zurich: the GVZ (Gebäudeversicherung Kanton Zürich, the cantonal building insurer) insures buildings against fire and natural hazards. According to the GVZ, damage caused by burst pipes, backflow from sewer pipes or groundwater is not included in this basic cover; it is covered by a private building water damage insurance policy. Owners should know whether they have such a policy and with which insurer.
- Household contents: Damaged furniture, clothes, appliances and other movable belongings of the occupants are a matter for each occupant's household contents insurance.
- Liability: If someone caused the damage — for example through a washing machine hose that was not connected or a bath that overflowed — their personal liability insurance may be responsible for damage to third parties, for instance in the flat below.
Report the damage as early as possible and ask whether your insurer wants to inspect it before repairs begin. Many insurers have their own round-the-clock claims hotlines for this. Your policy states which cover applies in your case — if in doubt, ask your insurer directly.
6. Notify the property management
As a tenant, inform the property management or your landlord immediately — outside office hours too, by message or via the property management's emergency number if there is one. Tenants are obliged to report to the landlord any defects they are not required to remedy themselves (Art. 257g OR, Swiss Code of Obligations). The property management decides which tradesperson comes and coordinates insurance, drying and repairs. As a tenant, do not commission a company yourself for larger repairs without agreeing this with the property management — unless it is a matter of stopping acute damage.
When you need an emergency service — and when you do not
Not every water leak is an emergency that requires a tradesperson in the middle of the night. The rule of thumb: if the water can be shut off and nobody is at risk, the repair can usually wait until the next working day. An emergency service makes sense if the water cannot be shut off, if turning off the main stopcock would leave an entire block of flats without water, or if waste water is backing up and not draining away.
- Danger to people, water in electrical installations, risk of ceilings collapsing: fire brigade, phone 118.
- The water cannot be shut off or waste water is backing up: this is a plumbing emergency — call us, around the clock. Our project manager will confirm the arrival time on the phone (Plumbing emergency Zurich).
- Leak in the service pipe before the main stopcock or in the public network: your municipality's water utility. You will find their on-call number on their website or from the municipal administration.
- Water shut off, nobody at risk: document the damage, notify your insurer and property management, and call in a plumber on the next working day.
What comes after the emergency
Once the acute situation is over, the real work begins: finding and fixing the cause, drying out the building fabric, restoring damaged surfaces. Walls and screeds are dried by specialist building-drying companies; they measure the moisture levels and tell you when things can be closed up again. Anyone who lays tiles or paints too early traps moisture and risks mould.
This is where we come in. After water damage, several trades are often needed: plumbing to repair the pipe, strip-out of the damaged parts, tiles in the bathroom, parquet in the living area, painting of walls and ceilings. With us, all trades come from a single company, coordinated by one site management team. We check new or repaired pipes with a pressure and leak test and give you the report — a document that insurers and property managers also like to see. You receive the fixed-price quote within 48 hours of the site visit, with labour and materials shown separately, so you can forward it straight to your insurer.
For property managers: prepare rather than improvise
Property managers with several buildings are well served by a clear procedure for incidents: who can be reached outside office hours, which emergency service is called in which case, where the shut-off valves are in each property and which insurance policies apply. For ongoing maintenance and for repairs after damage, a response time can be agreed in the contract. More on this on the For property managers page; you will find our plumbing services under Plumbing.
And if it is happening to you right now: shut off the water, take photos and call us: +41 76 524 98 98. We will work out with you on the phone what is urgent and tell you when we will be on site. For anything that can wait, you can also reach us via the contact form.
This article is general guidance and does not replace the instructions of the fire brigade and emergency services or the terms of your insurance policy. Information on building insurance according to the GVZ (Gebäudeversicherung Kanton Zürich), as of September 2026. If anyone is in danger: fire brigade 118.