What people call about in Billings
Emergency Plumbing
Burst pipe, no water, active leak.
Water that is actively running where it should not be is the one plumbing problem that gets worse by the minute. Shut off the main valve first, then call. Emergency work covers burst and frozen pipes, failed shutoffs, and leaks that are reaching drywall, subfloor, or ceiling.
Drain Cleaning
Slow drains, backups, recurring clogs.
A single slow fixture is usually a local clog in that trap or branch line. Several fixtures backing up at once, especially on the lowest floor, points at the main line instead, which is a different job needing a drum machine or a jetter rather than a hand auger.
Water Heater Repair & Replacement
No hot water, leaking tank, pilot won't stay lit.
Tank water heaters generally last eight to twelve years, and hard water shortens that because scale builds on the tank bottom and the elements. Leaking from the bottom of the tank means the tank itself has failed and is a replacement, not a repair. No hot water with a dry tank is usually a thermostat, element, or pilot problem and is often worth repairing.
Sewer & Main Line Repair
Main line backups, root intrusion, collapsed pipe.
Repeated main line backups in an older home are frequently tree roots at a joint, or a bellied or cracked section of pipe. A camera inspection is what separates a clog that can be cleared from a pipe that has to be repaired or replaced.
Frozen Pipe Repair
Winter no-flow, pipes at risk in crawl spaces.
Pipes in crawl spaces, exterior walls, and unheated garages are the ones that freeze in a Montana winter. Water expanding as it freezes is what splits the pipe, and the split usually only becomes visible as a leak once it thaws, so a pipe that froze is worth inspecting even if nothing is dripping yet.
Fixture & Faucet Installation
Toilets, faucets, sinks, disposals, hose bibs.
Straightforward swaps of toilets, faucets, sinks, garbage disposals, and outdoor hose bibs. Older homes sometimes need shutoff valves or supply lines replaced at the same time, because valves that have not been turned in twenty years often will not reseal.
Leak Detection
High water bill, damp spots, running meter.
A water bill that jumps with no change in use usually means a leak somewhere you cannot see: under a slab, inside a wall, or a toilet flapper passing water continuously. Checking the meter with every fixture off is the first test.
How to shut off the water in a Montana home
Shutting the main valve stops the damage while you wait. In most Montana houses the main shutoff is inside, where the water service comes through the foundation, because an outside valve would freeze.
- 01
Find the main shutoff
Look where the water line enters the house: the basement or crawl space wall on the street side, near the water heater, or in a utility room. Older Montana homes often have it in the crawl space rather than a basement.
- 02
Turn it off
A round handwheel turns clockwise until it stops. A lever-style ball valve turns a quarter turn so the handle sits across the pipe rather than along it.
- 03
If you cannot reach the main, use the local stop
A single leaking toilet, sink or water heater has its own shutoff on the supply line right at the fixture. Turning that one off isolates the fixture without cutting water to the rest of the house.
- 04
If there is no interior valve, use the curb stop
The curb stop sits in a small metal or plastic box at the property line, usually under a round lid marked water. It takes a long curb key rather than a hand, so this is normally the utility's job to operate.
- 05
Open a low faucet to drain the lines
With the supply off, open the lowest faucet in the house. That drops the pressure in the pipes and lets the standing water out at a controlled point instead of through the leak.
- 06
Cut power if water is near electrical
If water is running near outlets, a panel, or a light fixture, switch off the breaker for that circuit before going into the water.
Huntley is worked by the plumbers running out of Billings. Billings is Montana's largest city and spreads well past the city limits, so a plumber's drive time out to Lockwood, Laurel or Shepherd is part of the job.
Where the job goes
The usual way is to phone down a list and leave voicemails
- 1
Tell us the problem
Call or send the form with what is happening and where you are. If water is actively running, shut off the main valve first, then get in touch.
- 2
We pass it to a local plumber
Your job goes to a plumber working in your part of Montana, not a national call center routing it to whoever paid the most for the lead.
- 3
They call you directly
You deal with the plumber from that point on: their schedule, their quote, their work. We are not in the middle of it.
Straight answers
- What should I do while I wait for a plumber?
- If water is actively running, shut off the main water valve. In most Montana homes it is where the supply enters the basement or crawl space, or in a meter box near the street. For a leaking fixture you can often use the local shutoff under the sink or behind the toilet instead. If the leak is near electrical, kill the power to that circuit as well.
- Is a slow drain the same problem as a backed-up house?
- No, and the difference decides the job. One slow fixture is usually a local clog in that trap or branch line. Several fixtures backing up at once, particularly the lowest ones in the house, points at the main line, which needs a drum machine or jetter rather than a hand auger.
- How long does a water heater last?
- Tank water heaters typically last eight to twelve years. Hard water shortens that, because scale builds on the bottom of the tank and on the elements. If it is leaking from the bottom of the tank itself, the tank has failed and it is a replacement; if there is no hot water but no leak, it is often a thermostat, element, or pilot issue and worth repairing.
- Why do pipes burst in a Montana winter?
- Water expands as it freezes, and that expansion splits the pipe. The pipes most at risk are the ones in crawl spaces, exterior walls, and unheated garages. The split often is not visible as a leak until the ice thaws, which is why a pipe that froze should be inspected even if nothing is dripping yet.
- My water bill jumped but I cannot see a leak. What now?
- Turn off every fixture in the house and look at the water meter. If it is still moving, water is going somewhere. The most common hidden causes are a toilet flapper passing water continuously, an irrigation line, or a leak under a slab or inside a wall.
- What causes recurring main line backups in an older home?
- Usually tree roots finding a joint, or a section of pipe that has cracked or settled into a belly where waste collects. Clearing it restores flow for a while, but the same spot backs up again. A camera inspection is what distinguishes a clog that can be cleared from a pipe that needs repair.
- Does it cost anything to use this site?
- No. There is no fee, no account, and no signup. You pay the plumber directly for whatever work you agree to with them.
One call instead of nine.
The usual way to find a plumber is to phone down a list and leave voicemails.
- You describe the job once
- It goes to a plumber working in your area
- They call you back directly
- Free to you. No fee, no signup, no account
Covering Missoula, Billings, Great Falls and the surrounding communities.