Every page below follows the same logic: what the problem looks like, how the cause gets found, what the repair options are and what moves the price. Start with the symptom that matches yours. If you are not sure which page applies, call the 24/7 line and describe what you see, hear or smell, and the dispatcher will route the call.
How the services are organized.
Some services carry an emergency label because the problem cannot wait: a burst pipe, a sewer backup, a failed water heater, a flooding basement. Others, such as repiping, tankless water heater service and sewer camera inspection, are planned work where you pick the date. The emergency line covers both, but planned work is scheduled around you.
Drain and sewer problems sit together because they share causes. A slow sink is drain cleaning. A repeating clog may need hydro jetting. Backups across the whole house point to sewer line cleaning or sewer line repair.
Which page should you start with.
- Water on the floor, ceiling or wall: leak detection or burst pipe repair.
- No hot water or a leaking tank: water heater repair or water heater replacement.
- Basement taking on water: sump pump repair and basement waterproofing.
- Low pressure or a wet yard near the meter: water line repair.
- A business with an after-hours problem: commercial plumbing.
Emergency or scheduled: how to tell.
Treat it as an emergency when water is actively escaping, sewage is backing into a fixture, there is no heat in cold weather or a gas smell is present. For a gas smell, leave the building first and call 911 from outside. Everything else can usually be booked for a day that suits you, though a slow problem often becomes a fast one, so a leak that wets a wall today can ruin a ceiling by the weekend.
If you are unsure, call (617) 752-0573 and describe what you see.
Why Dedham plumbing has its own quirks.
About 74 percent of Dedham homes were built before 1978, according to the town's master plan, so many houses carry original supply and drain pipe plus a patchwork of repairs. Water comes from the Dedham-Westwood Water District wells at about 6 grains per gallon, which is moderately hard and shortens the life of water heaters.
Parts of Riverdale and the Manor area are flood prone, so sump pumps and drainage carry real weight here. Each service page ties these facts to the work, so the advice fits your street and not a generic house.
What a good quote looks like.
Whatever service you need, ask for the cause in plain words, the options with what each includes and a price before work begins. A fair quote names the parts, says whether a permit is needed and explains what happens if you decline.
Massachusetts requires licensed plumbers for permitted plumbing work, so ask for a licence type and number and check it with the state. A phone price is only a general expectation until the plumber has seen the problem.
Towns we cover.
The same line covers Westwood, Needham, Norwood and Walpole. The service areas page explains how those towns differ. To talk to a dispatcher about any service listed above, call the 24/7 line or visit the contact page for the address and what to have ready. You can also read about how the line works before you phone.
Drains and sewer lines.
Start here when water is slow, backing up or smelling of sewage.
Leaks and water supply.
For water where it should not be, or pressure that has changed.
Water heaters and heat.
No hot water, a leaking tank or a cold house.
Fixtures and kitchens.
Everyday fixtures that fail on a bad day.
Basements and pumps.
For wet cellars and the equipment that keeps them dry.
New work and commercial.
Planned jobs, permits and business properties.