Emergency plumber in Belgravia

Belgravia was laid out in the 1820s and 1830s, largely by the builder Thomas Cubitt, on land the Grosvenor family had owned since 1677. Its great white stucco terraces, garden squares and mews have changed little in appearance since. Inside, many of the houses have been divided into flats, and that is where most of our emergency calls here begin.

Grand houses, divided

A house on Eaton Square or Chester Square might now hold four or five homes, each with its own bathrooms stacked above someone else’s ceilings. Supply pipes, waste pipes and heating circuits still run through the building as a whole, and the original design never expected so many kitchens and bathrooms. When water escapes on an upper floor, it travels down through the structure. We make your home safe, find the source and give a clear account of what failed and where, so you know whether it is a matter for you, a neighbour or the freeholder.

Listed buildings, original interiors

Belgrave Square is one of the finest set pieces in London: most of its houses are listed at Grade I, and the rest at Grade II*. Many other houses here are listed too. In an emergency we stop the water first. After that we repair like for like where we can, protect floors, joinery and plasterwork, and never cut into original features without talking to you first.

The river under Belgravia

The old River Westbourne, now culverted, once flowed out of Hyde Park at Knightsbridge and south under what is now Bourne Street, along the boundary with Chelsea, towards Sloane Square and the Thames. Lower ground floors near its course can be vulnerable when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. If water is coming in from outside, switch off the electrics for that part of the home and call us.

The estate’s rules

Grosvenor’s management scheme applies across its historic Belgravia estate. It asks for consent before external changes such as new pipework or boiler flues, and, in Belgravia only, before internal alterations that affect structural walls. Emergency repairs that keep everything where it was are rarely affected. We flag anything that might need consent before it becomes a problem.

Worth knowing: Even after the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 allowed many leaseholders to buy their freeholds, the estate’s management scheme still applies to buildings on the historic estate.

From Wilton Crescent to Chester Square, call 07862 142953 or send us a photo on WhatsApp. If a pipe has split, read about burst pipe repair.