Plumbing trouble in Makkah? Start with your tanks
Whether you're in an old stone house near Al-Misfalah, a new villa in Al-Awali or a flat in Al-Aziziyah, the water takes the same route: from the…
Whether you're in an old stone house near Al-Misfalah, a new villa in Al-Awali or a flat in Al-Aziziyah, the water takes the same route: from the…
Go up early in the morning if you can, because roof temperatures pass 40°C on summer afternoons. Leave the pump and its wiring alone.
If the water is up at the overflow pipe and the float is under the surface, the float valve has probably stuck or broken.
Starting and stopping on its own with every tap shut? That points to a leak further down the line, or a roof tank that won't hold.
Check the level. Empty, with the meter not turning? The trouble is in the supply or the valve before your house, not your own plumbing.
If pipes run across the roof without lagging, open a tap in the morning and see if the water comes out very hot. Worth telling the plumber.
🚨 If flood water gets into the yard or basement during rain, switch the pump off at the board and keep out of there. For emergencies, call 911.
A first reading so you can talk to the plumber with some confidence. They confirm it once they see it.
The roof tank's float valve won't close, so the pump keeps filling until it spills from the overflow. Swapping it is a small job; leaving it means high water and power bills.
Around Ramadan the National Water Company pumps extra water and supply times can shift. With a small ground tank you feel it. A plumber can suggest a booster pump or look at the tank size.
Some areas aren't fully on the sewer network and rely on a cesspit. If it fills quicker than usual, a dripping tap or a cistern running all day may be feeding it.
Makkah's winter is short, so the heater sits off for months and fails just when you need it. Have it checked before November.
Scale builds up in shower heads and mixers. Cleaning sometimes works; sometimes a new one costs less.
Old iron pipes in houses near the centre rust from within. The damp patch can show up well away from the real leak, so electronic detection saves breaking tiles.
It changes the kind of visit and what it costs. Tell the plumber exactly what you've noticed.
Float valve, overflow, pump, tank cleaning.
Hidden leaks, re-piping, waterproofing.
Fill the ground tank and check the float valve and pump, so a change in supply times doesn't catch you out.
In the weeks before Hajj (check the official announcement from the authorities before Hajj season) the city is closed to anyone without a permit; residents whose iqama was issued in Makkah, and people with a holy-sites work permit, are the exception. A Jeddah-based plumber could be stuck outside, so keep the number of a local one.
Rain mostly falls between November and January. Make sure the ground tank lid is tight, with no gap for flood water to get in.
Clean both tanks at least yearly, especially in an older house or with a tank sitting in full sun.
Send these on WhatsApp. A plumber who knows the work answers them plainly.
It decides whether they can reach you in the pre-Hajj weeks, and how fast they return if the leak reappears.
Some Makkah firms charge SAR 100–200 to inspect and deduct it if you go ahead.
Some offers include the roof and ground tanks; others cover the bathroom only.
For new pipework, ask about PPR and lagging for any pipe on the roof.
Before the wall or tiles are closed, so a leak doesn't show up a month later.
A line in a text message is enough, so you have something to point to.
One of these isn't proof of anything. Two or more, and it's worth a second opinion.
Electronic leak detection is available in Makkah at a fair price. Random digging costs you tiles and repairs.
Ask to be shown the float valve first. Many overflows are fixed with a small part.
Makkah sun is fierce, and an exposed pipe heats up and wears out sooner.
A number sent by message protects both sides if there's a dispute later.
Labour only; parts and pipe are usually extra. Many are 'from' prices published by Makkah companies.
| Service | Rough price |
|---|---|
| Visit and quick repair (tap, cistern, valve, drain) | From SAR 100 |
| Inspection (deducted from the repair) | SAR 100 – 200 |
| Unblocking a drain or emptying a cesspit | SAR 150 – 300 |
| Electronic leak detection (some include the tanks) | From SAR 150, often 200 – 400 |
| Water heater: install or service | SAR 150 – 400 |
| New mixer tap or cistern | SAR 100 – 250 |
| Re-piping a bathroom or kitchen (PPR, waterproofing, pressure test) | From SAR 650, 1–3 days |
| Tank cleaning | From SAR 100 |
💡 Calling a plumber for one small fault? Make a list of everything else that drips or sticks. One visit, several small jobs, usually a better price.
🪣 Roof tank overflowing? Close the valve feeding it or switch the pump off until the plumber arrives, so you're not paying for wasted water and power.
Where these numbers are from: plumbing firms in Makkah that put their 2026 rates online, mostly as starting points for labour. Laqeeni didn't set them. Whatever you settle with the plumber is between the two of you, and nobody takes a cut.
Usually the float valve isn't shutting properly, or its arm has bent. Replacing it is one of the cheapest plumbing jobs.
Often not. In the weeks before Hajj, entry is by permit only, with exceptions for Makkah residents' iqamas and holy-sites workers. Pick someone who lives here.
Makkah firms quote one to three days; a bigger room or crumbling plaster pushes it longer.
No. Laqeeni just lists plumbers; you ring or message one directly and pay them whatever you both agree.
Last updated: October 2026
Print it, or save it on your phone for next time.
laqeeni.sa/en/plumber-makkah/
Makkah plumbers are joining Laqeeni at the moment. Drop us a WhatsApp if you'd like a nudge once their list goes live; from then on you reach them directly.
Get notified on WhatsAppAre you a tradesman? Join Laqeeni free