Plumbing repair: a plain guide
How plumbing repair works, the common jobs and what to tell a plumber, in one place. Pick your city below for the local numbers.
How plumbing repair works
A plumber repairs and replaces the pipes, fixtures, drains and water heaters inside a home, and the line that runs out to the street. The plumber prices the visit, the parts and the time the job takes.
What a plumber needs to know: where the water is or is not going, whether the main shutoff works, how old the house is, and whether anything is leaking right now.
What people call a plumber for
- Leaks and burst pipes: Dripping fixtures, wet ceilings, a pipe that froze and split
- Water heater repair and replacement: Tank and tankless, no hot water, leaks at the base
- Toilets, faucets and fixtures: Running toilets, low pressure, new fixtures
- Slow and clogged drains: Kitchen, bath and main line clogs
- Pipe replacement: Old galvanized, polybutylene or lead lines
Common jobs
Leaking or burst pipe
Shut the water off first. Then a short description of where the water is coming from helps the plumber come prepared.
Water travels along pipes and framing, so the stain is not always under the leak. The plumber may need to open a small section of wall or ceiling.
Pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and attics are the ones most likely to freeze and split in a cold snap.
What to tell the provider
- Find the main shutoff valve and turn it off if water is spreading.
- Turn off power to any outlets or appliances that are getting wet.
- Take a photo of where the water shows up and note when it started.
No hot water
No hot water usually means a pilot, burner, element or thermostat problem, or a tank at the end of its life.
A tank that leaks at the base has usually rusted through and needs replacing, not repair.
Replacement often triggers code updates such as an expansion tank, new venting or seismic straps, depending on where you live.
What to tell the provider
- Check whether the heater is gas or electric, and its age on the label.
- For gas, check whether the pilot is lit; for electric, check the breaker.
- Look for water around the base of the tank.
Low water pressure
Low pressure at one fixture is usually a clogged aerator or valve. Low pressure everywhere points to the supply line, a regulator or old pipes.
Old galvanized steel pipes narrow inside as they corrode, which slowly drops pressure across the house.
A pressure reducing valve near the main can fail; a plumber can test the pressure with a gauge on an outside spigot.
What to tell the provider
- Is it one faucet, one floor, or the whole house?
- Is it hot water only, cold only, or both?
- Did it start suddenly or get worse over months?
Running or clogged toilet
A toilet that runs wastes a surprising amount of water. One that keeps clogging may have a problem past the toilet itself.
A worn flapper or fill valve is the usual cause of a running toilet and is an inexpensive part.
Repeated clogs with other slow drains can mean a main line problem; mention it so the plumber brings a drain camera or auger.
What to tell the provider
- Lift the tank lid and see whether the flapper seals and the fill valve shuts off.
- Check whether other drains in the house are slow too.
- Note the age of the toilet if you know it.
What changes the price
- Access drives labor: a pipe behind finished drywall takes longer than one in an open basement.
- Water heater quotes depend on tank or tankless, fuel type, venting and local code updates.
- Ask whether the quote covers the permit and patching any wall or ceiling that has to be opened.
- After hours work is usually priced differently; ask before you book.
We never quote prices; the provider you hear from does.
Sources
Plumbing repair by city
- Anchorage, AK
- Birmingham, AL
- Little Rock, AR
- Tucson, AZ
- Fresno, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Riverside, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Denver, CO
- Washington, DC
- Jacksonville, FL
- Miami, FL
- Orlando, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Des Moines, IA
- Boise, ID
- Chicago, IL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Louisville, KY
- New Orleans, LA
- Boston, MA
- Baltimore, MD
- Detroit, MI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Kansas City, MO
- St. Louis, MO
- Charlotte, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Omaha, NE
- Albuquerque, NM
- Las Vegas, NV
- Buffalo, NY
- New York, NY
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbus, OH
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Portland, OR
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Chattanooga, TN
- Knoxville, TN
- Memphis, TN
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
- Dallas, TX
- Fort Worth, TX
- Houston, TX
- San Antonio, TX
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Richmond, VA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Madison, WI
- Milwaukee, WI
Questions
Is this a booking or a price?
No. A request is free and is not a booking. The plumber gives you a real price before any work is booked.
Are you the plumber?
No. We pass your request to one independent local plumber who serves your ZIP. Only that one company gets your details.
What should I do before the plumber arrives?
If water is spreading, shut off the main valve and the power to anything that is getting wet. Clear a path to the problem area.
Who is responsible for the line to the street?
It varies by city: often the owner is responsible from the meter to the house. Your water utility can tell you where the line splits.
What if nobody can take it?
We tell you plainly. We will not invent a plumber or a price.
