Plumbers: repairs, small jobs and commercial plumbing
Compare local plumbers in your city, from a dripping tap to a full repipe. 10,347 pros listed in 2,920 cities across 50 states.
Reviewed and updated by the Fixerlane editorial team · How we research
What plumbing pros do
Pick the job you need rather than the trade, if you already know it.
Plumbing by city
What a plumber does
Plumbers work on the pipes that bring clean water in, the drains and vents that take waste out, and everything connected to them: fixtures, water heaters, shut-off valves, sump pumps and, for many, gas lines to appliances. Most calls are one of three things — something is leaking, something is blocked, or something needs replacing.
The work splits into service (diagnosing and fixing what is wrong today) and installation (water heaters, new fixtures, repiping, remodels). Some firms do both; others specialise, so it is worth saying which you need when you call.
Small plumbing jobs
Plenty of plumbers take small jobs, and a single visit can usually cover several of them. Typical one-visit work:
- A dripping faucet or a toilet that keeps running
- A clogged sink, tub or toilet
- A garbage disposal that hums but does not turn
- A shut-off valve under a sink or toilet that will not close, or leaks when it does
- A new faucet, toilet or showerhead you have already bought
- A small leak at a visible joint or supply line
Most plumbers charge something to come out before any work starts — a service-call or trip fee, a minimum charge, or a flat rate per job. Ask which when you book. Because the call-out is the same whether they fix one thing or four, saving up small jobs into one visit is usually the cheaper way to do them.
Plumber or handyman?
A handyman can be the right call for swapping a showerhead, re-caulking a tub or fitting a faucet onto existing connections. Once the job means cutting into supply or drain pipe, moving a fixture, touching a water heater or a gas line, or anything that needs a permit, hire a licensed plumber.
Where that line falls is set by your state and city, not by a national rule — some states license plumbing at every level, others leave much of it to local codes. If you are unsure, ask the person you are hiring what licence the job needs and check their number with the state board yourself.
Commercial plumbing
Restaurants, offices, shops and apartment buildings need plumbers set up for that work: grease interceptors, larger water heaters and boilers, backflow preventers, commercial-grade fixtures and drain lines that serve dozens of users. Commercial plumbers also tend to offer service contracts and out-of-hours work so a business does not close for a repair.
Many firms do both residential and commercial work. If you are hiring for a business, ask whether they hold the licence your state requires for commercial work, carry liability insurance at the level your landlord or lease asks for, and can send a certificate of insurance before they start.
When to call — and when it cannot wait
A slow drain, a dripping faucet or a running toilet can wait for an appointment. Call straight away for a burst or spraying pipe, water coming through a ceiling, sewage backing up into the house, or a water heater that is leaking. Turn off the main water shut-off first if you can find it — knowing where it is before you need it is the most useful plumbing advice there is.
If you smell gas, leave first and call from outside. Federal pipeline-safety guidance from PHMSA is to leave the area on foot, not look for the source, avoid anything that could make a spark — light switches and phones included — and call 911 and the gas company from a safe place. For after-hours help, see emergency plumbers.
How to choose a plumber
- Check the licence. Ask for the licence number and look it up with your state or local licensing board. Many states license plumbers by level — apprentice, journeyman, master — and some work must be done or supervised by a master plumber.
- Check insurance. Ask for proof of liability insurance, and workers’ compensation if they have employees.
- Get the price basis in writing: flat rate for the job, or hourly with a minimum, and whether the service-call fee is credited against the repair.
- Ask who pulls the permit, if the job needs one. A plumber who suggests skipping a required permit is passing the risk to you.
- Ask about the warranty on labour as well as parts, and how long it lasts.
- For big jobs, get more than one written quote for the same scope. A cheaper quote is very often a smaller job.
What affects the cost
Plumbing is priced on time, parts and access. What moves a quote most:
- When you need them. Nights, weekends and holidays usually cost more.
- How the plumber charges: a flat rate per job, an hourly rate with a minimum, or a service-call fee before any work.
- Access. A pipe behind finished tile or under a slab costs more to reach than one in an open basement.
- Parts and fixtures — and whether you supply them. Many plumbers will not warranty parts they did not buy.
- Permits and inspection, where the job needs them.
- What they find. An old shut-off that breaks when it is turned can turn a small job into a bigger one; ask to be told before the scope changes.
DIY or pro?
Worth doing yourself: plunging a toilet or sink, clearing a sink trap, replacing a flapper in a running toilet, cleaning a faucet aerator, and learning where your main shut-off is. Leave to a licensed plumber: gas lines, water heaters (they carry scald, pressure and, for gas units, venting risks), anything inside a wall or under a slab, sewer lines, and any job your city requires a permit for.
One water heater setting is worth checking yourself: CPSC urges lowering water heaters to 120°F to prevent scalds (CPSC).
Common questions
- Will a plumber come out for a small job?
- Many will, though most charge a service-call fee or a minimum either way. Ask when you book, and list everything you want looked at so the plumber can do it in one visit.
- What is a service call fee?
- A charge for coming out and diagnosing the problem, separate from the repair. Some plumbers credit it against the work if you go ahead; ask before they arrive.
- Is it cheaper to bundle small plumbing jobs?
- Usually, yes. The call-out charge and travel are the same for one job or several, so saving up a dripping faucet, a running toilet and a slow drain for one visit spreads that cost.
- Should I hire a handyman or a plumber?
- A handyman for cosmetic or like-for-like work on existing connections; a licensed plumber for anything that cuts into pipe, moves a fixture, involves gas or a water heater, or needs a permit. Your state sets the exact line.
- What is the difference between a journeyman and a master plumber?
- Both are licensed levels in states that use them. A journeyman has finished an apprenticeship and passed an exam; a master has more years on top and a further exam, and can usually pull permits and supervise others. The exact hours and rules are set by each state.
- Do commercial plumbers do residential work?
- Many do both. Ask what share of their work is residential, and check they hold the licence your state requires for the kind of property you have.
- Do plumbers give free estimates?
- For planned work such as a water heater or repipe, many quote free. For a problem that needs diagnosing first, expect a service-call fee. Ask which applies when you call.
Related services
Guides
Sources
Safety and standards advice on this page comes from these publishers. Dates are the ones each page shows.
- PHMSA (US Department of Transportation), Pipeline Leak Recognition and What to Do (last updated May 25, 2017)
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Avoiding Tap Water Scalds (Document 5098) (undated; read October 2026)
Are you a plumbing pro? Get a free listing and plumbing software.