How to Choose a Plumber: $100 to $250 Visit, 10 Questions

Plumbing license rules from each state or city agency, as published on our city plumber pages (checked October 2026). Rules change; check the agency site.

When is a plumbing problem too urgent to shop around?

When water is spreading or you smell gas, fix the danger first and compare plumbers later. For gas, the Kansas Corporation Commission says to "stop what you are doing and leave the area immediately", then call the utility or 911 once you are somewhere safe. For water, close the main shutoff, then call.

• Now: a burst pipe, water coming through a ceiling, sewage backing up, or a gas smell. TSBPE notes that urgent repairs may need immediate action rather than a round of bids.
• This week: a slow leak under a sink, a running toilet, a water heater that works but leaks at the valve. Time to get a second price.
• Can wait: a remodel, a new fixture, a water heater that is old but working. Get several estimates, as TSBPE and the FTC both suggest.

One catch in an emergency: the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule, which gives three business days to cancel some in-home sales, does not cover sales needed to meet an emergency or repairs you asked the company to come out for. Read the price before you sign. After-hours pricing is on what an emergency plumber costs. If water has already soaked floors or walls, photograph it first, call your insurer, and never sign over the claim.

How do I check a plumber's license?

Ask for the license number, then look it up yourself on the state or city board's search before anyone starts work. Who runs that search depends on where you live, which is why the table above lists thirteen states and cities.

In Texas, the TSBPE search shows whether a license is current, when it expires, its endorsements and any disciplinary actions, and you can search by city or ZIP to see who is licensed near you. Florida splits contractors into certified (CF), who can work anywhere in the state, and registered (RF), who can work only where they are registered. In New York City, DOB's Find Licensed Professionals page includes a disciplinary directory going back to 1998. Arizona's Registrar of Contractors licenses the business, not each plumber, so look up the company.

Some places have no state plumbing license at all. Kansas City licenses plumbers itself because Missouri does not. Oregon wants two credentials: a Construction Contractors Board license and a state plumbing license. HomeGuide also suggests calling your local building department to confirm a plumber's license. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says most states and localities require plumbers to be licensed, so a plumber with no number to give you is the exception, not the rule. Local detail is on the city pages for plumbers in Houston, plumbers in Phoenix and plumbers in New York City.

A license record does not show insurance in most states, so ask for a certificate separately. Texas is the exception worth knowing: TSBPE's search shows whether the Master Plumber has a certificate of insurance on file.

What questions should I ask a plumber before hiring?

Ask about the license, the visit fee, the permit and who does the work before you book. Ask these ten before you book:

1. What is your license number, and who is the master plumber on it? In Texas, TSBPE says the Responsible Master Plumber's number should be in all advertisements, and a Master Plumber number starts with "M".
2. Is there a service call fee, and does it count toward the repair? HomeAdvisor puts the fee at $100 to $250 in 2026 and says it usually covers the first hour; some companies add a $50 to $300 trip fee on top.
3. Do you charge a flat price for this job or by the hour? HomeAdvisor's 2026 range is $45 to $200 an hour, so a flat price in writing is easier to compare.
4. Who pulls the permit, and is it in the price? Jacksonville requires a permit to replace a water heater and can fine $250 for starting without one; Philadelphia charges $31 plus a $100 filing fee for the same job.
5. Who will do the work: a master, a journeyperson or an apprentice? HomeAdvisor bills apprentices at $45 to $90 an hour and masters at $80 to $200, so ask whose hours are on the invoice.
6. Does your license cover gas piping? Massachusetts lets master and journeyman plumbers do gas fitting, but a gas fitter may not do plumbing; Texas counts gas piping as plumbing.
7. Will the estimate carry your license number? TSBPE says written estimates and invoices should show the Responsible Master Plumber's license number and the board's name, address and phone.
8. What does your warranty cover, and is it written? HomeGuide suggests asking for a written warranty that covers both parts and labor.
9. What do you charge at night and on weekends? Angi's 2026 emergency plumber range is $100 to $500 an hour, with a $170 average, so ask before the visit, not after.
10. Can you send proof of insurance? The FTC says to ask for it. In Texas, TSBPE's search shows whether the Master Plumber has a certificate of insurance on file.

What are the red flags when hiring a plumber?

The biggest red flags are cash-only terms, pressure to decide today, and a plumber who asks you to pull the permit. The list below comes from the FTC, TSBPE and ConsumerAffairs:

• They knock on your door because they are "in the area". The FTC lists this first among home improvement scam signs.
• They have "leftover" pipe or a heater from another job. Another FTC warning sign.
• They want an answer today. The FTC says scammers "pressure you for an immediate decision".
• Cash only, or the whole price up front. The FTC says scammers ask you to pay for everything up front or only accept cash.
• They ask you to pull the permit. The FTC names this as a scam sign, and ConsumerAffairs' Nashville guide calls it a red flag for plumbers in particular, since licensed plumbers pull their own permits.
• They steer you to a lender they know. The FTC lists this as a scam sign.
• No license number on the estimate or truck in Texas. TSBPE says the Responsible Master Plumber's number belongs on advertisements, estimates and invoices.
• A price that keeps moving once the work starts. TSBPE does not set prices, but it requires plumbers to "provide accurate portrayals of their prices and services".

How much should a plumber charge for the first visit?

Expect a service call fee of $100 to $250 in HomeAdvisor's 2026 data, which usually covers the first hour; HomeGuide's range is $50 to $200. A typical plumbing job runs $182 to $501 in HomeAdvisor's figures, with a $341 average, and HomeGuide puts hourly rates at $45 to $150. A separate trip or call-out fee of $50 to $300 shows up at some companies, HomeAdvisor says, so ask whether it is included. The full breakdown by job and by city is on how much a plumber costs.

The wage is not the price. The BLS puts the median plumber's pay at $30.67 an hour in May 2025; the $45 to $200 an hour on a bill is the company's price, not the plumber's wage. A quote far below the published ranges is worth a second look, not a quick yes.

What should be in a written plumbing contract?

Get the plumber's name, address, phone, license number, the work, the materials, the price and start and finish dates in writing, the FTC says. A few more points:

• Every promise on paper. The FTC says anything said on the phone about the scope or the cost should be written into the contract, with no blank spaces left.
• A capped deposit where the state caps it. In California, CSLB says contractors cannot ask for or accept a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and home improvement contracts over $500 must be in writing.
• The permit. Massachusetts says plumbing permits are issued only to licensed plumbers, and that the permit "is your guarantee that the work will be inspected". The contract should say who pulls it.
• The final payment last. The FTC says never to make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied with it.

Where do I complain if a plumber does a bad job?

Start with the plumber in writing, then go to the state licensing board and your state attorney general. The FTC suggests sending follow-ups to phone calls by certified mail with a return receipt and keeping copies of everything.

• Texas: email TSBPE at [email protected]; consumer complaints also go to the Texas Attorney General's online form.
• California: CSLB takes complaints against licensed and unlicensed contractors for up to four years.
• Arizona: file with the ROC within two years of the last work on a repair. Its Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund can pay up to $30,000 per claimant on an owner-occupied home.
• Nevada: the NSCB's Residential Recovery Fund pays up to $40,000 per claim on owner-occupied single-family homes, for work by licensed contractors, within four years of completion.
• Florida: file a complaint with DBPR.
• Everywhere: the FTC points to your state attorney general or local consumer protection office.

How our plumber line fits in

Our plumber line connects you to an independent local company that pays us for the referral. We do not license, vet or rate the companies that answer, so run the same checks on whoever picks up: license number, service call fee, permit, written price. How calls work explains the referral.

What to do before you call a plumber

1. If water is spreading, close the main shutoff. If you smell gas, leave first and call the gas utility from outside.
2. Write down what is happening, where, and since when. Take photos.
3. Have your address, the age of the fixture or heater, and any brand or model number ready.
4. On the call, ask for the license number, the service call fee and the hourly or flat rate.
5. Look up the license on the state or city search before the plumber arrives.
6. Get the price in writing before work starts, and keep every receipt.