Plumber Cost: $182 to $501 a Job, $45 to $200 an Hour (2026)

National figures. HomeAdvisor and Angi dates are 2026; HomeGuide's plumber guide carries a September 2023 byline under a 2026 title. Materials and parts are extra.

Do this now: before you call a plumber

Stop the damage first; it is the cheapest part of any plumbing bill. Then call with the details a plumber needs to price the job.

1. Smell gas? Leave first. Peoples Gas says not to try to find or stop the leak; call 911 and the gas utility from outside.
2. Water near outlets or cords? Stay out of it. The Red Cross warns not to touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water.
3. Shut off the water. Close the valve under the sink or behind the toilet. For a broken pipe, Phoenix Water Services says to turn off the main shutoff, which for most houses sits at the front of the home near a hose bib, and to call a plumber.
4. Water on floors or walls? Take photos before you clean up (FEMA), then call your insurer. The Texas Department of Insurance says most policies cover sudden water damage but not gradual leaks. Do not sign your claim over to a contractor; Florida bans assignment of benefits on policies issued on or after January 1, 2023.
5. Write down what happened. Which fixture, since when, and whether more than one drain is affected. A clear description gets you a closer price on the phone.
6. Ask three numbers when you call: the service call fee, the hourly or flat rate, and any after-hours charge.

Is it an emergency? When after-hours plumber rates are worth paying

A plumbing problem is worth an after-hours call when water or sewage is spreading, you smell gas, or the house has no working toilet; HomeGuide's emergency list also includes no hot water in winter and frozen pipes at risk of bursting. Everything else usually costs less in business hours.

• Call now: burst pipes, sewage backing up, a main water line break, a water heater flooding the area, a fully clogged toilet in a one-bathroom house (HomeGuide).
• Can wait for a weekday visit: a dripping faucet, one slow drain, a running toilet once you close its valve.
• What waiting saves: HomeGuide puts same-day business-hours work at $100 to $200 an hour against $150 to $350 on a weekend and $200 to $450 or more on a holiday.

See emergency plumber for what to do before the plumber arrives, and burst pipe repair or frozen pipes for those problems.

How much do plumbers charge per hour?

Plumbers charge $45 to $200 an hour in HomeAdvisor's 2026 data, and most homeowners pay $70 to $120 an hour before trip fees and materials. HomeGuide's national range is $45 to $150 with a $75 average. The rate rises with the license level:

HomeAdvisor, June 2026. HomeAdvisor notes that some states do not require or recognize certification levels.

Those are billed rates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the median plumber was paid $30.67 an hour in May 2025, so the rate on your bill is the company's price, not the plumber's wage. The BLS also says most states and localities require plumbers to be licensed; the plumbing license table shows who issues licenses in six states.

Plumber service call fees and trip charges

A plumber's service call fee runs $100 to $250 in HomeAdvisor's 2026 guide and $50 to $200 in HomeGuide's, and it usually covers the first hour of work. Some companies bill a separate trip or call-out fee instead: HomeAdvisor puts it at $50 to $300 on top of labor, and HomeGuide says some add $1 to $2 a mile past the first 10 miles. For a small job, the service call fee can be most of the bill, which is why it pays to save small fixes for one visit.

Many simple calls are priced flat rather than by the hour. HomeAdvisor says flat rates for unclogging a drain or fixing a faucet or toilet run $100 to $400. Ask which way the company bills before the plumber starts.

Emergency and after-hours plumber rates

Emergency plumbers average $170 an hour in Angi's 2026 data, with most charging $100 to $500 an hour and 1.5 to 3 times their standard rate. HomeAdvisor says nights, weekends and holidays run time and a half to triple, or a $100 to $300 surcharge.

Angi: How Much Does an Emergency Plumber Cost? (September 2026). HomeGuide: emergency plumber cost (December 2025). HomeAdvisor business-hours rate for comparison.

How much does a plumber charge for common jobs?

Most common plumbing jobs cost $100 to $750, from a toilet repair at $100 to $300 to a water heater repair at $150 to $750 in HomeAdvisor's 2026 table. Bigger jobs, like a main water line leak or a tankless water heater, run into the thousands. Both publishers' prices are shown so you can see the spread:

Installed or repaired prices with labor. A blank cell means that publisher did not list the job. Ranges are each publisher's own; we do not combine them.

How much does a plumber cost in your city?

Among the 19 cities below, a typical plumbing job averages from $262 in Orlando to $522 in Seattle in Angi's 2026 city guides, against a $341 national average from HomeAdvisor. Each city link goes to our plumber page for that city, with local permits, water rules and prices:

Angi city plumber cost pages, dated February to August 2026. Angi's Phoenix page lists a range that conflicts with its other figures, so only its average is shown.

The full list of cities is on the plumber near me hub.

Flat rate vs hourly: how plumbers price a job

Many plumbers quote small, predictable jobs at a flat rate and bill open-ended work by the hour. HomeAdvisor's $100 to $400 flat rate for a simple drain, faucet or toilet call means you know the price before the work starts. Hourly billing makes more sense when the problem is hidden, such as a leak inside a wall; then ask for an estimate of hours and a call before the plumber goes past it. Either way, parts and permits are usually extra, and HomeGuide puts a plumbing permit at $30 to $500.

How to keep the plumber bill down

• Know where your shutoff is. Phoenix Water Services says to know where your water shutoff valve is and test it regularly. Water you stop early is damage you do not pay for later.
• Book business hours when it can wait. Weekend rates run $150 to $350 an hour against $100 to $200 on a weekday (HomeGuide).
• Group small jobs. The service call fee usually covers the first hour, so a running toilet and a dripping faucet fixed on one visit share one fee.
• Ask for the price in writing before work starts, with parts and any permit listed.
• Get a second price on big jobs. Our home repair costs table shows published prices across trades.

Questions to ask a plumber before you book

1. What is the service call fee, and does it cover the first hour?
2. Do you charge by the hour or a flat rate for this job?
3. Is there an after-hours, weekend or holiday charge?
4. What is your license number? Check it with your state or city board. Ask for proof of insurance too.
5. Who pulls the permit, if one is needed?
6. Is there a warranty on parts and labor?

Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes plumbing work; the company that answers sets its own prices. How calls work.

Sewer line costs in depth: trenchless sewer line replacement cost, sewer camera inspection and hydro jetting cost.

Outdoor faucet repair and hose bib replacement cost

Replacing an outdoor faucet costs $150 to $350 in HomeGuide's guide and $120 to $500 in Angi's April 2026 guide, with a $250 average; a leaking spigot repair is $10 to $60 in Angi's figures.

• The part: a standard hose bib is $10 to $40 (HomeGuide); a frost-free or anti-siphon model is $40 to $100 for the part and $250 to $450 installed (HomeGuide), or $180 to $350 installed in Angi's figures.
• Repair or replace: Angi says a leak at the handle, a loose connection or a worn washer is a repair, and a cracked or corroded body, or leaks that continue after a repair, is a replacement. A DIY washer is $5 to $10 (HomeGuide).
• Freeze protection: HomeGuide says a frost-free sillcock extends farther into the wall and resists freezing better; Angi prices fall winterization at $50 to $100 a year. A bib that split over winter is on frozen pipes.
• Permits: $25 to $100 where a city requires one (Angi).

Whole house water filter installation cost

A whole-house water filtration system costs $850 to $5,400 installed in HomeGuide's guide, with the system itself $650 to $4,800 and installation labor $200 to $600.

• By type (HomeGuide): carbon, mineral and sediment $850 to $1,400; with UV $1,850 to $2,900; with UV and a water softener $2,650 to $5,400; whole-house reverse osmosis $4,800 to $8,000.
• Under the sink instead: $170 to $580 installed, or $300 to $950 for under-sink reverse osmosis (HomeGuide).
• Ongoing: replacement filters $150 to $250 a year for a whole-house system; water testing first is $100 to $300; a drain line adds $300 to $800 if the system needs one (HomeGuide).