Plumber Chicago: $182 to $501 + Leak Relief Program (2026)

Cost rows are national; we found no Chicago-only plumber price. The last row is a City of Chicago program.

Do this now: burst pipe or backup in a Chicago home

1. Gas smell: leave and call Peoples Gas at 866-556-6002 or 911 from outside.
2. Shut the main water valve, usually where the service line enters the basement.
3. Water near outlets or the panel: turn off the breaker only from a dry spot.
4. Water coming up a basement floor drain: stop using water in the house. If the street is flooding too, call 311 and ask for the Water Management Leak Desk.
5. Frozen pipe: keep the faucet open and warm the pipe with a hair dryer or heating pad, never a flame, the American Red Cross says. See frozen pipes.
6. Photograph the damage and keep the plumber's invoice with the repair date.

Emergency plumber in Chicago: what it costs and when to call

An emergency plumber in Chicago costs about $170 an hour on average, Angi's 2026 national data shows, with most charging $100 to $500 an hour plus a $150 to $300 emergency fee; Angi's city table puts a Chicago emergency visit at $300 to $1,575. Call right away for a burst pipe, sewage in the basement, no water, or a gas smell. A 24 hour plumber in Chicago is a company that takes emergency calls at night; hours vary, so ask the after-hours fee before anyone drives out. Chicago's freezes are what fill those nights: O'Hare averages 121.3 days a year with a low at or below 32 F and 6.5 days at or below 0 F, NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show. Pipes in basements, crawl spaces and on outside walls freeze first, the Red Cross says. National steps are on emergency plumber and burst pipe repair.

Is it urgent? A water service leak and Chicago's Leak Relief Program

A leak on the underground service line is urgent in Chicago because the City will only relieve the bill once the leak is confirmed and fixed. The Leak Relief Program, a two-year pilot running January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, covers owner-occupied or owned single-family, two-unit and three-unit homes, and is not income-based. The Department of Water Management must confirm the leak, and it must be on the outdoor underground service line between the meter vault and the building. Charges for the leak period are reduced to the property's typical average use, once per account, for leaks repaired on or after January 1, 2023; processing takes about 30 days. Call 312-744-4426.

Basement backups and Chicago's Private Drain Program

If your drain line is broken under the street, the City of Chicago fixes that section at no cost to you. Under the Private Drain Program, overseen by the Department of Water Management, the City repairs drain tile under the public way, from the sidewalk to the center of the street, for homes of up to 4 units. You hire a licensed sewer contractor to rod or video the line, and the contractor schedules a review with a city sewer inspector. The section on your lot is not covered. The City also installs Rainblocker inlet restrictors in street catch basins so heavy rain backs up into the street instead of basements; if one seems not to work, call 311 and ask for the Water Management Leak Desk. Prices: drain cleaning and sewer line repair; cleanup: water damage restoration in Chicago.

Chicago plumbing licenses and permits

Plumbers are licensed statewide by the Illinois Department of Public Health under the Illinois Plumbing License Law, and IDPH runs an online plumber license verification. The City of Chicago's Department of Buildings separately licenses plumbers and plumbing contractors, and its Contractor License Lookup shows current licensees and recently expired or inactivated ones. Replacing an existing water heater is an Express Permit plumbing job that requires a licensed plumbing contractor, unless the owner self-performs with the City's Owner as Contractor form (Form 401) and ID showing they live at the address. Prices and rebates are on water heater repair in Chicago.

Chicago's median home was built in 1953, against a U.S. median of 1980, and 495,715 of the city's 1,277,054 housing units (38.8%) were built in 1939 or earlier, the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey shows. Old galvanized and cast iron piping is common in houses that age; ask the plumber what the house is plumbed with before agreeing to a partial repair.

Local rules, programs and climate for Chicago, from the official pages listed under Sources.

Questions to ask a Chicago plumber

1. What is your Illinois plumber license number, and is your company licensed with the City?
2. What is the service call fee, and what is the after-hours rate?
3. If the drain is broken under the street, will you schedule the city sewer inspector for the Private Drain Program?
4. Will the invoice show the repair date for the Leak Relief Program?
5. Is the Express Permit in the price?

Plumbing pages for Chicago

• Water heater repair in Chicago: costs, the Express Permit and Peoples Gas and ComEd rebates

Water in the basement: water damage restoration in Chicago. Boilers and furnaces: HVAC repair in Chicago and boiler repair in Chicago. Other cities: plumbers in Minneapolis and plumbers in Indianapolis. Every trade is priced on home repair costs; how calls work explains the line: calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job.

More home repair help in Chicago: electrical work and garage door repair, with prices, the local rules and the line to call for each.