Plumber Houston: $183 to $483 + Slab Leaks, Permits (2026)

Published Houston prices from Angi city guides, plus national figures where marked. City permit fees are extra.

Do this now: plumbing emergency in Houston

1. Smell gas? Leave first, then call 911 or the gas utility from outside. The Kansas Corporation Commission says not to use light switches, phones or garage door openers on the way out, and not to look for the leak.
2. Stay out of standing water near outlets, cords or appliances. The Red Cross warns not to touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water.
3. Shut off the main water valve to stop a leak or burst pipe, and leave a faucet open.
4. Need help finding or turning off the water at the meter? During the February 2021 freeze the City told residents to call 311 (713-837-0311) for help turning off water at the meter.
5. Fix a leak fast: Houston Public Works gives a 100% leak credit when the leak is fixed within 30 days of starting, 75% within 60 days and 50% after that.
6. Photograph the damage before you clean up, then call your insurer. FEMA says to take photos before cleanup begins. Do not sign your claim over to a contractor.
7. Call the plumber line and ask for the service call fee before anyone is sent.

Is it an emergency? When to call a Houston plumber tonight

Emergency plumbing in Houston costs $99 to $493, averaging $168, in Angi's August 2026 Houston figures, so call after hours when water is running and you cannot stop it, sewage is backing up, or you smell gas.

• Call now: burst pipes, sewage backups, gas leaks, major leaks, a main water line break or a water heater flooding the area, all on HomeGuide's emergency list.
• Call now: the only toilet in the house is fully clogged, or pipes are frozen and at risk of bursting (HomeGuide).
• Can wait for business hours: a dripping faucet, a running toilet or one slow drain.
• A warm spot on a slab floor or a meter that moves with everything off can be a slab leak; Houston's clay soil is a common cause in Angi's Houston guide. See slab leak repair.
• Generic questions about rates and fees are on the national emergency plumber page.

Do you need a permit to replace a water heater in Houston?

Yes. The City of Houston says a plumbing permit is required to replace or install a water heater, and the permit must be obtained by a master plumber registered with the City. Plan review is waived for a single-family home, but an inspection is required. The fee is $34.24 for the first three heaters plus a $33.56 admin fee, and the permit is processed in one business day and valid for 180 days.

Ask whether the permit is in the quote and who pulls it. Plumbing Inspections: 832-394-8870. Pricing a new tank or tankless unit? See water heater repair and the water heater replacement cost guide.

Can a Houston homeowner do their own plumbing?

Texas law says a property owner does not need a plumbing license to do plumbing in their own homestead (Occupations Code 1301.051). Houston still wants a permit. The City's homeowner plumbing application, revised in January 2026, requires that you live in the single-family home as your homestead; staff check your ID against county records.

The minimum permit fee is $97.56 plus the $33.56 admin fee, $131.12 in total, and a failed inspection costs $94.00 to re-inspect.

How to check a Houston plumber's license

Look the plumber up on TSBPE's public license search before work starts. Choose the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, then search by name or by license number (digits only, without the rank letter). The result shows whether the license is current, when it expires, its endorsements and any disciplinary actions. Ask for proof of insurance too; that is not on the license page.

Burst pipes: what the February 2021 freeze did to Houston

Houston's water system lost pressure in the February 2021 freeze. Starting February 16, 2021, pressure dropped below the 20 psi minimum set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and a citywide boil water notice followed until the afternoon of February 21. The City's notice warned that a house with no water might have a frozen private line, and told residents to call 311 (713-837-0311) for help shutting water off at the meter.

On February 23, 2021, the Governor's office said TSBPE had found 500 more licensees who could work under general supervision on burst pipes. If a pipe freezes, the American Red Cross says to keep the faucet open and thaw it with a hair dryer, heating pad or space heater, never an open flame. HomeAdvisor's national figure for burst pipe repair is $500 on average.

Slab leaks and clay soil in Houston homes

Angi's Houston guide says the area's expansive clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry, which stresses underground pipes and causes slab leaks. It also says humidity speeds corrosion in galvanized steel pipes, which are common in homes built before 1980. Finding a leak under a slab costs $150 to $400 for most homeowners, per HomeAdvisor's national slab leak guide. See slab leak repair for the repair options and what each costs.

Houston water bill leak credit: fix it within 30 days

Houston Public Works credits a leak by how fast it is repaired: 100% if fixed within 30 days of the leak starting, 75% within 60 days and 50% after that, under rules adopted December 13, 2023. File within six months of the repair date and send the plumber's bill, a parts receipt or a signed statement.

Permit, license and water utility facts for Houston, from the official pages listed under Sources.

Where to complain about a Houston plumber

The Texas Attorney General takes consumer complaints online; we found no City of Houston or Harris County office that does. If water has already soaked floors or drywall, see water damage restoration in Houston and call your insurer too. AC or furnace trouble goes to HVAC repair in Houston. Nearby: plumbers in San Antonio and plumbers in Tampa. Rooftop solar on the house? See solar service in Houston. Prices for every trade are in home repair costs; start at the plumber guide.

Slab leak repair in Houston: cost and leak detection

Slab leak repair in Houston costs $630 to $4,400 for most homes, with a $2,280 average, the national range HomeAdvisor published in 2026; finding the leak first runs $150 to $400, about $280 on average. Fixr's national range is $1,000 to $4,000. No publisher lists a Houston-only slab leak price.

Leak detection in Houston pays for itself on the water bill. Houston Public Works credits 100% of a leak repaired within 30 days of starting, 75% within 60 days and 50% after that, so a fast find matters. Houston 311 gives a leaking water service line or meter a 22-day service level, so a leak on your side of the meter is a plumber's job now. Warm spots on the floor, a meter that moves with every fixture off, and the sound of running water are HomeAdvisor's warning signs.

• Leak detection: $150 to $400 (HomeAdvisor)
• Pinhole leak repair: $150 to $800 (HomeAdvisor)
• Reroute: $600 to $4,000 (HomeAdvisor); $4,000 to $15,000 for a whole-house reroute (Fixr)

More home repair help in Houston: window replacement, with prices, the local rules and the line to call for each.