Plumber Miami: $182 to $501 + $2,500 Permit Exemption (2026)

National figures. We found no Miami-specific plumber price in the sources we checked, so ask for the service call fee before anyone is sent.

Do this now: plumbing emergency in Miami

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. Stopping a leak in an accessible pipe needs no permit in the City of Miami, as long as the pipe does not need replacing, so a plumber can start right away.
5. Do not sign over your insurance claim to a contractor. Florida bans assignment of benefits on policies issued on or after January 1, 2023.
6. Photograph the damage before you clean up, then call your insurer. FEMA says to take photos before cleanup begins.
7. Call the plumber line and ask for the service call fee before anyone is sent.

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

An emergency plumber costs $170 an hour on average nationally in Angi's 2026 data (no Miami figure is published), plus a $150 to $300 emergency fee at many companies, so call after hours only 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.
• For a hidden leak behind a wall or underground, WASD's concealed leak adjustment requires the repair within 30 days of the department's notice; keep the receipts and before-and-after photos.
• Generic questions about rates and fees are on the national emergency plumber page.

Which plumbing jobs need a permit in the City of Miami

The City of Miami lets licensed plumbers make repairs under $2,500 without a permit. Its list of work that needs no permit also includes stopping leaks in accessible pipes when the pipe does not need replacing, unclogging drains, toilet and faucet repair without rerouting, shut-off valve repair and garbage disposal repair.

Bigger jobs go through the City's Easy Permit, issued by email as soon as the application is paid, with no plan review. It covers a water heater change-out, re-piping or repairs, sanitary sewer repairs and water service repair or replacement. Only qualified contractors in good standing can apply. Gas appliance repair needs no permit, but the City lists water heaters as an exception. See water heater repair for prices.

Florida and Miami-Dade plumbing licenses: what to look up

Florida DBPR licenses plumbing contractors two ways: a certified contractor (code CF) may work anywhere in the state, while a registered contractor (code RF) may contract only in the local jurisdictions where it is registered. Search either on DBPR's license search by name, license number, city or county.

Miami-Dade adds its own layer. Division B of the county's Construction Trades Qualifying Board reviews plumbing contractor license applications, and Contractor Licensing (786-315-2880) runs an online contractor search. A county journeyman certificate does not entitle anyone to work as a contractor; journeymen work under a master. Florida's owner-builder exemption lets you do work on your own one- or two-family home if you supervise it in person and do not sell or lease it within a year.

Miami water: lime-softened Biscayne Aquifer water

Miami-Dade Water and Sewer draws its water from the Biscayne Aquifer and softens it at the plant, per its 2024 water quality report: the Alexander Orr, Jr. plant uses lime treatment to reduce hardness, the Hialeah plant is treated similarly, and the John E. Preston plant uses enhanced softening. The report does not list a hardness number. WASD serves more than 400,000 retail customers.

Hidden leak? WASD's concealed leak bill adjustment

WASD adjusts a high bill caused by a leak concealed underground or behind a wall. The repair must be done within 30 days of the department's notice, and you send repair receipts or a letter from the plumber plus before-and-after photos; the repair is inspected. The adjustment covers water use 50% above the prior year's average and wastewater 100% above it, and you pay 40% of current charges. Customer Care is 305-665-7477. Cannot find the leak? See leak detection.

After a hurricane: plumbing and flooding in Miami

Storm surge from Hurricane Irma on September 10, 2017, flooded 3 to 5 feet deep along Biscayne Bay from Homestead to downtown and Brickell, NWS Miami found, and Miami-Dade logged 55,012 insurance claims. Floodwater in the house is a restoration job first: see water damage restoration in Miami, call your insurer too, and do not sign over your claim to a contractor. Florida bans assignment of benefits on policies issued on or after January 1, 2023.

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

Where to complain about a Miami plumber

Miami-Dade County Consumer Protection takes disputes with businesses in the county at 305-375-2877. Florida DBPR takes complaints against licensed contractors under Construction Industry at (850) 487-1395, but it cannot recover money for you. For heat or AC trouble, see HVAC repair in Miami. Up the state: plumbers in Tampa and plumbers in Orlando. Panels on the roof? See solar service in Miami. Slow drains everywhere usually point to the main line; read drain cleaning. All trades are priced in home repair costs, and the plumber guide lists questions for the call.

Slab leak repair and leak detection in Miami

Slab leak repair costs $2,280 on average in HomeAdvisor's 2026 national data, with most jobs $630 to $4,400, and finding the leak first runs $150 to $400; no Miami price is published. Who pays depends on where the leak is. Miami-Dade Water and Sewer maintains service up to and including the meter box, and the account holder is responsible for all water use past it, concealed or underground; the county says it cannot repair pipes on private property. Its Finding and Fixing Leaks page offers a leak detector guide for checking the meter yourself.

If the plumber cannot repair the line under the slab, Fixr puts rerouting it at $4,000 to $15,000. A slab leak that shows up on your WASD bill may qualify for the concealed leak adjustment above, but only if it is fixed within 30 days of the department's notice. More on slab leak repair and leak detection.

Sewer line repair in Miami

Sewer line repair costs $150 to $3,800 depending on the method in HomeGuide's 2026 national guide, and This Old House puts an average replacement at $3,320. Trenchless work is priced by the foot: HomeGuide lists pipe bursting at $60 to $200 and cured-in-place lining at $90 to $250. In the City of Miami, sanitary sewer repairs go through the Easy Permit described above.

When sewage backs up from the street or a manhole overflows, call Miami-Dade Water and Sewer's 24-hour line, 305-274-9272, which takes backed-up sewer lines and overflowing manholes. We did not find a WASD page that says where the homeowner's sewer line ends, so ask the plumber to show you on camera where the break is before you agree to dig. See sewer line repair and drain cleaning in Miami.

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