Plumber San Antonio: $182 to $501 + SAWS Hard Water (2026)

National figures. We found no San Antonio-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 San Antonio

1. Smell gas? Leave first, then call 911 or CPS Energy's gas and electric emergency line, 1-800-870-1006, from outside.
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. Qualifying owner-occupants (home worth $300,000 or less, within SAWS Uplift income limits) can get fresh-water leaks fixed through SAWS Plumbers to People; sewer clogs are not covered.
5. 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.
6. Call the plumber line and ask for the service call fee before anyone is sent.

Is it an emergency? When to call a San Antonio plumber tonight

An emergency plumber costs $170 an hour on average nationally in Angi's 2026 data (no San Antonio figure is published), 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.
• Hard freezes are the city's big pipe risk: during Winter Storm Uri some San Antonio residents lost water for up to 30 hours, which SAWS linked to frozen pipes. See burst pipe repair.
• Generic questions about rates and fees are on the national emergency plumber page.

Plumbing permits in San Antonio: who can pull them

San Antonio's Development Services Department tells homeowners they must use licensed trade contractors for new plumbing, electrical and HVAC work. Trade contractors must be licensed by the City or State and registered with the City to pull trade permits for you. The one exception is your own homestead: an owner may apply for a plumbing permit on an existing home they live in, must do the work personally, and signs a Plumbing Homeowner Affidavit.

Water heater replacement in San Antonio: the limited service permit

A like-for-like water heater swap in San Antonio usually goes through a Plumbing Limited Service and Repair permit. Under DSD Information Bulletin 121c, revised September 25, 2026, a licensed plumbing contractor can replace an existing water heater connected to an existing vent, then certify the work meets code without a City inspection. The contractor must get the permit within three working days after finishing.

You can still ask for a City inspection at no cost within 30 days of the notice. Switching from a tank to a tankless heater does not qualify, so expect a regular permit for that. Costs and repair-or-replace questions are in water heater repair.

San Antonio hard water: 15 to 20 grains per gallon

SAWS says the typical hardness of its water ranges from 15 to 20 grains per gallon. Hardness is calcium and magnesium, and SAWS says it is not a health risk. SAWS water starts as groundwater from aquifers including the Edwards and Carrizo, with Canyon Lake surface water in some areas, per its 2026 water quality report. Give the plumber that figure when pricing a softener or tankless heater.

Winter Storm Uri and San Antonio's frozen pipes

San Antonio stayed below freezing from February 14, 2021, with no high above freezing until February 17, according to the City's emergency preparedness committee report. Texas Public Radio reported that some residents lost water for up to 30 hours, and SAWS said the longer outages most likely meant frozen pipes.

The president of the San Antonio chapter of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association told Texas Public Radio that "PVC pipes have failed systematically across the city." To keep up, Governor Abbott's waivers let apprentices make repairs without direct supervision under a responsible master plumber, and the state issued provisional permits to out-of-state plumbers, Texas Standard reported. The American Red Cross says to keep the heat no lower than 55°F when you are away and to let cold water drip from faucets on exposed pipes. More in burst pipe repair.

SAWS Plumbers to People: leak repairs for qualifying owners

SAWS runs Plumbers to People, which provides emergency repair of fresh water leaks such as leaking faucets, toilets and broken pipes. You must be a SAWS customer who owns and lives in the home, the home must be worth no more than $300,000, and you must meet the Uplift income limits. Only SAWS-contracted plumbers do the work; drain leaks and sewer clogs are not covered, and lifetime limits apply. Big leaks: 210-704-SAVE. After you fix a leak, SAWS may credit part of the extra water use for up to two months if you apply within 60 days of the repair with a plumber's receipt, your own supply receipts or a description of the repair; it reviews requests within 30 days and holds the account from late fees meanwhile. Customer service: 210-704-7297.

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

Checking a license and filing a complaint in San Antonio

Look up any plumber on TSBPE's public license search; it shows status, expiration and disciplinary actions. Texas exempts owners doing plumbing on their own homestead, but nobody else. For a dispute, the Texas Attorney General takes consumer complaints online; we found no City or Bexar County office that does. Water already in the walls? See water damage restoration in San Antonio. For AC or heat, see HVAC repair in San Antonio. Elsewhere: plumbers in Houston and plumbers in Phoenix, another hard water city. Solar owners can see solar service in San Antonio. After hours, read emergency plumber costs; compare trades in home repair costs or start at the plumber guide.

More home repair help in San Antonio: tree removal, window replacement, garage door repair and garage door installation, with prices, the local rules and the line to call for each.