Get a plumber for a leak, a clogged drain or a water heater

When should I shut off the main water valve?

Shut it off right away when water is spraying or pouring and you cannot stop it at the fixture, when a pipe has burst, or when water is coming through a ceiling. For a single leaking toilet, faucet or appliance, close the small valve under or behind that fixture first; it is usually enough and keeps water on for the rest of the house.

The main valve is often near where the water line enters the house: on an outside wall at the front, in the garage, or in a basement. Some homes only have the shut-off at the meter box near the street, which may need a meter key. Find yours now, before there is a problem, and make sure it turns. If the leak is near outlets, lights or the electrical panel, stay out of the water and keep away from the electrical equipment until it is safe.

What kind of license does a plumber need in California?

Plumbing has its own classification at the Contractors State License Board: C-36, Plumbing. CSLB's C-36 description covers the supply of safe water, the disposal of waste from the premises, gas piping and gas appliance connections, equipment that heats water, and safety devices such as earthquake gas valves and backflow preventers.

Any plumbing job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, or one that needs a permit, needs a licensed contractor (CSLB bulletin on AB 2622). How to look up a plumber's license, bond and workers' compensation is on our page about checking a contractor's license.

For a leak or a water heater in Dallas–Fort Worth, the license to ask for is a Texas plumbing license. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners issues them, from Tradesman Plumber-Limited through Journeyman, Master and Responsible Master Plumber, and its site has a public license search. Fort Worth also asks anyone pulling a plumbing permit to be registered with the city; see our Texas notes.

Is it a small leak or a bigger problem?

Some leaks are easy to see: a drip at a faucet, a wet cabinet floor under the sink, a running toilet. Others hide. A water bill that jumps for no reason, a meter that keeps turning when every fixture is off, warm spots on a slab floor, or the sound of water running when nothing is on can all point to a leak inside a wall or under the house.

A plumber can test for that. Leak detection may involve shutting off fixtures and watching the meter, pressure-testing lines, or using listening and imaging tools to find the spot before opening a wall. Ask how they plan to find the leak and how much of the wall or floor they expect to open.

Water heater repair or replacement

Signs a tank water heater is near the end include rust-colored hot water, water pooling at the base, rumbling or popping while it heats, and hot water that runs out faster than it used to. A leak from the tank itself usually means replacement; a leak from a fitting or the relief valve may be a repair.

California law requires new and replacement water heaters, and existing ones in homes, to be braced, anchored or strapped against earthquake motion, at minimum to the California Plumbing Code (Health and Safety Code section 19211, published by the Seismic Safety Commission). The same section requires a seller to state in writing to the buyer that the water heater meets it. The Seismic Safety Commission's FAQ says the same in plain terms.

A replacement also touches gas or electrical connections, venting and the relief valve line, so ask the plumber or your city's building department whether it needs a permit, and who pulls it and schedules the inspection. If you are thinking about switching from gas to an electric heat pump water heater, raise it early: it may need a new circuit, a drain for condensate and enough space around the unit.

Drains, clogs and sewer lines

One slow drain is usually a local clog in that fixture's trap or branch line. When several drains are slow at once, toilets gurgle when the washer empties, or water comes up in a shower when someone flushes, the problem is often further down, in the main line or the sewer lateral that runs to the street.

For those, plumbers often run a camera through the line to see whether it is a clog, tree roots, a sag or a broken section. Ask to see the video and where the problem sits, and ask whether the fix is clearing the line, repairing one spot or replacing a length of pipe. Your city's public works or building department can tell you whether it has its own rules for the lateral, which part of it is yours to maintain, and whether the repair needs a permit.

When is it time to repipe a house?

A repipe replaces the water supply lines throughout the house. It comes up when leaks keep appearing in different places, when water pressure is low everywhere, or when old galvanized steel pipe has rusted inside. A plumber will usually look at the pipe material, past repairs and the water pressure before recommending it.

A whole-house repipe opens walls and ceilings in several rooms and leaves patching and paint to finish afterward. Ask the city's building department, or the plumber, about the permit and inspections it needs. Ask who does the drywall repair, how long the water will be off each day, and which pipe material they plan to use.

What to have ready before you call

• What you see and hear: where the water is, how fast it comes, and whether it is clean water or drain water.
• Whether you have shut off a fixture valve or the main, and whether that stopped it.
• For a water heater: gas or electric, tank or tankless, the size on the label, and the model number if you can read it.
• For drains: which fixtures are slow, and whether more than one backs up at the same time.
• Whether the house is on a slab or a crawl space, and roughly what the pipes are made of if any are visible.
• Photos of the leak, the label on the water heater and any damage to floors or ceilings.

Questions to ask a plumber

• What is your CSLB license number, and does it show C-36 Plumbing?
• Will this job need a permit, and are you the one pulling it?
• Does the price include opening and closing walls, hauling away the old water heater and the inspection?
• What will you do if you find more damage once the wall or floor is open?

Get the scope and any later changes in writing. Our page on the home improvement contract in California explains what a written contract must say and how the down payment is capped.

What we do, and what we don't

We are a free request service. You tell us about the plumbing problem, and we call or email back to help you sort out what kind of contractor to look for and which questions to put to them. Contractor Near Me is not a plumbing contractor and is not licensed as one. We do not send plumbers, fix leaks or install anything, we do not give quotes or arrival times, and we do not vouch for anyone. Before you hire, check the plumber's license on CSLB's Check A License page.

Sources: Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, home page and Public License Search; CSLB, C-36 Plumbing Contractor; CSLB, AB 2622 minor work exemption bulletin (2024); California Health and Safety Code sections 19210 to 19217, as published by the California Seismic Safety Commission; Seismic Safety Commission, Frequently Asked Questions; CSLB, Check A License.