Home / Plumbers
Hiring a plumber: what to check first
License, permit, inspection. Three checks that take a few minutes and tell you most of what you need to know before work starts. Pick your city for the local details.
Calls are answered by an independent provider that serves your ZIP code. You decide whether to hire.
- Answered by a local provider
- Matched to your ZIP code
- Hiring is your decision
Guides by city
- Nashville, TNDavidson County
- Chattanooga, TNHamilton County
- Murfreesboro, TNRutherford County
- Franklin, TNWilliamson County
- Huntsville, ALMadison County
- Birmingham, ALJefferson County
- Montgomery, ALMontgomery County
- Decatur, ALMorgan County
- Auburn, ALLee County
- Opelika, ALLee County
- Prattville, ALAutauga County
Questions to ask before you hire
- What is your license or certification number? Look it up before the visit.
- Does this job need a plumbing permit here, and will you pull it?
- Is the price for the repair fixed, or by the hour?
- Is there a charge to come out, and is it credited toward the work?
- Can I have the scope and the price in writing before work starts?
Problems and costs, explained
Water heater leakingWhere the water is coming from tells you almost everything. A leak from the top is usually a repair. A leak from the tank itself is not.
Water heater replacement: what drives the costThe heater is a known price. The quote moves on what the installation needs to meet today's code, and on whether you are changing type.
Toilet keeps runningA running toilet is the most common leak in a house and the easiest to ignore. The water bill does not ignore it.
Garbage disposal not workingA disposal fails in three ways: it does nothing, it hums, or it leaks. Each points somewhere different.
Burst pipeWith a burst pipe the first job is not repair. It is stopping the water, and every adult in the house should know where that valve is.- Slab leakA slab leak is a pipe leaking under the concrete floor of the house. You do not see it. You see what it does.
- Main sewer line clogOne slow drain is that drain's problem. Several drains backing up at once, starting with the one nearest the ground, is the main line.
- Kitchen sink cloggedKitchen clogs are grease and food, and they sit a few feet past the trap. That is why the plunger only half works.
- No hot water in the houseNo hot water at any tap means the water heater. No hot water at one tap means that tap.
- Low water pressure in the houseThree questions find most pressure problems: one tap or all of them, hot or cold, sudden or slow.
Jobs people call about
- Water heatersLeaks, no hot water, and replacement with a tank or tankless unit.
- Drains and sewer linesClogs that keep returning, slow drains through the house and sewer line repair.
- Leaks and burst pipesFinding the leak, repairing the pipe and telling you what else got wet.
- Toilets and fixturesRunning toilets, leaking faucets and new fixtures.
- Water pressureLow pressure, pressure that swings, and regulators that have failed.
- RepipingReplacing old supply lines through part or all of a house.
About this site
Is ProDoorstep a plumbing company?
No. ProDoorstep is a guide and a connection service. When you call, you are connected with an independent plumbing provider that serves your ZIP code.
Who do I pay for the work?
The provider you hire. ProDoorstep does not perform work, set prices or collect payment for jobs.
How do I check a plumber's license?
Ask for the number and look it up with the state office linked on this page before the visit.
Does replacing a water heater need a permit?
Rules differ by city and county. The office named on your city page is the one to ask for your address.
Talk to a local plumber
One call. You describe the job, and the provider that serves your ZIP code takes it from there.