How to choose a plumber in Houston: the complete guide

Start with the license

Texas regulates plumbing more tightly than most trades. A company needs a Responsible Master Plumber on record with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, and the plumber in your house needs a license or an apprentice registration under one. The license number must be on the truck, the invoice and the ads. Look it up before you book. The lookup takes a minute, and a company that fails it is out no matter how many reviews it has.

Know what is under your house

Houston is built on clay that moves, and most homes sit on a slab. That combination makes under-slab leaks and sewer breaks common, and it makes the plumber’s diagnostic tools matter. For anything under the slab, insist on a camera inspection for drains or a pressure test and leak detection for supply lines before anyone quotes a repair. A number offered over the phone for a slab leak is not a bid.

Your home’s era tells you what to expect:

• Before 1975: cast iron drains that rust from the inside, galvanized supply that clogs. Expect a camera inspection to show the condition.
• 1978 to 1995: polybutylene supply lines, usually grey, which fail without warning. Most plumbers will recommend a repipe rather than repairs.
• 1995 onward: mostly PVC drains and copper or PEX supply. Problems are usually fixtures, water heaters and slab movement rather than materials.

Permits in Houston

The City of Houston requires a plumbing permit and inspection for water heater replacement, repipes, sewer line replacement, gas work and most changes to the system. Fixture swaps and drain cleaning do not. A licensed company pulls permits in its own name. A company that asks you to pull it, or offers to skip it, is telling you something about its license.

Reading the bid

Compare scope before price. A good plumbing bid includes:

• The specific pipe or fixture and the material (PEX, copper, PVC, cast iron)
• Brand and model of any equipment, like a water heater, with the capacity and efficiency
• Whether the permit and inspection are included
• What gets opened (drywall, slab, yard) and who restores it
• Labor warranty in years, separate from the manufacturer’s parts warranty
• The payment schedule

Two bids with the same scope should land close together, because most Houston companies price flat-rate from a book. A bid far below the others has usually left something out of the scope.

Walk away if

• There is no license number anywhere.
• They quote under-slab work without a camera or leak test.
• They ask you to pull the permit.
• They want most of the money before materials arrive.
• The company has had more than one name in a few years.