Plumbers in Houston

Every plumbing company in Texas works under a Responsible Master Plumber, who pulls permits, requests inspections and makes sure the people on your job are licensed or registered. Any written proposal, invoice or contract has to show that RMP's name and license number, plus TSBPE's name, mailing address and phone number. A bid that leaves them off doesn't meet Texas law.

On the job, each plumber must carry the license or registration on their person, and service vehicles show the company name and the RMP's license number. You can search by name, license number, city or county on TSBPE's Public License Search, and the Find-a-Plumber map shows licensed plumbers by area.

The Houston registration layer

Houston's Plumbing Inspections section registers master plumbers who show a Texas Master Plumber's License and proof of insurance. Renewals can be sent by email or fax, and there's been no registration fee since September 1, 2009. When the permit is issued, the city has to confirm with TSBPE that the RMP has a certificate of insurance on file, and that RMP must carry at least $300,000 of general liability cover.

HomeGuide's national figures (September 2023) put plumbers at $45 to $150 an hour, average jobs at $125 to $450 and service-call fees at $50 to $200. Its June 2026 guide for Dallas, the only Texas city it prices, puts most residential jobs there at $182 to $500. A burst pipe repair runs $400 to $2,000 nationally.

Ask whether the service-call fee is credited against the repair, and get the price in writing before work starts. The full Texas cost breakdown and hiring checklist are on the Texas plumbers guide.

Texas cities of more than 5,000 people must require a permit for plumbing work, including water heaters. Small jobs are the exception: fixing leaks or replacing faucets, ballcocks, garbage disposals or toilets. In Houston the permit comes from the Houston Permitting Center, through iPermits, email or in person, with plans uploaded through ProjectDox for larger projects.

Check who supplies your water before a line repair. Houston Public Works supplies City of Houston customers, but some areas inside Houston are served by utility districts, such as the Clear Lake City Water Authority, so ask your provider about its shutoff and tap rules.

New construction and major line changes may need a TCEQ customer service inspection, which checks private water lines for cross-connections and illegal lead materials. Backflow assemblies have to be tested by someone holding a TCEQ Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester license.

As of October 2021, Texas health officials had confirmed 246 deaths related to the February 2021 winter storm. The plumbing lesson is to know where your main shutoff is before a hard freeze, so ask your plumber to show you on the next visit and to point out exposed lines.

A licensed plumber can disconnect and reconnect a water heater on an existing circuit, but a new or changed circuit is electrical work. If you're switching to a tankless or electric unit, you may need one of the electricians in Houston as well. For water around an indoor AC unit, ask whether the cause is plumbing or the AC itself; see AC repair in Houston.

South of the city, plumbers in Pearland work under the same state license with that city's own permits. For Houston permits, utilities and floodplain rules, see the Houston local guide.