Plumbers in Pasadena

Texas requires every city of more than 5,000 people to regulate plumbing by ordinance, water heaters included, and to require a permit. Small jobs are the exception: fixing a leak or replacing a faucet, ballcock, garbage disposal or toilet. Anything bigger in Pasadena goes through the Permit Department at City Hall, 1149 Ellsworth (713-475-5575), or the city's EnerGov portal.

The Responsible Master Plumber pulls that permit and requests the inspections, and the permit office must confirm with TSBPE that the RMP's insurance certificate is on file. Ask for the permit number and find it in EnerGov before the work is covered up.

New lines and the customer service inspection

Before water service starts to new construction, after material changes, or when a hazard is suspected, a TCEQ customer service inspection checks private water lines for cross-connections, contamination and illegal lead. Ask the city's water services whether your project triggers one. Backflow assemblies may only be tested or repaired by someone with a TCEQ Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester license, which lasts three years.

Plumbers are licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Search the name or license number on TSBPE's Public License Search, which can also filter by city or county. Then compare what you find with the paperwork:

• Every written proposal, invoice and contract must show the RMP's name and license number, plus TSBPE's name, mailing address and phone number.
• Service vehicles must show the company name and the RMP's license number.
• Whoever does the work must carry a license or registration on the job.
• The RMP must keep at least $300,000 of general liability insurance on file with TSBPE.

You should get an invoice when the job is done. Complaints go to TSBPE on its General Complaint Form, and its phone number is (512) 936-5200.

HomeGuide's national figures (September 2023) put plumbers at $45 to $150 an hour, with average jobs at $125 to $450 and service-call fees of $50 to $200. A burst pipe runs $400 to $2,000 nationally, or about $150 to $250 per linear foot.

As of October 2021, Texas health officials had confirmed 246 deaths tied to the February 2021 winter storm. If a pipe burst in a freeze, ask what the repair replaced and whether it was permitted. The full Texas cost guide and hiring checklist are on the Texas plumbers guide.

Water heater jobs often cross trades. A licensed plumber may disconnect and reconnect a water heater on an existing circuit, but new wiring needs an electrician in Pasadena. For a wider choice, compare plumbers in Pearland, and see the Pasadena hiring guide for city contacts.