Suffolk County · Service area
Plumbers in Boston, MA
Boston has some of the oldest housing in the United States. Triple-deckers, brick rowhouses and Victorians built before 1930 make up much of the city, and they carry cast iron stacks, brass and galvanized supply pipe and, in many cases, steam or hot water heating that shares the basement with the plumbing.
Serving Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, South Boston, Back Bay, Roslindale, East Boston, Allston-Brighton and nearby neighborhoods.
- Emergency plumbing help
- Licensed local plumbers
- Price confirmed before work
Talk to a local plumber
Need a plumber in Boston?
(833) 555-0142 Tap to call now- Free to call
- Licensed local plumbing companies
- Price confirmed before work starts
Homes and plumbing in Boston
In a triple-decker, three households share one set of stacks, so a blockage or leak on one floor soon involves the others. Winters are long enough that pipes in unheated rear porches, basements and exterior walls freeze regularly. The city's water is soft, so scale is rarely an issue.
Frozen pipes
Cold snaps freeze lines in the uninsulated back halls and porches where triple-decker kitchens and baths were added. Rerouting or insulating those runs prevents repeat calls.
Lead service lines
Boston Water and Sewer Commission offers an incentive program that helps owners replace the private side of a lead service line.
Old cast iron and brass
Century-old stacks crack and brass supply pipe thins and leaks at the threads. Repairs often expand once walls are open.
Common plumbing calls in Boston
Frozen Pipe Repair
No water from a faucet in freezing weather usually means a frozen pipe.
Learn morePipe Repair
Leaking joint, pinhole in copper or a corroded section of pipe? See how plumbers repair water and drain pipes and reach a local pipe repair plumber..
Learn moreDrain Cleaning
Clogged sink, tub, shower or main drain? Learn how plumbers clear drains with cables and jetting, and call to reach a local drain cleaning plumber..
Learn moreWater Heater Replacement
Replacing a leaking or aging water heater? See how plumbers size, install and permit a new tank, and call to reach a local installer..
Learn moreToilet Repair
Running toilet, leak at the base, weak flush or a clog a plunger won't clear? See what plumbers fix and replace, and reach a local toilet repair plumber..
Learn more
Also available in Boston: emergency plumbing and all plumbing services.
Boston at a glance
- Area
- Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
- Neighborhoods
- Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, South Boston, Back Bay, Roslindale, East Boston, Allston-Brighton
- Local issues
- Frozen pipes; Lead service lines; Old cast iron and brass
- Plumber licensing
- State law requires nearly all plumbing work to be done by a plumber licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters.
- Office
- Service-area page. Work is done by independent local plumbing companies.
Boston plumbing questions
Can a homeowner do their own plumbing in Boston?
No. Massachusetts requires plumbing work to be done by a licensed plumber with a permit, and it does not issue plumbing permits to homeowners. This applies even to replacing a water heater.
How do I check a plumber's license in Massachusetts?
Use the state's online license lookup for the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters. Master and journeyman plumbers each carry a license number.
Guides for Boston homeowners
How to shut off your water in an emergency
Close the main shutoff valve, which is usually where the water line enters the house: in the basement or crawl space on the street-facing wall, in the garage, or near the water heater.
Read the guideHow long does a water heater last?
A standard tank water heater lasts about 8 to 12 years.
Read the guideWhy does my drain keep clogging?
A drain that keeps clogging has a cause that the last clearing did not remove.
Read the guide
Other service areas
Need a plumber in Boston?
Call and tell us what's going on. Calling is free, and the plumber confirms the price before any work starts.