Wayne County · Service area
Plumbers in Detroit, MI
Most of Detroit's houses were built between 1910 and 1955, during the boom years of the auto industry. Their brick walls have aged well. Their plumbing, which includes galvanized supply pipe, cast iron stacks, clay sewers and lead service lines, has not.
Serving Corktown, Midtown, Rosedale Park, Bagley, East English Village, Southwest Detroit, Jefferson Chalmers and nearby neighborhoods.
- Emergency plumbing help
- Licensed local plumbers
- Price confirmed before work
Talk to a local plumber
Need a plumber in Detroit?
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- Licensed local plumbing companies
- Price confirmed before work starts
Homes and plumbing in Detroit
Every house has a basement with a floor drain connected to a combined sewer. Houses that sat vacant through a winter often have freeze-damaged pipes, radiators and fixtures, so a full pressure test is the first step when one is renovated.
Basement backups
Detroit's combined sewers overflow in heavy rain. Storms in 2014 and 2021 flooded thousands of basements. The city runs a Basement Backup Protection Program that helps install backwater valves and sump pumps in eligible neighborhoods.
Lead service lines
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is replacing lead service lines across the city at no direct cost to the homeowner.
Frozen pipes and clay sewers
Long freezes burst pipes in unheated spaces, and century-old clay sewers crack and fill with roots.
Common plumbing calls in Detroit
Sewer Backup Repair
Sewage in a tub, floor drain or toilet means the main line is blocked.
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 moreSump Pump Repair
Sump pump not turning on, running nonstop or failing in storms? See how plumbers repair and replace sump pumps and add battery backup..
Learn moreFrozen Pipe Repair
No water from a faucet in freezing weather usually means a frozen pipe.
Learn moreRepiping
Galvanized, polybutylene or failing copper pipes? See when a whole-house repipe makes sense, what it involves and how to reach a local repiping plumber..
Learn more
Also available in Detroit: emergency plumbing and all plumbing services.
Detroit at a glance
- Area
- Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
- Neighborhoods
- Corktown, Midtown, Rosedale Park, Bagley, East English Village, Southwest Detroit, Jefferson Chalmers
- Local issues
- Basement backups; Lead service lines; Frozen pipes and clay sewers
- Plumber licensing
- Plumbers are licensed by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
- Office
- Service-area page. Work is done by independent local plumbing companies.
Detroit plumbing questions
What can I do about sewer backups in my Detroit basement?
A backwater valve on the sewer line stops flow from the city main entering the house, and a sump pump handles groundwater. Ask DWSD whether your neighborhood is covered by the Basement Backup Protection Program.
How do I check a plumber's license in Michigan?
Search the Michigan LARA license lookup. Plumbers hold a journey or master license, and plumbing contractors hold a separate contractor license.
Guides for Detroit homeowners
Why does my drain keep clogging?
A drain that keeps clogging has a cause that the last clearing did not remove.
Read the guideHow to check a plumber's license
Ask the plumber for their license number, then search it on the website of the agency that issued it.
Read the guideHow to prevent frozen pipes
Keep vulnerable pipes above freezing and keep water moving.
Read the guide
Other service areas
Need a plumber in Detroit?
Call and tell us what's going on. Calling is free, and the plumber confirms the price before any work starts.