Philadelphia County · Service area
Plumbers in Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia is a city of rowhouses, and most of them are more than 80 years old. A typical rowhouse has a single cast iron stack serving every fixture, a terra cotta lateral running under the basement floor to the street and, often, a lead service line.
Serving South Philadelphia, Fishtown, West Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, Germantown, Manayunk and nearby neighborhoods.
- Emergency plumbing help
- Licensed local plumbers
- Price confirmed before work
Talk to a local plumber
Need a plumber in Philadelphia?
(833) 555-0142 Tap to call now- Free to call
- Licensed local plumbing companies
- Price confirmed before work starts
Homes and plumbing in Philadelphia
Because rowhouses share walls, plumbing runs are short and stacked, which keeps repairs contained but makes access tight. Basements are where problems show: a floor drain that backs up, a damp patch along the front wall where the lateral leaves the house, or corrosion on the main stack.
Collapsed terra cotta laterals
Clay laterals crack and shift after a century under the sidewalk, and roots enter at the joints. In Philadelphia the homeowner owns the lateral all the way to the main in the street.
Lead service lines
Many pre-1950 homes have a lead line from the water main. The Philadelphia Water Department treats the water to limit corrosion and offers a zero-interest loan for replacement.
Combined sewer backups
Older parts of the city have combined sewers that surcharge in heavy rain. A backwater valve protects basement fixtures.
Common plumbing calls in Philadelphia
Sewer Line Repair
Cracked, root-filled or collapsed sewer line? Compare spot repair, pipe lining and replacement, and call to reach a local sewer line plumber..
Learn moreSewer Camera Inspection
A sewer camera inspection shows roots, cracks, sags and blockages before you pay for a repair or buy a house.
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 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 moreFrozen Pipe Repair
No water from a faucet in freezing weather usually means a frozen pipe.
Learn more
Also available in Philadelphia: emergency plumbing and all plumbing services.
Philadelphia at a glance
- Area
- Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
- Neighborhoods
- South Philadelphia, Fishtown, West Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, Germantown, Manayunk
- Local issues
- Collapsed terra cotta laterals; Lead service lines; Combined sewer backups
- Plumber licensing
- Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license; plumbers are licensed by municipalities such as Philadelphia and Allegheny County.
- Office
- Service-area page. Work is done by independent local plumbing companies.
Philadelphia plumbing questions
Who licenses plumbers in Philadelphia?
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license. In Philadelphia, plumbers must hold a master plumber license issued by the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections, which you can verify online.
Is there help paying for a sewer or water line repair in Philadelphia?
The Philadelphia Water Department's Homeowner's Emergency Loan Program (HELP) offers zero-interest loans to eligible homeowners for water service line and sewer lateral repairs.
Guides for Philadelphia 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 guideSewer line repair vs. replacement: how to decide
Repair the sewer line when a camera inspection shows one or two isolated defects in pipe that is otherwise in good shape.
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 Philadelphia?
Call and tell us what's going on. Calling is free, and the plumber confirms the price before any work starts.