Make sure you hire the right type of plumber for the work you need done
Understanding the meaning of a plumber helps you hire the right specialist, whether you need residential fixture repairs or commercial system maintenance.
Plumbers charge $45 to $200 per hour for their services, and your total cost depends on the complexity and scope of your plumbing project.
You can match your plumbing needs to the right professional by identifying whether your issue involves bathroom fixtures, water supply systems, or commercial building repairs.
Hiring a local plumbing professional provides reliable support for your home's specific needs, from unclogging drains to installing new fixtures with proper expertise.
Did you know that there are five different types of plumbers, and each specializes in a different kind of plumbing work? Plumbers can specialize in a unique function or aspect of plumbing systems, or they can focus more on the kind of building in which the systems support.
When you understand the differences between these types of plumbers, you can hire the right pro for your job. After all, you don’t want to hire a commercial plumber to handle a residential plumbing emergency (that’s what emergency plumbers and septic service providers are for). By the same token, you’ll want to make sure you hire a plumber with sanitary system experience when your toilet is clogged. Start by learning how plumbing works and reviewing some essential plumbing terms every homeowner should know, then read on to learn the differences between the five types of plumbers.
For most homeowners, the residential plumber is the pro to call when some part of the home’s plumbing system needs help. They often gain experience and skills by working as apprentices to licensed master plumbers with far more experience.
Residential plumbers are perfectly situated to handle the installation and maintenance of any plumbing fixtures you’d normally find in a home. They may also tackle installations of residential fixtures and repairs of the home’s pipes, water systems, and toilets. They’re familiar with the plumbing problems that a one- or two-story home with a few bathrooms might encounter, and they’re the perfect pros for those jobs. If it’s taking place inside your home, a residential plumber can usually take care of it.
While commercial buildings and private residences operate on the same general plumbing principles, commercial plumbing is quite different in both its complexity and its scope. With numerous outlets, pipes, and fixtures, often located on multiple floors for much larger numbers of people, commercial plumbing can require a vastly different kind of experience and skill set. In addition, many state and local plumbing codes regulate commercial plumbing systems more extensively than residential systems, and commercial plumbers should be familiar with those legal requirements.
Commercial buildings include public schools, manufacturing plants, hospitals, and large municipal and office buildings. The equipment and fixtures used in these systems may be similar to your home’s toilets and sinks, but the way they’re connected and the degree of heavy use they undergo distinguish them. A residential plumber simply doesn’t have the requisite skills or experience to handle a commercial job. Commercial plumbers generally don’t work enough in residential settings to handle your home’s backed-up toilet or clogged sinks.
The third type of plumber performs a bit of both residential and commercial work. The service and repair plumber focuses on specific repair and maintenance tasks for plumbing systems located in homes and businesses. Those tasks might include:
Getting rid of clogs.
Cleaning out systems and fixtures to prevent or eliminate backflow.
Repairing leaks.
Other jobs.
Through technical education and experience gained by working with established providers, service and repair plumbers become something of a first responder of plumbing needs for both homes and large commercial buildings. They might be the only plumbing pro you need if you’re dealing with relatively simple maintenance and repair issues.
Plumbers may also fall into categories by the type of job they handle, in addition to the physical locations in which they work. The sanitary plumber is often contacted to perform a wide range of work to service, repair, and maintain a sanitary water system—that is, your bathroom and toilet pipes and fixtures.
This type of plumbing pro handles anything related to a structure’s bathroom pipes, systems, and tanks, including installing a new bathtub or taking the old one out. They can also install and maintain boilers and water heaters for toilets or showers, assuming they have the right credentials and experience for those tasks.
The water supply plumber is the right professional for any task related to installing or repairing a water tank or supplying water to your home’s fixtures. They can also handle simple unclogging jobs in your bathroom or kitchen fixtures, but primarily they work on the parts of your home’s plumbing system that ensure access to water to your sinks, tanks, and pipes. The water supply plumber can work in any room of your home that needs a consistent water flow, such as your laundry room, bathrooms, and kitchen.
While some simple plumbing problems are good projects for the handy DIY homeowner, in many cases, you’ll want to hire the right plumbing professional near you to tackle the work in question. Knowing a bit about your home’s plumbing system and the specific type of problem you’re facing will help you identify and hire the right type of plumber for your job. Plumbing costs range anywhere from $45 to $200 per hour for a plumbing pro. However, your plumber cost may sit on either side of that range.
Positive experience. As previously stated, the replacement/repair could not be completed (no fault of the plumbing tech) b/c misinformation was rec?d by property management maintenance. Thanks to the plumbing tech for your efforts. Appreciate you!
The WaterworksIf you want to pay the most exorbitant prices possible for your job, this is the company for you. “By the job” pricing is a rip-off, at least how these people use it. Every job is plugged into a category and prices are set by category. You might have a job that takes half an hour or one that...
Benjamin Franklin PlumbingCole has been handling plumbing and general contracting for our four properties over the past three years, and he’s always done a great job. Most recently, he installed a sink and countertop in our retail store where none existed before, and it turned out exactly how we needed. He’s...
ANB Renovations LLCMatt is a consummate professional. The work turned out to be far more difficult than expected and rather than turn the job down, Matt rose to the occasion and completed a near impossible task. I can not recommend Greene's Plumbing Service more highly. On a scale of 1-5 I would give Matt a...
Greene's Plumbing ServiceInvolved an extensive bathroom remodel, including removing tub & installing walk in shower, new drywall, custome tile work to ceiling, plumbing, etc. Overall, job was done on time and on budget. Nick & his team were very professional and had high attention to detail. Quality was great. Highly...
Stamos Flooring and Remodeling LLCAwesome company. Had a jacuzzi tub taken out and replaced with huge walk in shower with partial glass enclosure. Onyx to the ceiling with a decorative border, moved plumbing and installed hand held shower, new ceiling, flooring, and paint. Replaced window with glass block. Everything was done...
Columbus Bath DesignThe initial quoted price from a walk-through seemed high, but we discussed that the quote represented worst case scenario (re-wiring to two floors) and we were excited about the opportunity to have the work done in a timely manner with closing for fire safety reasons, etc. When the job was...
Initially, I called the Service People to have a leaking garbage disposal replaced. I had purchased a special deal through Angie's List: $79 for $200-worth of plumbing services. <br /> When I went to schedule the work, the earliest date I could get through Angie's List was after the upcoming...
This company did a very good job on the brick wall and it looks just amazing. The staff was always professional and was practically OCD on how the bricks were stacked and how they were laid. Although it took longer than expected, I am willing to sacrifice time over perfection anyday. The...
My Handy Mate LLC Improvement & Remodeling<p>I am so glad we called Rotor-Rooter. I was hesitant to call them because we usually prefer to give business to local providers. But when we had sewage back up in our basement on a Saturday evening, I had a hard time getting a hold of someone, not to mention the high weekend/evening rate...
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