Home โบ Cities โบ Baltimore, MD โบ Plumbing
๐ง Plumbing ยท BaltimoreA plumber in Baltimore charges roughly $92/hour โ driven by the BLS OEWS national mean hourly wage of $32.74 for SOC 47-2152, the MD cost-of-living index of 116.5, and the standard 2.4ร contractor markup. Below: project-by-project pricing.
| Project | Time | Typical cost | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard service call (diagnosis + minor repair) | 1โ2 hours | $207 | $170 โ $249 |
| Drain cleaning (sink, tub, or floor drain) | 30โ90 min | $121 | $99 โ $145 |
| Single-fixture leak repair (faucet, supply line) | 1โ2 hours | $219 | $179 โ $263 |
| Toilet replacement (you supply fixture) | 2โ3 hours | $253 | $207 โ $304 |
| Water heater replacement (40โ50 gal tank) | 4โ6 hours | $1,473 | $1,208 โ $1,767 |
| Sewer line repair (spot repair, not full replace) | 1โ2 days | $2,363 | $1,938 โ $2,836 |
| Whole-house re-pipe (1500 sq ft, PEX) | 3โ5 days | $6,657 | $5,459 โ $7,989 |
Local rate = BLS national mean ร 2.4 markup ร (MD COL 116.5/100). Materials adjusted by the same factor.
A licensed plumber handles anything that touches the pressurized water supply, the DWV (drain-waste-vent) system, the gas line, or fixed gas-fired appliances like water heaters and pool heaters. A typical service call begins with a 15โ30 minute diagnosis: the plumber will run faucets, check water pressure at a hose bib (40โ80 PSI is normal), inspect supply lines and shut-off valves, and โ if the call involves a drain โ usually run a snake or scope a camera before quoting the repair. Bigger jobs (re-pipes, sewer-line work, water-heater swaps) require a written scope, a permit pulled in the homeowner's name, and at least one rough/final inspection by the local building department.
A plumber who quotes a major job sight-unseen, refuses to put the price in writing, or asks for more than 30% up front. Door-to-door "I noticed something wrong with your house" pitches after a storm are almost always scams.