Home โบ Cities โบ Portland, OR โบ Plumbing
๐ง Plumbing ยท PortlandA plumber in Portland charges roughly $89/hour โ driven by the BLS OEWS national mean hourly wage of $32.74 for SOC 47-2152, the OR cost-of-living index of 113.1, 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 | $201 | $165 โ $241 |
| Drain cleaning (sink, tub, or floor drain) | 30โ90 min | $117 | $96 โ $141 |
| Single-fixture leak repair (faucet, supply line) | 1โ2 hours | $212 | $174 โ $255 |
| Toilet replacement (you supply fixture) | 2โ3 hours | $246 | $201 โ $295 |
| Water heater replacement (40โ50 gal tank) | 4โ6 hours | $1,430 | $1,173 โ $1,716 |
| Sewer line repair (spot repair, not full replace) | 1โ2 days | $2,294 | $1,881 โ $2,753 |
| Whole-house re-pipe (1500 sq ft, PEX) | 3โ5 days | $6,463 | $5,300 โ $7,756 |
Local rate = BLS national mean ร 2.4 markup ร (OR COL 113.1/100). 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.