Plumbing problems rarely happen at convenient times. Whether you have a leaky faucet, a clogged drain, a broken water heater, or a burst pipe in the middle of the night, you need a licensed plumber who can show up fast and fix the problem right the first time. Our city and ZIP cost guides show what licensed plumbers actually charge, so you can sanity-check any quote.
The national mean hourly wage for a Plumber in the most recent BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) release is $32.74/hour (SOC 47-2152). Once you add the standard 2.4× contractor markup that covers vehicle, insurance, overhead, and owner profit, the typical service rack rate works out to ~$79/hour nationally — meaningfully higher in California, Hawaii, and the Northeast, lower across the South and Midwest.
| Project | Time | Typical cost | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard service call (diagnosis + minor repair) | 1–2 hours | $178 | $146 – $213 |
| Drain cleaning (sink, tub, or floor drain) | 30–90 min | $104 | $85 – $124 |
| Single-fixture leak repair (faucet, supply line) | 1–2 hours | $188 | $154 – $225 |
| Toilet replacement (you supply fixture) | 2–3 hours | $217 | $178 – $261 |
| Water heater replacement (40–50 gal tank) | 4–6 hours | $1,264 | $1,037 – $1,517 |
| Sewer line repair (spot repair, not full replace) | 1–2 days | $2,029 | $1,663 – $2,434 |
| Whole-house re-pipe (1500 sq ft, PEX) | 3–5 days | $5,714 | $4,686 – $6,857 |
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024 (47-2152, 47-2111, 49-9021, 47-2061), MERIC State Cost of Living Index 2024, NAHB Construction Cost Survey 2024.
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 15–30 minute diagnosis: the plumber will run faucets, check water pressure at a hose bib (40–80 PSI is normal), inspect supply lines and shut-off valves, and — if the call involves a drain — 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.
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Cost figures above are national medians. Tap any city to see the rate for that metro, anchored on local BLS OEWS wage data and a state cost-of-living adjustment.