How a plumber builds the price
Every quote is the same few ingredients in different proportions. Knowing them makes two quotes comparable.
- Service call. A fee to come out and diagnose, $50 to $300 in Fixr's figures. Some companies apply it to the repair.
- Labor. Billed by the hour, $75 to $150 on average, or as a flat price from a book that assumes a standard time for each task.
- Parts. Marked up from the plumber's cost; the markup pays for stocking the truck and warrantying the part.
- Permit. Set by the city or county. City of Winters, California charges $117 for a water heater; DeWitt, Michigan charges a $15 application fee and a $100 base fee plus $6 per water heater.
- Extras. Haul-away, drywall access, after-hours fees.
Price list for common repairs
| Job | National range |
|---|---|
| Unclog a single drain | $150–$300 |
| Toilet repair (typical, average $125) | $60–$200 |
| Leaky faucet | $150–$350 |
| Shower valve replacement | $200–$650 |
| Water heater repair (average $450) | $150–$750 |
| Main sewer line cleaning (average $250) | $200–$600 |
| Hydro jetting a sewer line | $250–$1,000 |
| Burst pipe repair (average $500) | $200–$1,000 |
| Pressure regulator or main shutoff replacement | $250–$1,000 |
| Garbage disposal replacement | $350–$700 |
| Water line repair (average $1,000) | $500–$2,000 |
| Sump pump installation (average $1,400) | $800–$2,000 |
| Tank water heater replacement (average $1,400) | $900–$3,000 |
| Slab leak repair (average $2,500) | $1,000–$4,000 |
| Whole-house repipe | $2,000–$15,000 |
Sources: Fixr cost guides updated between August 2022 (burst pipes) and January 2026 (water heater installation); each guide is listed at the foot of this page with its date.
How much does a plumber cost to fix a leak?
It depends entirely on where the leak is. A dripping faucet is $150 to $350; a running toilet $50 to $400. A leaking or burst pipe that the plumber can reach runs about $200 to $1,000. A leak under a concrete slab is $1,000 to $4,000, and more if the line is rerouted. Finding a hidden leak is often a separate charge; see leak detection.
How much does a plumber cost to unclog a drain?
Fixr's plumber-rate guide lists $150 as a typical flat price to unclog a drain, and its sewer guide gives $150 to $300 for a backed-up fixture. A blocked main line costs more, $250 to $800 to clear, because it needs a larger machine and a cleanout. The methods are compared on our drain cleaning page.
What makes the same job cost more
- Access. A pipe behind finished tile costs more than the same pipe in an open basement.
- Timing. After-hours calls add an emergency fee of $200 to $300 and a higher hourly rate.
- Region. Labor rates follow local wages and living costs; the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median plumber wage of $30.67 an hour in May 2025, with wide spread around it.
- Code upgrades. Replacing a water heater or a valve can bring the installation up to the current code.
- Old materials. Galvanized, polybutylene and brittle fittings make simple jobs longer.
Estimating a repair yourself
A rough estimate follows the same recipe as the plumber's: service call, plus hours times the hourly rate, plus parts, plus the permit if there is one. For a relief valve replacement on a water heater, for example, Fixr's range is $100 to $250 all in. For hourly work, our plumber hourly rate page explains billed rates and minimums, and plumbing permit rules explain when a permit fee belongs in the quote.
Cost guides in this section
- Plumber hourly rate
Wages versus billed rates, trip fees and flat-rate price books.
- Plumbing permit
Which jobs need one, which are exempt, and who pulls it.
Price questions before you call
Should I buy the parts myself to save money?
It rarely saves much. Plumbers mark up parts, but they also warranty them and know which one fits. A part you supply that turns out wrong costs a second trip.
Do plumbers take a deposit?
For repairs, payment usually comes at the end of the visit. For large jobs such as repiping or sewer replacement, a deposit is common. Tie the remaining payments to finished stages and a passed inspection.
Why did two plumbers quote such different prices?
Usually because they quoted different jobs: one included the permit, the code upgrades or the restoration, and the other didn’t. Ask both for the same line items and compare them one by one.
Are these national prices what I will pay?
They are a starting point. Labor rates differ widely between regions, and access, age of the house and code requirements move a single job by hundreds of dollars. The written quote for your house is the number that counts.
Sources
- Cost to Hire a Plumber, Fixr, updated January 30, 2025.
- Sewer Line Cleaning Cost, Fixr, updated January 31, 2025.
- Toilet Repair Cost, Fixr, updated January 31, 2025.
- Shower Repair Cost, Fixr, updated January 31, 2025.
- Water Heater Repair Cost, Fixr, updated August 29, 2025.
- Water Heater Installation Cost, Fixr, updated January 27, 2026.
- Burst Pipe Repair Cost, Fixr, updated August 19, 2022.
- Water Main Repair Cost, Fixr, updated January 31, 2025.
- Slab Leak Repair Cost, Fixr, updated May 1, 2025.
- Garbage Disposal Installation Cost, Fixr, updated January 31, 2025.
- Sump Pump Installation Cost, Fixr, updated January 31, 2025.
- Water Softener Installation Cost, Fixr, updated January 31, 2025.
- Cost to Replace Lead Pipes in Homes (whole-house repipe by material), Fixr, October 3, 2024.
- Fiscal 2026-27 City Fee Schedule, Schedule A: Building Permit Fees (Resolution 2026-31, effective July 1, 2026), City of Winters, California.
- Schedule of Fees 2026, Plumbing Permit Fees (effective July 1, 2026), City of DeWitt, Michigan.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (May 2025 wage data), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Reviewed September 27, 2026. Found an error? Write to admin@plumbingrepairquotes.com.