There are almost half a million plumbers in the US. This veritable army of professionals works hard to ensure that our water, plumbing, sewage, and other amenities stay working properly.

But how much does it cost to hire a plumber for your house? Read on for everything you need to know about residential plumbing services, what they cover, and how much you can expect to pay.

Overall Costs of Residential Plumbing Services

Plumbers will charge you a rate for their hours of labor, plus any additional costs for materials and services. These costs can vary widely depending on your location, the nature of the job, and the specific plumber you call.

Overall, you can expect to pay a rate of somewhere between $45 and $200 per hour for plumbing services. That’s a wide range of costs, but there is a lot that goes into the costs!

Here is a breakdown of some of the things that affect these costs and how much they matter. This should give you a better idea of what you’ll end up paying the next time you need to call a plumber out to your house.

Who Should You Call?

The first thing is the kind of plumber you hire. There are handymen, licensed apprentices, journeymen, and masters. You’ll typically get different quality with these levels, but you’ll also have to pay for that quality.

An unlicensed handyman is the cheapest, but they are often only able to perform simpler tasks. These include unclogging drains, replacing faucets, and other easy plumbing tasks. Handymen often charge on the low end of the spectrum in the $45 range.

However, some handymen are not insured, which can be disastrous if something breaks. Additionally, some states require plumbers to be licensed, which can drive up your price!

If you have a more complicated plumbing task than fixing a few fixtures, it’s probably best to call a licensed professional. Yes, this will cost more, but you’ll get much better results as well!

When you need to add a new sink in your house, or maybe replace a sump pump or water heater, you’ll want an expert. The extra rates will be worth knowing that your equipment has been professionally installed.

Apprentice and journeymen plumbers are usually pricier than handymen and can charge anywhere from $80 to $130 per hour. Master plumbers can add anywhere from $25 to $75 on top of that. The best plumber in your area might even charge a rate of $200!

Factors That Affect Costs

Besides the type of plumber you get, there are quite a few other things that will affect how much you need to pay. Bear in mind, these are all general guidelines, and you can ask your plumber for a more specific quote.

At the end of the day, the important thing is to get your plumbing fixed. A small issue today can become a big issue tomorrow if you don’t get it taken care of!

The Job

The first and probably most important part of your costs will be the job at hand. If you’re unclogging a sink or fixing a toilet flapper valve, you’re not going to have to pay very much.

However, some jobs are very intensive and will require a lot of work and materials. New installations, appliances, and plumbing will often take quite a bit of time and materials, which will drive your costs up.

It also depends on the demand and type of job, particularly if there’s a natural disaster. For example, the recent freezing weather in Texas left millions of Texans without power. Surveys showed that a significant number of people had pipes burst from the cold.

Because of this, demand for pipe repairs and replacement skyrocketed. In cases like this, the job and the demand drove up plumbing prices. If you find yourself in a situation like that, you’re likely going to pay more, in large part because everyone else needs the same kind of repairs.

Time

The amount of time it takes a plumber to get to you and complete the job will also affect how much you pay. If you live way out in the country or a small town, you may have to pay more to bring a plumber out to your area. You can search “plumber near me” to try to find the closest experts in your area, but you still might have to pay extra to bring them out to you.

And then you’ll have to pay for the hours working on your project! This is where those plumbing rates come into play.

If you only need a quick fix, you’ll probably get off with a small bill. But if your entire system needs to be overhauled and replaced, you’re going to see much higher costs.

While you can’t do a lot to cut these costs down, you can still do a little bit to save yourself some money. Try to clean out the area around the job site before the plumbers get there, and they’ll be able to get to work right away. For example, if people are coming to work on your kitchen sink, move everything out from under it first and clean the sink out to make their job easier.

Materials

You also have to consider what kind of parts the plumbers will need for repair services. If the job just needs a little bit of silicon or a drain snake, you’re doing pretty well.

However, some jobs can get quite expensive! Buying new appliances like water heaters can set you back hundreds of dollars, not even counting the labor involved. Thankfully, many replacement parts are relatively cheap.

While we all want to avoid big bills that can come from some of these costs, sometimes they’re necessary. That’s why it’s so important to take good care of your equipment and pipes. The less you damage them, the less you’ll have to pay for replacement materials down the road!

Learn About Getting Your Plumbing Done!

Now that you know more about the costs involved with residential plumbing services, you’ll be better prepared the next time you have to call a plumber. Make sure you get someone who can get the job done right and that you don’t leave problems to fester!

If you’d like to learn more about plumbing, or you want the best plumbing service around, contact us! We’re eager to help you resolve any plumbing issues you might have as quickly as possible.