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Common problems
- Running toilet
- Low water pressure
- Dripping or leaking pipes under a sink
Services
- Leak detection and repair
- Toilet, faucet and fixture repair
- Sump pump service
If it's urgent: For a burst line, shut the main valve right away. Look near where the water line enters the house or at the meter box.
Book a visit online
Problems people call about
Things people in San Francisco often describe:
- Water stains on a ceiling or wall
- Dripping or leaking pipes under a sink
- Slow or clogged drains
Homes in San Francisco: what pros run into
Many Victorian and Edwardian houses west of Van Ness Avenue survived the 1906 earthquake and fire. Many houses sit over a ground-floor garage, which is often where the water heater and furnace are.
Steep hills in many neighborhoods affect parking and access for service vans. Older buildings often carry a patchwork of cast iron, galvanized steel, copper and plastic pipe, joined wherever the last repair happened. Those joints are where slow leaks and stubborn clogs tend to begin. Summer fog rolls in off the Pacific most mornings in the western neighborhoods.
Earthquake readiness matters for plumbing too: flexible connectors and a strapped water heater are part of many local code requirements. San Francisco is the only consolidated city and county in California.
Local rules to know
California licenses plumbing contractors through the Contractors State License Board, which has an online license check. Before a plumber opens a wall or digs up a yard, ask what they expect to find, what could change the plan, and whether the work will need a permit from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection.
Permit questions go to the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. Water comes from the SFPUC, most of it from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. Hetch Hetchy water travels about 160 miles to the city, almost entirely by gravity. The Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond filled in with stucco row houses from the 1930s through the 1950s.
From call to visit
- Tell us your ZIP code and what's happening.
- Your note lands with a local plumber serving San Francisco.
- Your request goes straight to a pro, who will contact you about the visit.
Get ready for the call
Take a photo of the model label on the water heater, toilet or faucet if you can find one.
If an HOA manages your building, find out whether they need notice first.
Quick answers
Who pays when the sewer backs up?
It depends on where the blockage is. Problems inside the home or in the private lateral are usually the owner's responsibility. A camera inspection shows where the trouble sits.
How long do water supply lines last?
It depends on the material. Copper can last many decades, while older galvanized pipe tends to narrow and rust. Braided connectors under sinks and toilets are worth replacing every several years.
Is my neighborhood in San Francisco covered?
Pros we work with cover San Francisco neighborhoods such as Bayview, the Marina, Potrero Hill and Glen Park, in ZIP codes 94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107 and others. Apartment and condo jobs count too, so give the unit number and any buzzer or parking details. If nobody's available, we'll tell you.
What makes San Francisco a little different for plumbing?
Much of the housing is more than 80 years old. The city's mandatory soft-story program required retrofits of older wood-frame buildings with tuck-under parking. The Mission and Potrero Hill are often sunny and warm when Ocean Beach is foggy. Share what you know about your home when you book.
Who issues permits for plumbing work in San Francisco?
Permits in San Francisco go through the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. Not every repair needs one, so ask the plumber whether yours does when you get the quote.
Same-day or next-day visits available.
Service area
Serving about a 50-mile radius from San Francisco, depending on which independent pros are available. ZIPs: 94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94111, 94112, 94114, 94115, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94121, 94122, 94123, 94124, 94127, 94129, 94130, 94131, 94132, 94133, 94134, 94158, 94188
Nearby
- Plumbing in Daly City
- South San Francisco plumbing
- Plumbing near Alameda
- Oakland, CA plumbing
- Plumbing in Berkeley
- Richmond plumbing
Other services in San Francisco
All home services in San Francisco · California home services
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