Plumbers: what it costs and what to ask
The questions below are the ones homeowners ask right before they hand over money — and the ones the internet answers worst. Most of what comes back is a lead form or a sales page. These are plain answers with nothing to sell.
What things cost
Real price ranges for the work homeowners ask about most, with every figure traced back to a named source.
- How much does water heater repair cost?
HomeGuide puts a tank repair at $150 to $700 and a tankless repair at $300 to $1,300. The part-by-part table, the service-call fee, and the line where repairing stops making sense.
- How much does tankless water heater installation cost?
HomeGuide publishes $1,400 to $5,600 installed. What the unit, the labor, the supplies and the permit each cost, why gas runs higher than electric, and the numbers to compare against a tank.
- How much is a permit to replace a water heater?
HomeGuide puts the permit at $50 to $200. What four big-city permit offices actually publish, who is allowed to pull the permit, and what happens when nobody does.
- How much does sewer line replacement cost?
HomeGuide and Angi both publish $50 to $250 per linear foot. The length table, the trenchless comparison, and the lines that quietly decide whether your job is four figures or five.
- How much does trenchless sewer line replacement cost?
Angi publishes $1,900 to $6,000 for a trenchless sewer project. What pipe bursting and CIPP lining each cost per foot, when trenchless beats the backhoe, and when it cannot be used at all.
- How much does it cost to repipe a house?
Angi publishes $1,500 to $15,000 to repipe a house. The PEX-versus-copper table by home size, why labor is most of the bill, and the add-ons that ride along with a whole-house repipe.
Common questions
Straight answers, written for the person paying — not a lead form and not a sales page.
- What brand of water heater lasts the longest?
No published test measures water heater lifespan by brand. What is published: warranty terms, the type-by-type lifespans, and the maintenance that moves the number more than any logo does.
- What is the most common problem with tankless water heaters?
HomeGuide calls skipped flushing the number-one cause of tankless breakdowns. What mineral scale does to the heat exchanger, what the fix costs, and the symptoms worth acting on early.
- Should I repair or replace my water heater?
HomeGuide's two lines — over 10 years old, or repair over half the replacement cost — worked through with real published numbers, plus the failures that end the debate on the spot.
- How often do sewer lines need to be replaced?
HomeGuide puts sewer line life at 30 to 100 years depending on the pipe material. The material table, how to find out what your house has, and the signs a line is failing early.
- How do I pay for sewer line replacement?
Home equity, federal repair loans, plumber financing, utility assistance and insurance — what each one actually is, who qualifies, and the questions that keep a stressful bill from getting worse.
- Will homeowners insurance cover sewer line replacement?
Age and wear are excluded, backups need their own endorsement, and service-line coverage is a third thing entirely. The scenario table, sourced to the Insurance Information Institute.
- Why is sewer line replacement so expensive?
The pipe is cheap — PVC runs a few dollars a foot. The published numbers on what you are actually paying for: excavation, labor, restoration, permits, and the hole itself.
Free tools
Work out a number before you call anyone, or check a quote you already have.
- Water heater cost calculator
Tank or tankless, and what the install adds on top of the unit.
- Check your water heater quote
Already have a written quote? Check it line by line against published prices.