Plumber Cost: Hourly Rates, Service Calls & Typical Jobs
A licensed plumber charges roughly $75 – $150 per hour, plus a service call or trip fee of $100 – $250 that is often credited toward the work. Most homeowners, though, are quoted a flat price per job rather than by the hour. Here is what drives the rate, how the license tiers differ, and a table of what real jobs cost installed.
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| Charge type | Typical range | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly labor (licensed) | $75 – $150 / hr | Higher in major metros, lower in rural markets |
| Service call / trip fee | $100 – $250 | Covers the visit; often credited toward the work done |
| Flat rate per job | Varies by task | One quoted price; the most common way work is billed |
| Emergency / after-hours | 1.5 – 3× standard | Nights, weekends and holidays |
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Faucet replacement | $150 – $400 | Kitchen, bath or outdoor, labor plus a standard faucet |
| Garbage disposal install | $250 – $700 | Replacement or first install with wiring |
| Toilet install | $375 – $800 | Remove old, set new, new wax ring and supply line |
| Sink or drain clog (snake) | $150 – $400 | Single fixture branch line |
| Main line clearing | $250 – $800 | Auger the main; emergency rates run higher |
| Shower valve / cartridge | $200 – $600 | Cartridge swap to full valve replacement |
| Water heater replacement | $1,300 – $3,500 | Standard 40 – 50 gallon tank, installed |
| Sump pump install | $600 – $2,800 | Replacement to new pit with backup |
| Sewer line replacement | $3,000 – $25,000 | Length, depth and trenchless vs dig |
| Whole-house repipe | $4,000 – $12,000 | PEX or copper, by home size and access |
| Slab leak repair | $1,000 – $4,000 | Detection, access and reroute |
| Whole-house inspection | $150 – $500 | Visual check of the full system |
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Hourly, flat rate, and the service call fee
Licensed plumbers bill labor at about $75 – $150 per hour, with major metros at the top of that band and rural markets at the bottom. But most homeowners never see an hourly figure, because the industry has largely moved to flat-rate pricing: the plumber quotes one price for the whole task, parts and labor together, before any work starts. That protects you from a job that runs long and lets you approve the number up front.
Layered on top is the service call or trip fee, $100 – $250, which covers the cost of dispatching a truck and diagnosing the problem. The good news is that most shops credit that fee toward the work if you hire them on the spot, so it functions as a diagnostic fee you only truly pay if you decline the repair. Always ask whether the trip fee is credited; reputable shops say yes.
Flat-rate vs hourly: which is better for you
Flat-rate pricing wins for most jobs because the risk shifts to the plumber. If a faucet swap that should take an hour turns into three because a valve is seized, the flat price holds, and you knew the number before you said yes. The trade-off is that the rate bakes in a cushion for the average difficulty, so an unusually clean job can feel pricey per hour.
Hourly billing can favor you on small, predictable tasks where the plumber is in and out fast, and on diagnostic or repair work where nobody can scope the job until they are into it. The risk is open-ended cost. If a shop bills hourly, ask for a not-to-exceed estimate so the meter has a ceiling.
Apprentice, journeyman, master: what the tier buys
Plumbing is a licensed trade with three tiers, and the rate often reflects who turns the wrench. An apprentice works under supervision and learns on the job. A licensed journeyman plumber has completed the apprenticeship, passed the exam, and can work independently, which is who handles most service calls. A master plumber holds the top license, can pull permits and design systems, and runs the shop or takes the complex jobs.
You are not always paying for a master on a faucet swap, nor should you be. What matters is that the company is licensed and insured and that whoever shows up is qualified for your task. For permit work, repipes and gas, the license tier is not optional: code requires the credential, and that is part of what separates a defensible quote from a cheap one.
What moves a quote up or down
Access is the quiet driver. A water heater in an open garage swaps fast; the same unit in a tight attic with a pull-down ladder turns a two-hour job into a half-day with two techs. Tell the dispatcher about tight closets, finished walls and second-floor work so the quote reflects reality.
Parts quality, code corrections and permits add real line items. A faucet install is the labor plus whatever faucet you bought, and a $400 faucet does not change the labor. Older homes get flagged for code items an inspector requires, which are not upsells. And emergency timing is the biggest multiplier of all: see what an emergency plumber costs before deciding whether a problem can wait for morning.
Where your specific job lands
The job table above is the fast answer, but each task has its own drivers. A toilet installation varies with whether the flange needs work; a garbage disposal install depends on whether wiring is already in place. Drain work scales with how deep the clog sits, which is why a simple drain cleaning and a main-line clearing are different numbers.
For the bigger projects, the spread is wide because the variables are. A repipe, a sewer line and a water heater replacement each have a dedicated guide that breaks the range into the choices that move it. Use the table here to sanity-check any quote, then dig into the specific page for the job in front of you.
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