Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. Service calls in Atlanta right now? You're looking at $175-$300 just for someone to show up at your door. That's BEFORE we touch a wrench. Water heater replacement - and I mean a decent one, not some big-box garbage - runs $1,800 to $4,000 installed. Tankless systems? Add another grand or two. I've seen homeowners nearly faint when I quote hydro-jetting their main line ($400-$900 depending on how bad you let it get). Sump pump installation sits around $800-$1,400. Here's the thing though - you get what you pay for. Those Facebook ads promising $89 specials? They're gonna upsell you into oblivion once they're inside your house (classic bait-and-switch, seen it a thousand times). The labor shortage is REAL out here. Good plumbers are booked solid, so the fly-by-night operations are multiplying like crazy.

We don't get the frozen hellscape that Chicago deals with, but Atlanta's weather is sneaky dangerous. One day it's 65 degrees, next morning it's 28 and your pipes are screaming. I've seen more burst pipes during those surprise January freezes than I can count - especially in crawl spaces and attics where homeowners think "it doesn't get THAT cold here." Wrong. Dead wrong. The clay soil we've got? It shifts like crazy with our wet winters and bone-dry summers. That movement cracks your sewer lines (and yeah, that's YOUR problem if it's between your house and the street connection). Summer humidity is another beast - promotes corrosion on older galvanized pipes, and don't even get me started on what it does to your water heater's anode rod. Spring storms knock out power which means your sump pump dies right when you need it most. Fun times.

Here's the cold hard truth: when a pipe bursts at 3 AM, you're gonna panic. I get it. But FIRST - shut off your main water valve (you DO know where it is, right?). It's usually near your water heater or where the line enters from the street. Every second that water's running, you're looking at thousands in damage. I've walked into houses with two inches of water because people were calling their insurance company BEFORE stopping the flow. Insane. Emergency calls in Atlanta run $300-$500 after-hours, sometimes more on holidays (yeah, pipes love bursting on Christmas). Most burst pipes happen in exterior walls, under sinks where the cold air creeps in, or in your attic if you've got CPVC up there (that stuff gets brittle). If it's your main line coming from the street? Brother, you're looking at $3,000-$8,000 depending on how deep it's buried and whether we gotta cut through your driveway. The reality nobody tells you - your homeowner's insurance covers the DAMAGE but not usually the actual pipe repair. Read that policy.

Look, the barrier to entry in plumbing is low right now because we're desperate for bodies. That means you've got guys with a pickup truck and a YouTube education calling themselves plumbers. Red flags? No proper license (Georgia requires it - ask for the license number and VERIFY it). They only take cash (huge red flag - they're dodging taxes and you've got no recourse). No insurance certificate (if they flood your house, YOU'RE paying for it). Pressure tactics - "I can give you this price only if you sign TODAY." That's manipulation, not business. I've cleaned up after these cowboys - PEX installed without expansion fittings, P-traps that don't actually trap (somehow), water heaters vented WRONG which means CARBON MONOXIDE. One guy I know found a "plumber" who used regular PVC glue on CPVC pipes. That joint failed within six months. The labor shortage means legitimate companies are turning away work, so the gap gets filled with hacks. Check reviews, but REAL ones - not just their Facebook page where cousin Jimmy left five stars.

Water heaters? 8-12 years is the realistic lifespan in Atlanta's hard water. I don't care what the warranty says. Your garbage disposal (if you've got one) - 10 years tops, usually starts leaking at year 7. Wax rings under toilets fail every 20-25 years, but if you've got kids who rock back and forth on the throne, cut that in half. Main sewer lines - if your house was built before 1985 and still has cast iron, you're on borrowed time (40-50 year lifespan, and that clay soil accelerates it). Faucets leak after 10-15 years because the cartridges wear out (nobody rebuilds them anymore, they just replace). Sump pumps die right when you need them - test yours BEFORE storm season (pour water in the pit and make sure it kicks on). I've seen tankless water heaters clog with mineral buildup because nobody flushed them annually like you're SUPPOSED to. Here's something wild - those braided supply lines under your sinks and toilets? They can burst randomly after 8-10 years. Seen it destroy hardwood floors.

Everybody wants the cheap fix. Snaking a drain runs $150-$300 and yeah, it'll punch through that clog. But here's what they don't tell you - if you've got roots in your main line (super common with Atlanta's oak trees), snaking just pokes a hole through the roots. They grow back in 6-8 months and you're calling again. Hydro-jetting ($400-$900) uses high-pressure water to SCOUR the inside of your pipes clean. It's not just clearing the clog, it's removing the buildup. For kitchen lines filled with grease? Hydro-jetting is the only real answer. Snaking just punches through; the grease is still coating your pipes. Now - older pipes (cast iron, clay, orangeburg which is literally tar paper) might not handle hydro-jetting if they're already compromised. That's where camera inspection comes in ($200-$400 but WORTH IT). I can see exactly what's happening in your line, where the problems are, how bad the deterioration is. Had a customer insist on snaking because it was cheaper. Six months later, same clog. Finally did the hydro-jetting I recommended initially - hasn't called back in three years.

Here's my no-BS advice after watching this industry for 25 years: Don't use those lead generation services (you know the ones - "We'll connect you with TOP RATED pros!"). They take 15-20% off the top, which means the plumber is either cutting corners or overcharging you to make up for it. Ask your neighbors who they use - word of mouth is STILL the best referral. Check the Georgia State Licensing Board website to verify licenses (takes 2 minutes). Look for Master Plumber certification, not just journeyman. Get THREE quotes for big jobs, but don't automatically pick the cheapest (remember - you get what you pay for). Ask specifically: Are you insured? Will YOU do the work or a subcontractor? What's your warranty on parts and labor? A real pro will give you straight answers. The big franchise operations (you know their jingle) - they're hit or miss depending on which tech shows up, but at least they're insured and licensed. Small family operations like mine? We stake our REPUTATION on every job because we live here too. One last thing - if something feels wrong, TRUST YOUR GUT. I've had customers tell me about previous plumbers who made them uncomfortable or pushed unnecessary work. Fire them and find someone else.