Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. Service calls in Austin right now run $175-$300 just to get someone to your door. That's BEFORE we touch a wrench. I've seen homeowners nearly faint when I hand them the estimate, but here's the cold hard truth - labor shortage is real and nobody wants to crawl under houses in 105-degree heat anymore. Water heater replacement? You're looking at $1,800 for a basic 40-gallon tank, but if you want one of those fancy tankless units (and yeah, they're worth it in our climate), expect $3,200-$4,000 installed. Hydro-jetting your main line because tree roots decided to throw a party in there? $450-$800 depending on how bad it is. Sump pump installation runs $800-$1,500, though most Austin homes don't need them unless you're in a flood zone near the Colorado River. Drain cleaning starts around $150 for something simple like a clogged P-trap under your kitchen sink. But if it's the main line and we gotta bring out the big snake? Add another $200-$400 to that bill. Emergency calls after 5 PM or weekends? Tack on 50-100% more because that plumber is missing dinner with their family.

Here's what nobody tells you about Central Texas until it's too late. We get freezing temps maybe 5-10 days a year (remember the 2021 freeze? I worked 72 hours straight on burst pipes). Then it's 100+ degrees for three solid months. Your pipes expand and contract like an accordion, and the limestone soil shifts around like it's got somewhere to be. I've seen more slab leaks in Austin than anywhere else I've worked. That shifting soil and our hard water (we're talking HARD - 180-200 PPM) creates the perfect storm. Copper pipes get pinhole leaks. Galvanized pipes from houses built in the 70s? They're basically time bombs at this point. The drought-flood-drought cycle we've got going means the ground swells and shrinks constantly. Your foundation moves (even just a quarter inch), and suddenly you've got a cracked main line. Plus our water pressure from the city runs high - sometimes 80-100 PSI - which beats the hell out of your fixtures and connections over time. You NEED a pressure regulator, but half the houses I visit don't have one or it died years ago and nobody noticed.

Nothing quite like getting a panicked call at 3 AM from someone standing in two inches of water. First thing - and I mean FIRST THING - shut off your main water valve. You should know where that is right now (go check after you read this if you don't). Every minute that water's running is another $50 in damage, easy. Most burst pipes in Austin happen in three scenarios: the rare freeze event where someone didn't insulate their exterior hose bibs, old galvanized pipes finally giving up the ghost, or a water heater that decided today was the day to rupture. I've also seen washing machine supply lines burst (those braided stainless hoses fail more than people think), and don't even get me started on PEX connections that were installed by some COWBOY who didn't use the right crimping tool. When you call for emergency service, you're paying premium rates - $300-$500 just for us to show up, then $150-$250 per hour for labor. But here's what that buys you: we'll stop the water, assess the damage, and make temporary repairs so you're not living in a swimming pool. Permanent fixes come later when everyone's calm and we can order proper parts. The restoration company for water damage? That's separate and you're looking at $2,000-$10,000+ depending on how long water was running and what it destroyed.

Labor shortage means every guy with a truck and a wrench thinks he's a plumber now. I've had to fix SO MANY botched jobs it makes my blood pressure spike just thinking about it. Red flags: No license number on their truck or website (Texas requires it - we're regulated by the State Board). They quote you over the phone without seeing the job (impossible to price accurately). They only take cash (avoiding taxes AND probably judgment liens). They pressure you to decide RIGHT NOW (real pros give you time to think, unless it's literally flooding). More red flags: They can't explain what they're doing or why. They don't pull permits for water heater replacements or repipes (REQUIRED by city code). They show up in a beat-up vehicle with mismatched tools. They badmouth every other plumber in town (we actually know each other and refer work). The worst part? These cowboys charge almost as much as legitimate contractors but do half-assed work. I've seen PEX installations without expansion fittings where they're required. Drain lines installed with zero slope so nothing drains properly. Water heaters without expansion tanks (causes early failure and voids warranties). CPVC glued together with the wrong primer. It's gonna fail - question is when, not if.

After 25 years, I can predict what's gonna fail just by looking at when your house was built. 1970s-1980s houses: Galvanized pipes are rotted from the inside out. Our mineral-heavy water accelerates corrosion. You've got maybe 40% water pressure and brown water when you first turn on the tap. Whole-house repipe runs $4,500-$8,000 depending on square footage and how much drywall we gotta cut. 1990s-2000s: Polybutylene pipes (the gray plastic ones). Class action lawsuit happened for a REASON - they fail catastrophically. Also lots of builder-grade everything that's at end-of-life now. Faucet cartridges, toilet fill valves, water heater anodes completely dissolved. 2010s: Surprisingly, lots of issues with the quick-connect SharkBite fittings that handymen love. They're fine for temporary repairs but I've seen them fail when used as permanent solutions behind walls. Also, cheap Chinese faucets that builders installed are falling apart. Every era: Roots in the sewer main line. We've got live oaks, cedar elms, and they're THIRSTY. They'll find any crack in your pipe and exploit it. Camera inspection runs $200-$350 but it's worth it if you're having repeated backups.

Everyone wants to talk tankless like it's some miracle. Look, they're great for Austin specifically because our groundwater temp is around 70 degrees year-round (in the North it's 40 degrees and tankless struggle). You'll never run out of hot water, they last 20+ years versus 10-12 for tanks, and they don't take up half your garage. BUT - and this is important - installation costs more. You need proper venting (Category III stainless steel), gas line is usually undersized and needs upgrading (that's another $800-$1,200 right there), and you absolutely NEED a water softener with our hard water or the heat exchanger will scale up and fail in 5 years. The unit itself runs $1,200-$2,500, then installation is $1,500-$2,000 in labor because it takes 6-8 hours to do it right. Descaling maintenance every 1-2 years costs $150-$200 (you can DIY with vinegar but most people don't). And if you've got multiple showers running simultaneously plus dishwasher, you might need TWO units or a whole-home model that costs even more. I still recommend them for most Austin homes, but go in with eyes open. The energy savings are real (30-40% less than tank heaters) but payback period is 7-10 years. It's a long-term investment, not a quick fix.

There's about 2,000 licensed plumbing companies in the Austin metro and maybe 200 I'd trust to work on my own house. Here's how you find the good ones without getting burned. Check the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners website - verify their license is current and look for violations. Read reviews, but ignore the extremes (1-star and 5-star are often fake or outliers). Look at 3-star reviews because that's where the truth lives. Ask your neighbors - word of mouth still matters in this town. Get three quotes for major work (anything over $1,000). Good plumbers won't be offended - we expect it. Make sure quotes are itemized (labor, materials, permits) not just one lump sum. Ask about warranties on both labor (should be 1-2 years minimum) and parts. Don't just pick the cheapest bid. I've seen people save $300 upfront and spend $3,000 fixing the cheap guy's mistakes. Mid-range pricing usually indicates fair work. And here's something most won't tell you - if you're flexible on timing (not an emergency), we can often discount 10-15% because we can schedule efficiently. Established companies with actual offices and multiple trucks are safer bets than one-man operations (though there ARE good solo plumbers, they're just harder to vet). Ask if they're insured (general liability AND workers comp). If someone gets hurt on your property and they don't have workers comp, YOUR homeowner's insurance pays. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen. My honest take? Build a relationship with a plumber BEFORE you need one desperately. Get them out for a small job first - replacing a toilet fill valve or fixing a dripping faucet. See how they work, how they communicate. Then when your water heater dies at 6 PM on a Friday, you've got someone you trust to call.