Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. Service calls in Columbus run $175-$300 just to get a licensed plumber to your door. That's BEFORE we touch a single pipe. Water heater replacement? You're looking at $1,800 for a basic 40-gallon tank, but if you want a tankless system (and yeah, they're worth it if installed RIGHT), expect $3,200-$4,000 installed. I've seen homeowners go white when I give them the hydro-jetting quote - $400-$900 depending on how bad your main line is clogged. Here's the thing though: that weird guy on Craigslist charging $75? He's gonna cost you triple when he cross-threads your shut-off valve and floods your basement. Sewer line camera inspection runs about $275-$400, but it's the difference between guessing and KNOWING where that 60-year-old clay pipe collapsed under your driveway. Sump pump replacement is $800-$1,500 (we see a LOT of these fail during Columbus spring thaws). The labor shortage is REAL - there's maybe half the qualified journeymen we had in 2015, so prices aren't dropping anytime soon.

Twenty-five winters in Columbus taught me one thing: our freeze-thaw cycles are BRUTAL on plumbing. We'll hit 15°F in January, then jump to 45°F three days later. Your pipes expand, contract, expand again - micro-fractures form in copper and PEX connections. I've seen it a thousand times. February and March? That's when we get the nightmare calls. Frozen pipes in crawlspaces (because someone's nephew did the insulation job), burst hose bibs that flood finished basements, and main water lines that crack right at the foundation entry point. The clay soil around Columbus shifts like crazy when it freezes - puts pressure on your sewer laterals you wouldn't believe. Spring brings its own hell: sump pumps running 24/7 during April rains, and if that pump is older than 5 years (most are), you're gambling with a finished basement full of sewage backup. Summer humidity? Causes condensation on cold water lines that rots out subfloors. Don't even get me started on what happens when these old German Village homes hit -10°F and the cast iron stack in the wall cavity decides it's had enough.

Here's the cold hard truth: most "emergency" plumbers are just regular plumbers charging triple. But a real pipe burst? That's different. I'm talking about when your second-floor bathroom supply line lets go and you've got water cascading through light fixtures downstairs. First thing - SHUT OFF THE MAIN. It's usually in your basement near where the line enters, sometimes in a concrete pit. Can't find it? You're gonna have a bad time (and water damage in the $8,000-$15,000 range). Real emergency response in Columbus costs $350-$600 for after-hours, but we're there in 45 minutes, not "sometime tomorrow." I've seen burst pipes cause more damage in 30 minutes than a decade of hard water buildup. The worst are PEX crimp failures - those SharkBite fittings that some COWBOY installed without proper backing support. Water sprays at 60 PSI directly into drywall, insulation soaks up gallons, mold starts in 48 hours. If it's a main line burst outside (especially those old galvanized lines from the 1950s), you're looking at excavation costs too - $2,500-$6,000 depending on depth and driveway restoration. Winter burst pipes are catastrophic because homeowners don't discover them until the thaw hits and suddenly there's 200 gallons of water trapped in their walls.

Look, the licensing requirements in Ohio are there for a REASON, but half the guys advertising on Facebook Marketplace have a wrench set and a YouTube education. Red flags? They can't show you an actual Ohio contractor license number (not just a business license - different thing). They don't pull permits for water heater replacements or sewer work (REQUIRED by Columbus code, and your insurance will deny claims if there's no permit). They use SharkBite fittings for permanent installations hidden in walls (these are TEMPORARY emergency fixes, period). I've been called to fix "repairs" where some handyman used PVC cement on ABS pipe - it literally doesn't bond, just sits there waiting to fail. Or they installed the water heater expansion tank AFTER the shut-off valve instead of before (creates a closed system that'll blow your T&P valve). Here's a big one: they can't explain what a P-trap does or why your drain needs proper venting. The worst I saw? Guy installed a garbage disposal on a septic system (absolutely DESTROYS the bacterial balance), told the homeowner it was fine. $8,500 septic replacement six months later. Real plumbers carry insurance - minimum $1M liability. Ask to see the certificate. If they hesitate, show them the door.

I've got 25 years of service records, and the patterns are CLEAR. Homes built 1950-1980 in Columbus? Galvanized supply lines that are 70% corroded inside - you've got maybe 2-3 years before a fitting blows. Clintonville, Victorian Village, German Village - beautiful homes, nightmare plumbing. Cast iron drain stacks from that era are rusting from the inside out (sulfuric acid from waste). Camera inspection shows them paper-thin. Water heaters last 8-12 years here because of our moderately hard water (12-15 grains per gallon) - sediment builds up, tank rusts through. I replace probably 200 water heaters a year. Sump pumps fail every 5-7 years on average (they run HARD during spring). Wax rings on toilets? They compress and fail, especially on those trendy thick tile installations where the toilet flange is now below floor level (causes rocking, breaks the seal, you get sewer gas and water damage). Washing machine hoses - if they're older than 5 years and still rubber (not braided steel), they're gonna burst. I've seen it happen while families are on vacation, comes back to 2,000 gallons of water damage. Garbage disposals last about 10 years. The pressure-reducing valves everyone installed in the 2000s? They fail closed or open - either you get no water or 120 PSI that blows out every fixture in the house.

Here's what I tell my own family: get a whole-house water test ($150-$250) so you KNOW what you're dealing with - hardness, iron, bacteria. If you're over 10 grains hardness (most of Columbus is), a water softener ($1,200-$2,500 installed) will save your water heater and fixtures. Annual water heater flush if you've got hard water (I charge $125, takes 45 minutes, adds 3-4 years to tank life). Sump pump inspection before spring - $95 for me to test it, check the float, make sure the discharge line isn't frozen. You DON'T need annual whole-house plumbing inspections unless your house is 50+ years old or you're buying (then yes, get a camera inspection of the main sewer line - $275-$400, non-negotiable). Hydro-jetting is only necessary if you've got recurring main line clogs - tree roots, grease buildup, collapsed pipe sections. Drain cleaning for a single clog? Should be $150-$300 with a snake, not $800 with DANGEROUS CHEMICALS that eat through old pipes. Backwater valve installation ($1,200-$2,000) if you're in a flood-prone area or have had sewage backup - it's a one-way valve that prevents city sewer from backing into your basement. Pressure-reducing valve replacement every 10-12 years ($350-$500). Here's the thing: a good plumber will tell you what can WAIT. If I see a slow drip under a sink, I'm not gonna scare you into a $2,000 repipe - sometimes it's a $8 supply line replacement.

Look, there are maybe 30-40 truly solid plumbing outfits in Columbus (out of 300+ listings). You want a company that's been here at least 10 years - survived the 2008 crash and the COVID chaos (means they do quality work and have repeat customers). Check if they're members of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association - not required, but it shows they're invested in the trade. Read reviews, but ignore the 5-star and 1-star extremes (fake reviews and unreasonable customers). Look for detailed 3-4 star reviews that mention specific techs by name and describe the actual problem solved. Companies that offer financing through GreenSky or Synchrony? Generally more established (those finance companies vet contractors hard). Avoid anyone who quotes without seeing the job in person - I can't tell you what your sewer repair costs from a phone description. The big franchise names (I won't name them, but you see their trucks everywhere)? Hit or miss - depends entirely on which tech shows up. Some are excellent, some are commission-driven parts changers. Local family operations often give better value, but make SURE they're actually licensed and insured. Here's my test: call and ask a specific technical question - "What's the difference between a tankless condensing and non-condensing water heater?" If the person answering can't explain it or connect you to someone who can immediately, that's not a company I'd trust with my plumbing. Emergency services should be REAL 24/7 - not an answering service that calls you back in 3 hours.