Look, I'm not here to sugarcoat this. Service calls in Los Angeles right now? You're looking at $175-$300 just for someone to show up at your door. That's BEFORE they touch a wrench. I've seen homeowners nearly faint when I hand them the estimate, but here's the cold hard truth - overhead in this city is brutal. Insurance, licensing (which half these cowboys DON'T have), fuel with gas prices bouncing around, and the fact that good techs are rarer than honest politicians. Water heater replacement? $1,800-$4,000 depending on if you're going tankless (which I recommend for LA, saves space and water). Hydro-jetting your main line because tree roots from that beautiful jacaranda are choking your sewer? $500-$1,200. Slab leak detection and repair? Brother, sit down first. $2,000-$10,000 depending on how deep we gotta dig. Repiping a whole house (which tons of older LA homes need because of galvanized pipes from the 50s)? $4,000-$15,000. The labor shortage is KILLING us. Every Tom with a pickup thinks he's a plumber now. Real journeymen who've done their 5-year apprenticeship? We're getting old and there aren't enough young folks coming up. That drives prices up because demand is insane.

Here's what happens. It's 2 AM. You hear water running. Not the gentle sound of a creek (we don't have those in LA anyway), but a GUSHING sound behind your drywall. Your heart drops. First thing - SHUT OFF YOUR MAIN WATER VALVE. I can't tell you how many times I've shown up to a house with three inches of water because people don't know where their shutoff is. It's usually near the street or in your garage. Find it NOW (not when you're panicking). Pipe bursts in LA happen differently than cold climates. We don't get freeze bursts much (though those freak cold snaps can hit the Valley hard). What we GET is pressure surges from the city systems, old galvanized pipes that finally give up, and earthquake stress fractures that suddenly decide to let go. I've seen a 1/2-inch copper line blow out with enough force to punch through drywall. Emergency calls? You're paying premium. $400-$800 just for the emergency service, then parts and labor on top. Some outfits (not gonna name names) charge DOUBLE their daytime rate after 10 PM. Is it worth it? Depends. Water damage from a burst pipe running for 6 hours? That's $10,000-$50,000 in remediation. Suddenly my $600 emergency call looks like a bargain.

People move here thinking it's paradise. Plumbing-wise? It's its own beast. We've got hard water that'll clog up your fixtures faster than the 405 at rush hour. Mineral buildup is CONSTANT. That's why I push hydro-jetting instead of snaking - you need that high-pressure water (3,000-4,000 PSI) to blast calcium deposits off pipe walls. Our drought cycles mean the city messes with water pressure. I've seen pressure spike from 60 PSI to 90 PSI during conservation periods (they're trying to push less water through the same infrastructure). That extra pressure? It finds the weak points in your system. Old joints, corroded sections - they blow. Tree roots are AGGRESSIVE here because they're searching for water. Your sewer main line is like an oasis in the desert to a ficus or eucalyptus tree. Those roots will crush cast iron pipes and infiltrate every joint in clay pipes (which half of LA still has from pre-1980 construction). And earthquakes - even small ones we don't feel - they shift foundations. That shifts pipes. I've found stress cracks in copper that sat dormant for months then suddenly burst. It's just part of living here.

Look, the licensing situation in LA is a JOKE right now. You need a C-36 license from the state to do plumbing work. But enforcement? Thin. Real thin. I've seen unlicensed guys show up in unmarked trucks, do hack work, then disappear when it fails. Here's your checklist: - Ask for their C-36 license number and VERIFY it on the CSLB website. Takes 30 seconds. - They should have liability insurance AND workers comp. Ask for proof. If they hem and haw, show them the door. - No written estimate? RED FLAG. Everything should be in writing. - They only take cash? Brother, RUN. That's tax evasion and you'll have zero recourse. - They're lowballing everyone else by 40%? There's a reason. They're either using junk parts, cutting corners, or gonna add mystery charges later. The labor shortage means desperate homeowners hire anyone. I've been called to fix "repairs" where someone used PVC glue on a pressurized copper joint (it doesn't work like that), installed a water heater without an expansion tank (code violation that'll void your insurance), or routed drain lines with improper slope so they clog constantly. A real pro will pull permits for major work. Yeah, it adds cost and time. But when you sell your house and the inspector finds unpermitted plumbing? That's YOUR problem now.

Main line backups. The words that make homeowners cry. Here's what happens in LA specifically - we've got ancient sewer infrastructure in older neighborhoods (looking at you, Hollywood, Silverlake, Pasadena). Clay pipes from the 1940s-60s that are DONE. They've shifted, cracked, and been invaded by roots. You'll know you've got a problem when multiple drains back up at once, or you hear gurgling from your toilets when you run the washing machine. That's a main line issue. First I'll camera scope it ($200-$400) to see what we're dealing with. Could be: - Root intrusion (most common) - Hydro-jetting might clear it, $500-$1,200, but roots WILL come back - Bellied pipe (section has sunk and creates a low spot where waste collects) - This needs excavation - Collapsed pipe - Also needs excavation, we're talking $3,000-$15,000 depending on depth and location - Orangeburg pipe (yes, it's made of tar paper, yes people actually installed this garbage) - Needs full replacement The CITY is responsible for the section from the main in the street to the property line. YOUR responsibility starts at the property line. But (and this is a big but) proving where the problem is requires that camera inspection. I've fought with the city on behalf of homeowners for WEEKS trying to get them to fix their section. Trenchless repair (pipe bursting or lining) is available now - it's pricier upfront ($150-$250 per foot vs $75-$150 for traditional dig) but you're not destroying your driveway or landscaping.

Every water heater dies. It's not IF, it's WHEN. Average lifespan is 8-12 years (less with our hard water if you don't flush it annually - which nobody does). Tank vs tankless debate - In LA, I'm pushing tankless for most situations. Space is premium (especially in older homes with tiny closets or garage installations). Tankless gives you endless hot water and saves about 20% on gas bills. But (there's always a but) the upfront cost is higher. $2,500-$4,000 installed vs $1,800-$2,500 for a standard 40-50 gallon tank. LA building codes got STRICT after the Northridge earthquake. Your water heater needs to be strapped (two straps, upper third and lower third of tank). Needs an expansion tank on the inlet (because we have check valves in the city system creating a closed loop). Needs proper venting (which often means new B-vent or even PVC for condensing models). Needs a drain pan if it's indoors above living space. I've seen inspectors red-tag installations because the temperature/pressure relief valve wasn't piped to within 6 inches of the ground. These details MATTER. Permits for water heater replacement run $200-$400 depending on your city (LA has like 80+ municipalities, each with their own rules - it's maddening). Some handymen skip permits. Don't let them. When that unpermitted heater leaks and floods your house, your insurance will DENY the claim.

You want the real talk? Here it is. Get three estimates for major work. Not because all plumbers are crooks (most aren't), but because approaches differ. One guy might want to replace your whole sewer line, another might suggest a liner, a third might say hydro-jetting will buy you 5 years. All could be right depending on their assessment. Don't hire based on price alone. I know it's tempting when one bid is $2,000 less. But the cheapest bid usually means cheapest parts, rushed work, or mystery upcharges later. Look for the middle estimate with the best communication and verifiable license/insurance. For emergencies (burst pipes, gas leaks, major backups), you don't have time to shop around. Keep a trusted plumber's number saved NOW. Ask your neighbors who they use. Check Yelp but ignore the extreme reviews (5-stars are often fake, 1-stars are often crazy people) - read the 3 and 4-star reviews for honest takes. Maintenance is CHEAPER than replacement. $200 every few years for hydro-jetting your main line beats a $8,000 sewer replacement. $150 for a water heater flush beats a $2,500 replacement. But nobody does maintenance (including me on my own house, honestly) until something breaks. And here's something most plumbers won't admit - sometimes the problem isn't worth fixing. I've told customers their ancient house with galvanized pipes throughout should just be repiped rather than chasing leak after leak. It's a $12,000 conversation nobody wants to have, but it's the truth. LA is expensive. Plumbing is expensive. Good work costs money. But bad work costs MORE in the long run. That's 25 years of crawling under houses talking right there.