Look, I'm gonna lay this out straight because I'm tired of homeowners thinking we're just turning a wrench for five minutes and charging $300. That service call fee in 2026? We're talking $175-$300 just to show up at your door in Omaha. Why? Because my truck costs $60,000 now, insurance is through the roof (liability for water damage claims), and I'm carrying $15,000 worth of tools and parts. The guy who shows up for $89? He's either new, uninsured, or both - and you're gonna pay triple when he floods your basement. Here's the cold hard truth: a real plumber with 25 years experience doesn't work cheap because we've seen what happens when corners get cut. Water heater replacement runs $1,800-$4,000 depending on whether you want basic or tankless (and trust me, in Omaha's hard water, you NEED a water softener with that tankless or you're looking at repairs in three years). Main line sewer work with hydro-jetting? $400-$800. Full sewer line replacement because tree roots destroyed your clay pipes from the 1950s? $8,000-$15,000. Nobody wants to hear these numbers, but material costs have jumped 40% since 2020 and they're not coming back down.

We get calls every January. EVERY. SINGLE. JANUARY. Because Omaha hits -10°F and everyone remembers their crawl space isn't insulated. I've seen pipes burst at 2 AM when it's -15° outside and the homeowner is standing in three inches of water crying about their hardwood floors. Here's what happens: water expands when it freezes (9% expansion creates 40,000 PSI of pressure - your copper pipe is rated for maybe 150 PSI). The pipe splits. Then when it thaws? That's when you get the flood. Not during the freeze - after. Emergency calls in winter run $350-$500 just for us to show up because we're leaving our families at midnight and working in crawl spaces that feel like walk-in freezers. Prevention costs you $200-$400 for pipe insulation and heat tape. Repairs after a burst? $1,500-$6,000 depending on damage and how much drywall we're cutting. Your main water line from the street? If that freezes and bursts under your yard, you're looking at $3,000-$8,000 to excavate and replace in frozen Nebraska ground. But sure, skip the $50 in foam pipe insulation (I'm being sarcastic - don't skip it).

There's a labor shortage in the trades right now. Massive. Which means every guy who watched a YouTube video thinks he's a plumber. Here's your checklist - licensed in Nebraska (actually verify the license number on the state website, don't just take their word). Insured (ask for the certificate, call the insurance company). Been in business more than five years (check Google reviews but read the BAD ones - if customers complain about callbacks for the same issue, RUN). A real plumber shows up with a truck that's marked, not a rusty Dodge Caravan with a magnetic sign. We give written estimates. We pull permits for water heater replacements and main line work (because that's THE LAW). I've seen cowboy plumbers cross-connect potable water with drain lines (which can literally poison you). I've seen them install water heaters without expansion tanks (code violation that voids your warranty). They charge $100 less and cause $10,000 in problems. The cheapest bid is almost never the best bid. Almost never.

Water flows at 8-15 gallons per minute from a burst pipe. That's 450-900 gallons per hour. Your basement floods FAST. Here's what you do RIGHT NOW before you even call me: shut off the main water valve (usually in the basement near where the line enters, sometimes in a ground box outside). Don't know where it is? Find it TODAY, not during the emergency. Turn off your water heater (gas or electric - if it runs dry it can explode or burn out the elements). Start moving stuff away from water. Take photos for insurance BEFORE you start cleanup. Then call a plumber - and yeah, it's gonna be expensive because it's an emergency. We're talking $350-$600 for the service call plus repairs. A burst supply line under a sink? $200-$400 to fix. Burst main line in the wall? $800-$2,500 because we're cutting drywall and possibly dealing with damaged framing. The worst I've seen was a second-floor bathroom supply line that burst while the family was on vacation in February (heat was set too low). Three days of water flowing. $75,000 in damage. All could've been prevented with a $300 smart water shutoff system.

Look, nobody thinks about their sewer line until sewage backs up into their shower. Then it's a four-alarm panic. Omaha's got a mix of old clay pipes (pre-1980s homes mostly) and PVC. Those clay pipes? Tree roots LOVE them. Roots grow in through the joints seeking water and nutrients, then they expand and crack everything. You'll notice slow drains, gurgling toilets, or sewage smell in the yard (that's bad - real bad). Camera inspection costs $200-$400 but it's the only way to know what's happening down there. Hydro-jetting to clear roots runs $400-$800 and lasts 2-5 years depending on tree proximity. Full sewer line replacement? $8,000-$15,000 for a typical residential property. Trenchless pipe lining is $12,000-$18,000 but you don't destroy your landscaping (sometimes worth it). Here's what insurance WON'T cover: gradual deterioration. They'll cover sudden breaks sometimes, but not roots that grew in over ten years. And if your sewer lateral fails (that's the line from your house to the city main), that's YOUR expense, not the city's. I've had customers argue with me about this - doesn't change the law.

Water heaters last 8-12 years in Omaha (hard water kills them faster if you don't flush them annually - and nobody does). Tank-style 40-50 gallon runs $1,800-$2,800 installed with permit. Tankless runs $3,000-$4,500 but you NEED a water softener ($1,200-$2,000) or the heat exchanger scales up in three years. I've replaced tankless units that looked like they were filled with concrete because the homeowner had hard water and no softener. Sump pumps? They're running constantly in Omaha basements during spring rains. A pump lasts 7-10 years. Replacement costs $400-$800 for a quality pump with a backup battery system (GET THE BATTERY BACKUP - when storms knock out power, that's when you need the pump most). I've seen finished basements ruined because the $200 sump pump failed and the homeowner cheaped out on the $150 battery backup. Your P-trap under sinks dries out if you're gone for weeks (like vacation) and lets sewer gas into your house - run water before you leave. Little things matter.

Get a whole-house water softener if you don't have one - our water is HARD (12-15 grains per gallon in most areas). It'll save your appliances and plumbing fixtures thousands in the long run. Costs $1,200-$2,500 installed. Replace supply lines to toilets and under sinks every 10 years (they're $8 each - don't wait for them to burst). Know where your main shutoff is and test it annually (valves seize up). Get your sewer line camera-inspected if your house is over 30 years old and you've never done it ($200-$400 can prevent a $12,000 surprise). Install a leak detection system if you travel a lot ($300-$800 - it'll shut off water automatically). Don't put DRANO or those DANGEROUS CHEMICAL drain cleaners down your pipes - they don't work on real clogs and they destroy your pipes over time (plus they can burn you when we open the trap). Call a real plumber who'll cable or hydro-jet the line properly. And for the love of all that's holy, don't flush "flushable" wipes (they're NOT flushable - I pull them out of pumps weekly). This is 25 years of experience talking. Listen or pay - your choice.