Look, I'm not here to sugarcoat this. Service calls in Orlando right now are running $175-$300 just to show up at your door. That's BEFORE we touch a wrench. You got a slab leak? We're talking $2,000-$6,000 depending on how deep that sucker is buried. Water heaters (and yeah, everyone's pushing tankless now) will set you back $1,800-$4,000 installed. The tank models are cheaper upfront but here's the thing - our hard water here in Central Florida DESTROYS them faster than up north. I've seen 8-year-old units that look like they've been through a war. Hydro-jetting your main line because tree roots invaded (hello, Orlando's oak trees)? $400-$900. Toilet replacement is $250-$500. Sump pump installation runs $800-$1,500, though honestly most Orlando homes don't need them unless you're in a flood zone near the lakes. The labor shortage is REAL - good plumbers are retiring and kids don't want to crawl under houses in 95-degree heat. That shortage drives prices up.

Here's the cold hard truth: Orlando's bipolar weather is murder on your plumbing. We'll hit 85 degrees in January then BAM - one cold snap down to 32 and everyone's copper pipes are splitting like firecrackers. I've seen it a hundred times (especially in older homes around College Park and Winter Park where the original plumbing is from the 60s). When a pipe bursts, you got maybe 5-10 minutes before you're looking at serious water damage. First thing - SHUT OFF THE MAIN VALVE. It's usually near your water meter or where the line enters your house. Don't know where it is? Find it RIGHT NOW before you need it. Emergency calls after hours or weekends? You're paying premium - $300-$500 just for us to roll out, then $150-$200 per hour for the actual work. PEX repiping a burst section runs $300-$800 depending on accessibility. Drywall repair isn't included (that's a whole other contractor). The real nightmare is when pipes burst inside your slab foundation - then we're jackhammering concrete and you're looking at $4,000+ easy. Most burst pipes I see happen because someone tried to insulate their outdoor spigots with a grocery bag. That doesn't work, people.

I've seen some ABSOLUTE BUTCHERY from unlicensed hacks in this town. Guy charges $75 for a service call (red flag right there - nobody legitimate works that cheap in 2026), shows up in a rusted Civic with no company markings, then proceeds to use CPVC where code requires copper. Fast forward six months and you've got a leak inside your wall. Here's what you demand: valid Florida contractor license number (look it up on MyFloridaLicense.gov - takes 30 seconds), proof of liability insurance, and actual references you can CALL. The Facebook Marketplace "handyman" who also does plumbing? Pass. I don't care if your neighbor's cousin says he's cheap. Cheap now means expensive later when his P-trap installation fails and floods your kitchen. Ask about permits too - any major work (repiping, water heater replacement, main line work) needs a permit pulled with Orange County or whatever municipality you're in. No permit? That's gonna bite you when you sell the house. The inspection will catch it and you'll pay twice - once for the hack job, once for a real plumber to fix it to code.

Twenty-five years in this swamp and I can tell you - Orlando plumbing faces stuff other cities don't deal with. Our water is HARD. Like, limestone-quarry hard. Mineral buildup clogs aerators, destroys water heater elements, and turns your beautiful new fixtures crusty white within a year. Water softeners aren't optional here if you want your plumbing to last - they're mandatory ($800-$2,500 installed). The humidity? It rusts out your water heaters from the OUTSIDE while the hard water attacks from the inside. I've replaced units in garages that look like they've been sitting in saltwater. Our sandy soil means your sewer main line is constantly under threat from shifting ground and root intrusion (those live oaks are beautiful but their roots are plumbing terrorists). Get your main line camera-inspected every 5 years ($200-$400) or you're gambling. Summer storms flood yards and overwhelm aging septic systems in the county areas. And the cold snaps (yeah, we get them) catch everyone off guard because pipes aren't insulated like up north - so when it freezes, chaos.

Look, I get panic calls for dripping faucets at midnight. That's not an emergency - that's a washer replacement that can wait till morning (save yourself the $400 emergency fee). Here's what IS an emergency: active pipe burst flooding your house, sewage backing up into your bathtub (GROSS and a health hazard), no water to the entire house, gas smell near your water heater (GET OUT and call the fire department first, then us), or your water heater actively leaking and you can't shut off the supply valve. Those situations? Call immediately, don't wait. But a slow drain? Running toilet? Drip from under the sink? Those can wait for regular business hours. The exception is if you're leaving town - then yeah, get even small issues fixed before you go because Murphy's Law says that drip becomes a flood while you're in the Bahamas. I've seen it happen (got called by a frantic homeowner's neighbor who saw water pouring from under their front door). Water damage gets exponentially worse by the hour. Ten minutes of burst pipe flooding? $2,000-$5,000 in restoration. Eight hours? $20,000-$40,000 easy. Know the difference between urgent and emergency.

People think plumbers are getting rich. Here's the reality - that $200/hour rate? I'm paying $800/month for my contractor's license and insurance, $1,200/month for the truck (payment, gas, maintenance), another $600/month for tools and equipment (stuff breaks CONSTANTLY), liability insurance is $4,500/year, workers comp if I have helpers is astronomical, and I'm spending 10-15 hours weekly on estimates, paperwork, and dealing with supply houses. The actual wrench time is maybe 60% of my day. Parts markup is typically 20-30% over my cost (we gotta cover warranty claims and returns). When you're paying for hydro-jetting, you're paying for the $15,000 machine I bought, not just the hour it takes to clear your line. That diagnostic fee? That's me using $10,000 worth of camera equipment and 25 years of knowledge to find your problem without ripping apart walls randomly. The apprentice shortage means I can't find good help - kids want to sit at computers, not crawl through attics in August. So yeah, it costs what it costs. You want cheap? YouTube exists. But when that DIY job floods your house, I'm charging MORE to fix your fix plus the original problem.

I'm gonna give you the secrets that would put me out of business if everyone actually did them. Check your water heater annually - drain a few gallons from the bottom valve to flush sediment ($0, takes 10 minutes). Test your main shut-off valve twice a year by turning it off and back on so it doesn't seize (I've seen valves so corroded they snap off when people try to use them in emergencies). Pour water down every drain monthly including that guest bathroom nobody uses - P-traps dry out and sewer gas comes up (also bugs can enter through dry traps). Check under sinks for moisture or that musty smell - catches leaks early before they rot out your cabinet. Replace washing machine hoses every 5 years even if they look fine - $20 in hoses prevents a $10,000 flood. Don't use DRANO or those chemical drain cleaners - they're DANGEROUS, they damage pipes (especially older metal ones), and they don't work on real clogs anyway. Snake it yourself ($25 tool from Home Depot) or call us. Insulate outdoor spigots and pipes when temperatures drop below 35 (yes, even in Orlando). Replace toilet flappers every 3-4 years ($8 part, saves hundreds in wasted water). These simple things would eliminate probably 40% of the calls I get. But you won't do them (nobody does), so I'll still be here when your Saturday gets ruined by a preventable flood.