Plumbing Repair

The licence comes first

In Virginia, a plumbing contractor needs a Virginia contractor licence for any job worth more than $1,000.^[1] On top of the business licence, the state requires a master tradesman licence as a condition of licensing a plumbing contractor, so a licensed plumbing company has a master plumber behind it.^[1]

The licence class matters too. Class C covers single jobs under $30,000, Class B under $150,000, and Class A anything larger.^[1] Most household repairs sit comfortably inside Class C, but a whole-house repipe or a sewer line replacement can climb past it. How to check a contractor's licence walks through the lookup step by step.

When the job needs a permit

Virginia's building code says a permit is needed before work starts on the water supply and distribution system, the sanitary drainage system or the vent system.^[3] Replacing a plumbing fixture without altering those systems is one of the listed exemptions.^[3] So a new faucet usually needs no permit, while moving a drain line, adding a bathroom or replacing a sewer line does. Water heaters have their own rules, covered in do you need a permit to replace a water heater.

A burst pipe does not have to wait for paperwork: an emergency repair can start first, with the permit application filed by the end of the next working day.^[3] Either way, the contractor should apply for and get the permits.^[4] If a plumber asks you to pull the permit in your own name, ask why.

What the contract has to say

Virginia requires a written contract for residential work, signed by you and the contractor before work starts or any payment is taken.^[2] The rule sets out what it must contain. Among other things:

• when work begins and the estimated completion date;^[2]
• the total cost, or for time-and-materials work, how the price is worked out;
• the amount of the down payment and the schedule of progress payments;^[2]
• the contractor's name, address, licence number, class and specialty;^[2]
• a promise to meet local permit, inspection and zoning rules;^[2]
• and that any change to the cost, materials, work or completion date must be written down and signed by both of you.^[2]

For the deposit, the Board for Contractors suggests no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless the job calls for special-order materials.^[4]

Small leaks are worth a call

Not every plumbing job is an emergency, but slow ones add up. The average household's leaks waste more than 9,300 gallons of water a year, and nine percent of homes have leaks that waste 50 gallons or more a day.^[5] The EPA estimates that fixing easy leaks can cut a water bill by about 10 percent.^[5] A running toilet or a dripping valve is usually a short, cheap visit.

How quotes work on Loclis

Plumbing is hard to price over the phone, so Loclis gives a plumber two honest ways to answer a request:

1. A price. If the job is clear from your description and photos, the plumber sends a fixed price with what it includes. You compare quotes side by side and accept one.
2. I need to see it first. If it isn't clear, the plumber offers an estimate visit, sometimes free, sometimes for a fee, and says when they can come. You book the visit, the plumber gets your address, and after the visit they send a price on the same request. Any visit fee you paid comes off that price automatically.

Some plumbers also sell a fixed-price service call on their shop page. Buying one opens a repair request with that plumber, and the service call fee comes off their repair price the same way.

Plumbing needs a licence at any job size, so Loclis refuses a plumbing quote from a business with no current licence on file. You can browse plumbers by town in the directory, for example plumbers in Christiansburg, or see how Loclis vets businesses on the trust page.

When you are ready, describe the plumbing job once. Licensed local plumbers send quotes or offer a visit, and nothing is charged until you choose one.