Plumbing repairs, drain diagnostics and water heaters
We trace a plumbing fault to its root cause rather than patching the symptom. Each residential and light-commercial service below sets out what it covers and who it suits, and every job carries a firm written quote before work begins.
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Leak detection and pipe repair
$145
Hidden leaks behind drywall, ceilings, crawlspaces and slabs traced with acoustic sensors and moisture meters, the damaged section isolated, and the run repaired or replaced in Type L copper or expansion PEX-A, then static pressure tested before the water goes back on. The $145 covers dispatch and diagnosis; the flat-rate repair is quoted in writing before work starts.
Suits A damp ceiling or spreading drywall stain, a burst supply line, a main shut-off that will no longer close, and a meter that keeps turning with every tap off.
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Drain cleaning and HD sewer camera inspection
from $185
One branch or main line cleared with a commercial cable machine or by hydro-jetting. On the $295 option a self-levelling HD sewer camera with an electronic sonde locator then records the condition and depth of the line. Recurring backups usually mean roots, a bellied section or an offset cast-iron joint rather than a surface clog, and the camera shows which. Priced per drain line.
Suits Kitchen, bath and floor drains that back up more than once, main sewer lines invaded by tree roots, and buyers who want a recorded inspection before they commit.
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Tank and tankless water heaters
from $235
Repairs from $235; gas and electric tanks installed from $1,750 and condensing tankless systems from $3,450. Every installation is sized to the household and includes code-required seismic or pan protection, thermal expansion control, a sediment trap, gas sizing verification, permit coordination and haul-away of the old unit.
Suits A tank weeping at the base, a household that keeps running out of hot water, a heater past its tenth year, and anyone weighing a tankless upgrade.
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Fixture, toilet, faucet and disposal installation
from $195
Kitchen and lavatory faucets, comfort-height toilets, shower mixing valves and continuous-feed disposals fitted, owner-supplied or trade-grade, with brittle multi-turn angle stops swapped for quarter-turn brass and a worn closet flange repaired while the fixture is off. Priced per fixture; concealed or altered pipework is quoted after a diagnostic visit.
Suits A fixture already bought and waiting to go in, a dripping faucet or a toilet that keeps running, and a sink cabinet with a slow hidden drip.
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Whole-home repiping and shut-off valve upgrades
from $4,800
Corroded galvanised steel, polybutylene or pinhole-pitted copper replaced with Uponor PEX-A or domestic copper, routed to keep drywall openings small, with a new brass main ball valve and pressure-reducing valve fitted. A custom flat-rate project, typically one to three days, with water restored each evening. The survey and written estimate carry no charge.
Suits Rusty morning water, falling shower pressure, repeated pinhole leaks, and pipework the same age as the part that has just failed.
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Backflow testing, sump pumps and gas line piping
from $145
Annual certified testing of RPZ and irrigation backflow assemblies, with the compliance paperwork filed with the water authority; primary and battery-backup cast-iron sump pumps installed; and pressure-tested black-iron or CSST gas lines run to ranges, dryers, generators and outdoor grills. Backflow tests from $145; sump and gas work is quoted on site.
Suits An irrigation or storefront assembly due for its annual test, a finished basement that cannot risk a flooded sump, and a new gas appliance waiting for its line.
What happens in each of the three stages
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01
Measurement
Every visit opens with readings: pressure at the main, flow at a fixture, the meter watched with the outlets closed, and the condition of the shut-offs and traps that can be reached. Nothing is dismantled at this stage.
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02
Scope and figure
The readings are written up as a scope with a figure beside it. Where more than one repair would answer the symptom, each one is priced and the difference between them is explained rather than recommended. The $145 diagnostic fee is credited toward any repair approved on the same visit.
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03
Work and handover
The agreed scope is carried out, the joint or the line is tested under pressure before the tools are packed, and the invoice records what was fitted, what was deliberately left alone, and the workmanship warranty and manufacturer parts guarantee that apply.
When a repipe is the honest answer
A repair stops being the honest answer when the pipework behind it is the same age and the same material as the part that has just failed. Where that is the case it is said plainly, a repipe estimate is offered at no charge, and the repair is still carried out if that is what the customer decides.
Start with a diagnostic visit
Readings first, written down and shown, with the options set out before anything is fitted.