Need a plumber in Texas? Clay soil under slab homes and rare hard freezes cause many of the calls. Call Same Day Plumber any time to reach a licensed plumber in 68 Texas cities.
Call a Plumber in Texas (833) 763-0420Plumbing in Texas: What Differs by City
Plumbers in Texas are licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Each city picks its own plumbing code, so the rules can change at the city line.
Houston and Austin use the Uniform Plumbing Code. Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth and most other large cities use the International Plumbing Code.
Most Texas homes sit on concrete slabs over clay soil. The soil swells when wet and shrinks when dry. That movement cracks pipes under the floor, so slab leaks and broken sewer lines are common.
Hard freezes are rare, so pipes in attics and outside walls often have no insulation. That is why the February 2021 winter storm burst so many pipes. Wrap them before the next cold snap.
Water hardness changes a lot from city to city. San Antonio and New Braunfels run about 15 grains per gallon or more. Midland is far harder. Austin averages about 5, and College Station is very soft.
West Texas cities depend on lakes that rise and fall with drought. Abilene, San Angelo and Wichita Falls are examples. Fixing leaks fast matters more there.
In the Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, McAllen and Edinburg draw from the river and its reservoirs.
Many North Texas suburbs buy water from the North Texas Municipal Water District, including Allen, Frisco and Wylie. Near Houston, Sugar Land and Pearland blend well water with river water.
Home age matters too. Garland and Pasadena have many 1970s homes with cast iron drains under the slab. Frisco, McKinney and Conroe are much newer.
Pick your city below for local water, code and repair details.
Texas Cities With Local Plumbing Guides
- Houston, TXSlab leaks · Sewer line breaks · Freeze damage
- San Antonio, TXVery hard water · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Dallas, TXSlab leaks · Cracked sewer lines · Frozen pipes
- Austin, TXFreeze damage · Water heater replacement · Mineral buildup
- Fort Worth, TXSlab leaks · Old pipes in historic neighborhoods · Frozen pipes
- El Paso, TXHard water scale · Freeze damage · Aging water heaters
- Arlington, TXSlab leaks · Cracked sewer lines · Frozen pipes
- Corpus Christi, TXHard water scale · Salt air corrosion · Slab leaks
- Plano, TXSlab leaks · Aging water heaters · Freeze damage
- Lubbock, TXHard water scale · Frozen pipes · Slab leaks
- Laredo, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Irving, TXSlab leaks · Shifted sewer lines · Frozen pipes
- Garland, TXCast iron drains under the slab · Slab leaks · Hard water wear
- Frisco, TXFirst water heater replacements · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- McKinney, TXFirst water heater replacements · Slab leaks · Old pipe in the historic district
- Amarillo, TXVery hard water · Frozen pipes · Old pipe in early neighborhoods
- Brownsville, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Storm backups
- Grand Prairie, TXSlab leaks · Hard water scale · Freeze damage
- Killeen, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Waco, TXSlab leaks · Old pipe in older neighborhoods · Freeze damage
- Midland, TXExtremely hard water · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Denton, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- McAllen, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Storm backups
- Mesquite, TXSlab leaks · Water heater sediment · Freeze damage
- Carrollton, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Round Rock, TXHard water scale · First water heater replacements · Slab leaks
- Odessa, TXFreeze damage · Water heater replacement · Slab leaks
- Beaumont, TXStorm backups · Slab leaks · Water heater replacement
- Tyler, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Wichita Falls, TXFreeze damage · Slab leaks · Water heater replacement
- College Station, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Pearland, TXFirst water heater replacements · Slab leaks · Storm backups
- Richardson, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Sugar Land, TXHard water scale · Water heater replacement · Slab leaks
- Wylie, TXSlab leaks · First water heater replacements · Freeze damage
- Weatherford, TXOld pipe near the square · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Pasadena, TXCast iron drains · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Abilene, TXHard water scale · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Lewisville, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- League City, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Storm damage
- Allen, TXSlab leaks · First water heater replacements · Freeze damage
- San Angelo, TXScale · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Edinburg, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Scale
- Conroe, TXFirst water heater replacements · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- New Braunfels, TXHard water scale · Early water heater failure · Slab leaks
- Bryan, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Baytown, TXSlab leaks · Storm damage · Cast iron drains
- Missouri City, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Temple, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Old pipe
- Flower Mound, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Mansfield, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Cedar Park, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Georgetown, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Old pipe
- Pflugerville, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Leander, TXWater heater replacement · Slab leaks · Freeze damage
- Rowlett, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Grapevine, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Old pipe
- Euless, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Cast iron drains
- North Richland Hills, TXSlab leaks · Cast iron drains · Water heater replacement
- Burleson, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- The Woodlands, TXSlab leaks · Tree roots in sewer lines · Water heater replacement
- Atascocita, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Freeze damage
- Mission, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Drain clogs
- Longview, TXSlab leaks · Tree roots in sewer lines · Freeze damage
- Pharr, TXSlab leaks · Water heater replacement · Drain clogs
- Harlingen, TXSlab leaks · Drain and sewer clogs · Water heater replacement
- San Marcos, TXSlab leaks · Drain clogs · Water heater failure
- Spring, TXSlab leaks · Attic water heater failure · Sewer line clogs
Plumbing Codes, Permit Offices and Water Hardness by Texas City
| City | Plumbing code | Permits issued by | Water hardness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Uniform Plumbing Code (2021) with City of Houston amendments | Houston Permitting Center | Moderately hard on average |
| San Antonio | International Plumbing Code with City of San Antonio amendments | City of San Antonio Development Services Department | Very hard |
| Dallas | Dallas Plumbing Code, based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code | City of Dallas Development Services | Moderately hard |
| Austin | Uniform Plumbing Code with City of Austin local amendments | City of Austin Development Services Department | Moderately hard |
| Fort Worth | Fort Worth Plumbing Code, based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code | City of Fort Worth Development Services | Moderately hard to hard |
| El Paso | International Plumbing Code (2021) with City of El Paso amendments | City of El Paso Planning and Inspections | Moderately hard to hard |
| Arlington | International Plumbing Code (2021), as adopted by Arlington | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | Not published |
| Corpus Christi | International Plumbing Code (2021) with City of Corpus Christi amendments | City of Corpus Christi Development Services | Hard |
| Plano | International codes, 2024 editions, as adopted by Plano | City of Plano Building Inspections | Moderately hard |
| Lubbock | 2021 International Plumbing Code, as adopted by Lubbock | City of Lubbock Building Safety Department | Hard |
| Laredo | 2021 International Plumbing Code, as adopted by Laredo | City of Laredo Building Development Services | Not published |
| Irving | 2021 International Plumbing Code with City of Irving amendments | City of Irving Inspections Department | Moderately hard |
| Garland | 2015 International Plumbing Code, as adopted by Garland | City of Garland Building Inspection | Hard |
| Frisco | 2024 International Plumbing Code with City of Frisco amendments | City of Frisco Building Inspections | Moderately hard |
| McKinney | 2024 International Plumbing Code, as adopted by McKinney | City of McKinney Building Inspections | Moderately hard |
| Amarillo | Not listed | City of Amarillo Building Safety | Very hard |
| Brownsville | Not listed | City of Brownsville Building Inspections and Permitting | Not published |
| Grand Prairie | Not listed | City of Grand Prairie Building Inspections | Hard |
| Killeen | 2024 International Plumbing Code, as adopted by Killeen | City of Killeen Building Inspections | Not published |
| Waco | International Plumbing Code, 2018 edition, as adopted by Waco | City of Waco Inspection Services | Moderately hard |
| Midland | Not listed | City of Midland Development Services | Extremely hard |
| Denton | 2021 International Plumbing Code with City of Denton amendments | City of Denton Building Inspections | Not published |
| McAllen | Not listed | City of McAllen Building Permits & Inspections | Not published |
| Mesquite | Not listed | Not listed | Moderately hard |
| Carrollton | Not listed | City of Carrollton Building Inspection | Not published |
| Round Rock | Not listed | City of Round Rock Building Inspection | Hard |
| Odessa | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Beaumont | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Tyler | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Wichita Falls | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| College Station | Not listed | Not listed | Very soft |
| Pearland | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Richardson | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Sugar Land | Not listed | Not listed | Varies by system |
| Wylie | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Weatherford | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Pasadena | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Abilene | Not listed | Not listed | Hard to very hard |
| Lewisville | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| League City | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Allen | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| San Angelo | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Edinburg | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Conroe | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| New Braunfels | Not listed | Not listed | Very hard |
| Bryan | Not listed | Not listed | Very soft |
| Baytown | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Missouri City | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Temple | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Flower Mound | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Mansfield | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Cedar Park | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Georgetown | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Pflugerville | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Leander | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Rowlett | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Grapevine | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Euless | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| North Richland Hills | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Burleson | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| The Woodlands | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Atascocita | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Mission | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Longview | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Pharr | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Harlingen | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| San Marcos | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
| Spring | Not listed | Not listed | Not published |
How to Check a Plumber's License in Texas
Plumbers in Texas are licensed by the state. Before work begins, ask for the license number and look it up with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
Plumbing Services Available Across Texas
- Emergency PlumbingBurst pipes, flooding, sewage backups and loss of water, any hour.
- Drain CleaningClogged sinks, tubs, toilets and main sewer lines.
- Water Heater Repair & ReplacementNo hot water, leaking tanks, tank and tankless repair or replacement.
- Leak Detection & RepairHidden, slab and pipe leaks found and fixed before they cause damage.
- Sewer Line RepairCamera inspection, sewer repair and trenchless replacement.
- Pipe Repair & RepipingBurst, frozen and corroded pipes repaired or replaced.
- Toilet RepairRunning, clogged, leaking and broken toilets repaired or replaced.
- Faucet & Fixture RepairFaucets, garbage disposals and shower valves.
- Sump Pump RepairSump pump repair, replacement and battery backups.
- Gas Line RepairGas leak repair and appliance hookups by licensed plumbers.
- Water Softeners & FiltrationWater softeners, whole-house filtration and well pumps.
- Commercial Plumbing & BackflowCommercial plumbing service and backflow testing.