Plumbing service: fixture swaps, leaks, and water-heater basics
Bad plumbing costs 4–10× to redo than to do right the first time. California handyman law caps unlicensed work at $500; anything above that or on gas lines routes to a CSLB-licensed C-36. We don't blur that line.
What plumbing covers
DIY vs. hire — which makes sense for your job
When DIY works
Fixture swap on existing shutoff valves (kitchen faucet with working angle stops, flapper on an old toilet, a single showerhead) is fair DIY if you own a basin wrench and are willing to watch a 15-minute video. Everything past that — supply-line re-routing, drain work, gas appliance connection, water heater — hire.
When to hire
A pro brings the right wrenches, replacement parts on the truck (common faucet cartridges, fill valves, angle stops), and the knowledge to spot a corroded shutoff before breaking it open. Most fixture swaps finish in 30-60 minutes. Leak diagnostics is a separate skill — a pro knows where water actually travels.
Permit, license, and safety
California splits plumbing into two worlds. Under $500 total cost (labor + materials), single-trade plumbing work can be done by an unlicensed handyman per §7048: fixture swaps on existing supply + drain, toilet repair, disposal install, simple angle-valve replacement. Over $500 or any of these — water-heater replacement (permit in LA always), gas-line work, main-line repair, sewer work, tankless conversion, repipe — requires a CSLB C-36 licensed plumber with permit pulled through LADBS.
Water-heater strapping (two straps, upper + lower third) is mandatory in California per Health & Safety Code §19211. We include strapping free on any water-heater-adjacent visit; standalone strap-only visits run $60-120.
This hub covers plumbing generally. We serve Los Angeles County — for LA-specific pricing, neighborhood-level detail (pre-1978 homes, earthquake considerations, HOA rules), and typical local sub-contractor routing, see our Los Angeles plumbing page.
Related reading
A few pieces we wrote for LA homeowners thinking about this category:
- California handyman vs. contractor license — Why big plumbing jobs legally require a C-36, and how we route them.
Related services
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