Find The Best Plumbers In Kansas City, Missouri Of 2024

• Andy’s Pipe Dream Plumbing
• Newcomer Plumbing of Kansas City
• Anthony Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric
• Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
• Superior Plumbing & Gas, LLC
• Crosby Plumbing
• Mac Wilson Plumbing
• Stine-Nichols Plumbing Inc.
• Stine-Nichols Plumbing Inc.
• Snake ‘n’ Rooter Plumbing Company

The Census Bureau notes that there are around 3,500 plumbers in Kansas City, offering a wide range of services.

Here are a few ways to find the best Kansas City plumber for your needs.

Determine if It’s a Plumber You Need

Some DIY plumbing projects may seem like no big deal to an experienced homeowner. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should call a professional anytime you feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar with a plumbing problem.

According to former general contractor and our resident home expert, Deane Biermeier, your first gut instinct about whether you’re out of your depth with a project is often correct. Biermeier notes that as you garner experience with different smaller repairs, such as leaky pipes and dripping faucets, you’ll build up your confidence and skills, which may allow you to tackle bigger projects down the road.

However, regardless of confidence levels, you should hire a plumber for complicated plumbing system issues like drain back-ups, brand-new plumbing installation, or any gas line work. Bigger projects like these require a specialist who can handle all plumbing systems concerns safely.

To ensure you need a plumber and not another type of professional, like a general contractor or electrician, check out our shortlist of typical services plumbers can help with:

• Sewer or water line replacement
• Pipe repair and replacement
• Dishwasher, washer and dryer installations
• Drain cleaning services
• Garbage disposal services
• Water heater repair services
• Sewer and septic repair
• Sump pump installation
• Leak detection services
• General plumbing maintenance
• Camera inspections
• Shower repair
• Slab leaks
• Professional installation, inspection and replacement of fixtures

Read Kansas City Plumbing Reviews

The best way to determine which plumbers in your area are highly rated is to talk to people in your community as well as read online reviews of nearby plumbing services. Check how many reviews a provider has and how many are positive and negative. For example, a licensed plumber with many reviews might look promising, but if most comments (especially recent ones) are negative, this provider may not be a top choice.

Similarly, local Kansas City plumbers with positive reviews but none within the last six months or so may not be as available as other nearby plumbers. Reviews can tell a story, so it’s important to read through enough of them to get a sense of how a company is doing in the eyes of the customer.

Licensing and Insurance

Licensing and insurance are the most pivotal items to confirm before hiring a plumbing provider. Safety is a major concern with many plumbing issues, so most states require plumbers to be licensed. While each state has its own set of regulations and qualifications, every plumber must receive ongoing training, have a minimum number of years of experience and learn about new codes and trends to receive their license.

Each plumber’s valid license encapsulates state-mandated insurance and bonding, which protects you, your home and the plumber in case anything unexpected happens during a plumbing repair.

You should get a more upscale plumbing service from licensed plumbers when they have garnered the proper qualifications and knowledge of the craft, as well as a pristinely professional approach to their work, so asking for their credentials is paramount.

Get Local Plumbing Quotes in Kansas City

Reach out to a handful of local plumbers to get an idea of what each provider would charge, on average, for your project. Compare pricing against each Kansas City plumbing company’s reviews and try to strike a balance between high ratings and reasonable prices.

Plumbing costs in Kansas City are likely to be lower, on average, compared to the national average, so finding affordable plumbing services may be easier than expected. It’s important to note that your city or region is a factor in how much you’ll pay for a professional plumber.

Generally, there are six categories of plumbing repairs—water heater repairs, leak repairs, clogs, gas services, fixture repairs and miscellaneous repairs. Getting a quote from a plumber requires consideration of material costs, hourly rates and extra costs like permits or old equipment disposal.

Also, many contractors mark up the job materials to account for buying, storing and delivering them. For example, if a toilet costs a plumber $150, they may charge $165 for it. Although there are no standard markups, most contractors will mark up materials by 5% to 20%.

Finally, most plumbing companies mark up labor as well. Marking up labor allows a plumbing company to cover its overhead and make a profit. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the average plumber makes a little over $30 per hour. However, most plumbers charge $45 to $200 per hour.

The variation in markup is attributed to the local cost of living, the plumber’s experience and the company’s reputation. More experienced plumbers, such as licensed technicians or those holding a master plumber license may charge more. Location will also play a part in the final fee. For instance, a journeyperson plumber in Kansas City likely has a higher markup than a journeyperson plumber in Wichita, Kansas.

Flat Rates

Instead of an hourly charge plus materials, a professional plumber may charge a flat rate for a plumbing job. For example, a plumber may charge a flat rate of $80 for faucet repair or $150 to unclog a toilet. The benefit of upfront pricing is that you can receive an accurate quote. In addition, if the plumber runs into complications and takes longer than usual, you still pay the flat rate.

Emergency Plumbing Services in Kansas City

Unexpected plumbing emergencies usually need a swift and fast response, finding a reliable plumber who’ll visit in a timely manner can save your home from water damage. You should expect to pay a call-out fee depending on your plumbing needs. After the emergency has been fixed it’s always a good idea to schedule routine maintenance of your home’s plumbing system with a local Kansas City plumbing company.

Unexpected plumbing bills can cause unforeseen strain on your household budget, some plumbing companies offer financing options such as flexible payment plans for surprise repairs to help spread the cost. You should ensure you fully understand the terms of any plumbing financing options offered and decide if it’s right for you.

Your home’s plumbing system is comprised of many components, each of which has the potential to fail, burst or leak. While in many cases plumbing mishaps are minor, they can also become major concerns if unchecked. Below are some of the most common problems that your plumbing system can face.

Burst Pipes

Handling burst pipes can be intimidating for homeowners. This emergency can happen as a result of elements like freezing temperatures, old or rusty pipes, clogs, tree roots and hard water. Burst pipes can cost you thousands of dollars of damage if not dealt with quickly, and in most cases, you’ll want your nearby plumber or an emergency plumbing service ready to help.

Before your plumber arrives, shut off your home’s main water supply. First, locate the water shut-off. It could be located in a few different spots depending on your house, including in the basement or outside. Then, cut the electricity to the room or area that the leak is in, to prevent the risk of electrocution.

Toilet Leaks

Fixing toilet leaks can be an expensive plumbing to-do if you wait to work on the problem. When toilets leak, they constantly run or spill. Plumbers will likely recommend that you shut off the water valve (located at the toilet’s base) during emergencies before they work on the repair.

Faucet Leaks

Generally, faucet leaks are simple to fix, though you shouldn’t wait to do it—you risk paying a higher water bill because a faucet has been leaking for longer than it should. There are four common types of faucet leaks:

• Cartridge: Stems from a worn rubber washer on the valve seat
• Compression: Not as common in new faucets but can be found in older homes; caused by a bad O-ring or neoprene seal
• Ceramic disc: Usually caused by a crack in the disc and requires a cartridge replacement (which can be expensive depending on your type and model of faucet)
• Ball type: Only common in ball-type faucets and can show a leak in several spots

Faucets can last up to 10 years on average before having to repair or replace them, but longevity depends on factors like the type and age of your faucet, whether you have hard water and more.

Outdoor Leaks

Outdoor leaks are a common type of leak, but can sometimes be tricky to identify. A slab leak, for example, occurs when plumbing pipes crack or leak under your foundation or slab, and can of course affect the foundation of your home, your basement floors and walls and your lawn. The first big give-away that you have an outdoor leak is when you receive an unusually high water bill despite that your water usage was the same as last month.

If you suspect something is off, test your outdoor faucets by turning each one on and checking surrounding areas for unnecessary water. If you see any such areas, you likely have an outdoor leak and should act swiftly to prevent more water damage to your home.

Water Heater Leaks

Water heater leaks, though common, should be dealt with quickly so you can avoid extensive damage to your floors, furniture and walls. There are a number of reasons for water heater leaks, but some typical causes are the water heater age, lack of regular water heater maintenance, inconsistent pressure and sediment build-up.

If you’re an experienced homeowner, you can run a preliminary inspection of your water heater, but if you’re unsure or uncomfortable, call a professional right away. A plumber can conduct a thorough inspection and interpret subtle noises that indicate the root of the issue.

Total residential water usage in Jackson County hit 76 million gallons per year, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Interior in 2015, the latest data available. This number involves all indoor and outdoor water use in homes, including drinking, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, flushing toilets, using faucets, food prep, watering lawns and gardens and maintaining pools.

For this list, Forbes Home analyzed the customer service quality of nearly 100 plumbers in the Kansas City area. We ranked each plumber based on several data points within the category of customer experience.

Here’s the weighting assigned to each category:

Ratio of Low to High Star Ratings (35%)

We analyzed the number of Google reviews for each company against the ratings associated with those reviews. Companies with a higher percentage of positive reviews received more points than companies with a higher rate of negative reviews.

Ratio of Complaints to Reviews (25%)

We compared the number of complaints for each plumber based on their reviews. A lower complaints ratio resulted in a higher score.

Response Time (25%)

Companies that offer speedy response times received more points than companies with longer or inconsistent response times.

Hours of Operation (10%)

Plumbers with longer operating hours are considered more accessible and thus received a higher score.

Offers a Website (5%)

Plumbers with an official website receive a higher score, as we believe it indicates professionalism and provides customers with additional information.

Other Important Methodology Notes

• Bayesian rating: We computed a Bayesian rating for each plumber based on their average rating and total number of ratings. This provides a more reliable score than a simple average rating, especially when comparing businesses with different numbers of ratings.
• Response time: We estimated each plumber’s response time based on their reviews. A faster response time results in a higher score. We surmised that a plumber with more reviews and a higher average rating has a faster response time.
• Total score: We then calculated the total score for each plumber by applying the category weights to each data point.