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How to Choose the Best Plumber in Florida (2026)

How to choose the best plumber in Florida: DBPR license checks, insurance, hourly rates, slab leak and cast iron questions, quote comparison, and warning signs.

How to Choose the Best Plumber in Florida (2026)

Florida licenses plumbers at the state level through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and the license number is the first thing to check before anyone touches a pipe in your house. A Certified Plumbing Contractor license starts with CFC and is valid statewide, while a Registered Plumbing Contractor license starts with RF and is valid only in the counties where the plumber has registered. Both can be looked up in under a minute on the DBPR website, and a plumber who cannot produce one is not a plumber under Florida law.

Beyond the license, choosing well in Florida means finding someone who understands what the state does to plumbing: hard water across the peninsula, cast iron drain lines that rot out under slab homes built before 1975, salt air on the coasts, and hurricane season. This guide covers the checks that matter, what plumbers charge across the state right now, and the warning signs that show up in complaints to the state every year.

Verify the License and Insurance

Search the DBPR license portal by name or license number and confirm three things: the license is current, it is the right type for the work, and there is no disciplinary history. The portal shows all three. Complaints and fines are public, and a plumber with a pattern of them is easy to spot.

Florida requires licensed plumbing contractors to carry general liability insurance and workers compensation coverage or an exemption. Ask for a certificate of insurance naming you as the certificate holder, then call the agent to confirm the policy is active. Liability coverage of $300,000 or more is typical for established companies.

Ask whether the technician who will show up is a licensed contractor, a journeyman working under one, or an apprentice. Journeymen and apprentices are legal under a licensed contractor's supervision, and many good companies staff that way. The person answering the phone should be able to tell you.

Some Florida counties, including Miami-Dade and Broward, have local registration requirements on top of the state license. A plumber working in those counties should hold both.

What Florida Plumbers Charge Right Now

Licensed plumbers in Florida charge $90 to $175 an hour, with a service call fee of $75 to $150 that often covers the first 30 to 60 minutes. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Naples sit at the top, and Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville run $95 to $140. Tallahassee, Pensacola, Gainesville, and the smaller markets run $85 to $120.

Common flat-rate jobs give a better picture. Replacing a toilet runs $350 to $650 installed, and replacing a kitchen faucet runs $300 to $550. Clearing a main drain runs $250 to $500, and a camera inspection adds $200 to $400.

Water heater replacement runs $1,300 to $2,500 for a standard tank and $2,800 to $5,000 for tankless. Both require a permit in every Florida county, and the fee should be on the quote.

Slab leak repair is Florida's signature job. Locating the leak runs $250 to $500, and repair runs $1,500 to $4,000 depending on whether the plumber tunnels under the slab, cuts through it, or reroutes the line through the attic. Rerouting is often cheaper and cleaner than breaking concrete.

Repiping a three-bedroom slab home in PEX runs $6,000 to $12,000 across most of the state, and cast iron drain line replacement under a slab runs $10,000 to $25,000. Both are common on homes built before 1975 in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, and South Florida.

Florida-Specific Problems to Ask About

Cast iron drain lines are the biggest issue in older Florida homes. Pipe installed before the mid-1970s corrodes from the inside, and by 50 years it channels, cracks, and lets sewage seep under the slab.

Ask a plumber how many cast iron replacements or linings they have done, and whether they offer pipe lining as an alternative to tearing up floors. Lining runs $80 to $250 per foot and avoids demolition when the pipe is not collapsed.

Polybutylene supply pipe, installed in Florida homes from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s, fails without warning and is a repipe candidate. Many insurers will not write or renew a policy on a home with it, so a plumber who identifies it is helping with more than plumbing.

Hard water is the norm across the peninsula, and it shortens the life of water heaters and fixtures. Ask about flushing schedules for tank water heaters and whether a softener makes sense for your area. Salt air on the coasts corrodes exterior valves, hose bibs, and outdoor water heater enclosures faster than inland.

Hurricane prep is a real plumbing question. A plumber should be able to explain where your main shutoff is, whether your water heater is strapped and elevated in a flood zone, and whether a backflow preventer on the sewer line makes sense in a low-lying neighborhood.

Reading a Quote and Comparing Plumbers

Get three written quotes for anything over $1,000, and insist that each one lists labor, materials, permit fees, and the warranty. Florida plumbers are required to pull permits for water heater replacement, repiping, and any new drain or supply lines, and the permit fee should appear on the quote at $75 to $300 depending on the county.

Ask which brand and model of water heater, faucet, or valve is included. A quote with a 6-year builder-grade tank and a quote with a 12-year tank are not the same job, and the price difference is often $300 to $500.

Ask about the labor warranty. One year is standard in Florida, and some companies offer two or three on repipes. Manufacturer warranties on parts are separate and require the installation to be permitted and inspected in most cases.

Compare the licensed plumbers serving your part of Florida on those specifics rather than on the hourly rate alone. A $150 an hour plumber who fixes a slab leak in three hours costs less than a $95 an hour plumber who takes six and breaks more concrete.

Warning Signs That Show Up in State Complaints

Unlicensed contracting is a crime in Florida, and the state runs sting operations every year. The warning signs are consistent: no license number on the truck, website, or estimate, a demand for cash, and a refusal to pull permits. A plumber who suggests skipping the permit on a water heater to save you $150 is exposing you to an insurance denial if the heater fails.

Large deposits are the second sign. Florida law requires contractors who take a deposit of more than 10 percent to apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90, and a plumber asking for half up front on a small job has no reason to. A small deposit for special-order materials is normal on a repipe.

Storm chasers arrive after every hurricane. Out-of-state crews with temporary phone numbers knock on doors in Fort Myers, Panama City, and the Keys offering fast repairs, and many are unlicensed. Florida allows out-of-state contractors to work under emergency rules only with specific authorization, and a local licensed plumber is safer for anything beyond an emergency shutoff.

Reviews that mention a company failing to return for a callback are the last sign. Florida plumbing fails in predictable ways, and the best companies are the ones that come back without an argument when a repair does not hold. For more on hiring tradespeople in the state, including permit rules and deposit limits, our home services guides cover related trades.

Emergency Plumbers and After-Hours Rates

Emergency service in Florida runs 1.5 to 2 times the standard rate, or $175 to $300 an hour, plus an emergency dispatch fee of $150 to $250 in place of the normal service call fee. Weekend and holiday work is priced the same way.

Not everything is an emergency. If the main shutoff stops the water and the problem is contained, waiting until morning saves several hundred dollars. Every Florida homeowner should know where the main shutoff is, usually near the meter at the street or on the exterior wall near the water heater.

Sewage backups, gas leaks, and active slab leaks flooding a room are the true emergencies. For a gas leak, call the utility and leave the house before calling a plumber.

Ask the plumber you choose for routine work whether they offer 24-hour service and what it costs. Having that number saved before hurricane season is easier than finding a licensed plumber the morning after a storm.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check a plumber's license in Florida?

Search the Department of Business and Professional Regulation license portal by name or number. A valid license starts with CFC for statewide certified contractors or RF for registered contractors limited to specific counties, and the portal shows status and any discipline.

How much does a plumber cost per hour in Florida?

Licensed plumbers charge $90 to $175 an hour, with South Florida and Naples at the top and the Panhandle and North Florida at the bottom. A service call fee of $75 to $150 is usually added and often covers the first half hour.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Florida?

Yes, in every Florida county. The licensed plumber pulls the permit, the work is inspected, and the permit fee of $75 to $300 should appear on the quote. Unpermitted water heater work can void insurance coverage for related damage.

What is a slab leak and how much does it cost to fix?

A slab leak is a leak in a water line running under the concrete foundation, common in Florida homes with copper or polybutylene pipe. Locating it runs $250 to $500 and repair runs $1,500 to $4,000, with rerouting through the attic often cheaper than breaking the slab.

Should I replace cast iron drain pipes before they fail?

If the home was built before 1975 and the pipes have never been replaced, a camera inspection at $200 to $400 will show their condition. Lining or replacing before a collapse costs less than the emergency version plus the floor and cabinet damage that comes with it.