Get Quotes from Top Plumbers in Toledo, OH

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Plumber in Toledo

An average family in the United States consumes approximately 12,000 gallons of water monthly, at $3 charged by Toledo per 748 gallons single-family resident pays less than $60 per month. However, if you found your water bill in far excess of this amount then it is time to hire a plumber to search for leakages. Leaks from faulty faucets, toilet values, and sprinkler heads can waste more than 90 gallons of water per day. But before you conclude on the contract with a plumber in the city, ask the following questions to verify the professional is competent to complete your job:

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Plumber in Toledo?

Plumbers require a license from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) before providing plumbing services in Toledo. You should only hire licensed plumbers for your work, as this will guarantee that the plumber is aware of the required plumbing codes and has the proper qualifications to provide quality work. Per Ohio Building Code Section 1315.03, performing unlicensed plumbing activities in Toledo is unlawful, and violators may be subjected to a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.

The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCLIB) issues two types of licenses in Toledo, which are journeyman plumber licenses and plumbing contractor licenses. The requirements to receive the license for journeyman plumbers include:

  • The plumber must have passed the National Standard Journeyman Plumber exam
  • The plumber must have at least five years of experience in plumbing work, such as installing pipes, or must have concluded an apprenticeship program

Similarly, plumbing contractor license applicants have to fulfill the following requirements:

  • They must have attained the age of 18 and be legal citizens or legal residents of the United States
  • They must have contractor liability insurance coverage of up to $500,000
  • They are required to possess no less than three years of experience in the state as a registered engineer or five years of experience working as a plumber.
  • They must not have been convicted for certain offenses, such as felony fraud, aggravated murder, and sexually-oriented offenses.
  • They must pass the OCLIB's plumbing trade exam.

Note that licensed plumbing contractors who wish to work in Toledo are also required to undergo local registration with the city's Division of Building Inspection. You can verify the license of plumbers or plumbing contractors who make themselves available for work in Toledo through the eLicense Ohio Professional Licensure System portal.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Plumbers in Toledo?

Various factors influence the cost of hiring a plumber in Toledo, Ohio. These factors include:

  • The type of fixtures or fittings to be installed
  • The scheduled time of the repair
  • The difficulty of the job
  • The scheduled day of the repair

However, asking for multiple estimates from plumbers near you and carefully comparing these prices before making up your mind on a particular plumber to hire will help secure the best price for your project.

A plumber in Toledo earns an annual average wage of $70,270. Below is a breakdown of the average hourly wages for plumbers in Toledo compared with plumbers in other parts of Ohio and other major cities in the country:

Toledo Plumber Hourly Average Wage
$33.78
Ohio State Plumber Hourly Average Wage
$28.32
Houston Plumber Hourly Average Wage
$26.71
Boston Plumber Hourly Average Wage
$37.52
New York City Plumber Hourly Average Wage
$34.50
Newark Plumber Hourly Average Wage
$35.78
Chicago Plumber Hourly Average Wage
$46.59
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Do You Comply with the Toledo Building Code for Plumbing?

Toledo has adopted the Ohio Plumbing Code, which provides recommendations for the inspection, design, installation, relocation, addition, and maintenance of plumbing systems in Toledo residential and commercial buildings. This code also provides general guidelines for connections to drain systems, connections to water supply, pipe tube and fitting sizes, piping-exempted locations, industrial waste systems, and protection of pipes against physical damage.

To get your plumbing work done correctly and to avoid code violations, you should use the services of a plumber familiar with the Plumbing Code. The Toledo Division of Building Inspection provides oversight and enforcement of the Plumbing Codes in the city. You can contact the Division of Building Inspection by phone at (419) 245-1220 for queries that you may have on the city's Plumbing Code processes.

Will You Get the Plumbing Permits as Required by Toledo Code?

A permit is required before plumbing work is allowed to commence on property in Toledo, except for minor repairs such as:

  • Repair of leaks in faucets, working parts of a plumbing fixture, and valves
  • Waste or drain stoppage clearance
  • Removal and reinstallation of kitchen sink for a new countertop provided that this does not involve the replacement of pipes or valves.
  • Removal and reinstallation of the water closet for a new floor when work does not include replacing the pipes or valves

Note that these minor repairs do not include plumbing work deemed by the city's Chief Building Official to have the potential to affect public health.

The Toledo Division of Building Inspection provides permits for plumbing work in the city, and you can apply for these permits online via its ePermit Online Portal. Note that users require an account registration before accessing this permit portal. Alternatively, permit requests can also be made by downloading a plumbing permit application form, filling it in, and mailing the completed form to:

Building Inspection
One Government Center
Suite 1600
Toledo, OH 43604

You can direct permit-related inquiries to the permit center by calling (419) 245-1220 between 9:20 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. from Mondays through Fridays. All construction documents and plans associated with a permit request can be mailed in or dropped off at the Building Inspection Division from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Finally, you should note that the Division of Building Inspections will require inspections of the plumbing work at various stages. Plumbing work inspections can be scheduled with this division online via the city's permit portal.

What Kind of Plumbing Services Do You Offer?

Professionals offering plumbing-related work in Toledo provide many services for commercial and residential property. The plumbing services offered by these professionals include installations, repairs, and replacements. Before hiring a plumber for your quick home fix or a more complex project, you must consider their specialization so you can hire the best fit for your work.

Plumbers in Toledo charge a range of prices for their services. Listed below are average price estimates of some of these services:

Well pump installation cost
$673 - $799
Water softener installation
$912 - $1,224
Removal of 550-gallon underground fuel tank
$1,547 - $1,712
Installation of a 500-gallon underground fuel tank
$1,547 - $1,712
Water main repair or installation per linear foot
$29 - $47
Roof-mounted swamp cooler installation
$2,059 - $2,205
Sump pump installation
$753 - $1,082
Sewer line installation and repair
$54 - $69
Cleaning of sewer line
$154 - $235
Pumping or cleaning septic tank
$241-$283
Installation of septic
tank
Installation of gas line
$27 - $39
Video inspection for drain line
$27 - $39
Bathtub installation
$1,692 - $2,069
Drain clog or blockage clearing
$110 - $134
Toilet replacement or installation
$136 - $145
Plumbing contractor per hour
$65 -$74

Do You Offer Emergency Plumbing Services in Toledo?

Plumbing problems such as non-running faucets blocked toilets, clogged sinks, or leaking pipes sound simple but can make living suddenly uncomfortable and need fixing as quickly as possible. Fixing water leaks in your home can drive down your water bill by 10 percent. Considering that residents of Toledo pay over $8 per CCF in monthly water and sewer fees, these fixes can amount to hundreds of dollars in water bills saved monthly.

Getting a plumber close to you with the needed tools, the right experience, and the skill set to resolve the situation when you have a plumbing emergency quickly is vital. Fixing these types of problems as soon as possible prevents them from becoming worse and more expensive to rectify. Note that you should still verify the licensing status of these emergency plumbers before hiring them. To find plumbers near you capable of resolving emergencies, you can use the Better Business Bureau website or Yelp's online business directory.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Plumbers in Toledo?

Plumbing contractors in Toledo are required to have general liability insurance of an aggregate limit of $2,000,000 for contracts greater than $100,000. This general liability insurance protects the plumbing contractor and, in turn, insulates you against claims from a wide range of possibilities, including injuries suffered during the project by parties involved in the construction or damage to the property. According to statistics published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 2 % of all fatal work injuries in Ohio in 2018 involved plumbers.

As such, the importance of hiring a plumber with general liability insurance cannot be overstated, as this ensures that you do not end up bearing the cost of any work-related injuries. Therefore, you should always request copies of insurance documents from any plumbers that you intend to hire and validate these documents by contacting the issuing organizations.

How to File a Complaint Against a Bad Plumber in Toledo

Homeowners in Toledo typically carry out regular maintenance on their plumbing systems to ensure that these systems remain in top-notch condition. Unfortunately, con artists and unscrupulous plumbers sometimes take advantage of this situation to defraud unwary homeowners. These scammers employ different methods to defraud unsuspecting homeowners using tricks such as:

  • Requesting for a sizeable down payment upfront with the aim of collecting this money and never doing the job
  • Starting a project and then stopping abruptly without notice, never completing the job, and just making off with the payments already made.
  • Purposely doing a shoddy job to ensure that they get called back for a re-do by the client.

In December 2020, it was reported that the Ohio Attorney General's office sued an East Toledo contractor for using a fake business name to accept over $20,000 from unsuspecting homeowners and subsequently carrying out shoddy repairs and renovations.

You can protect yourself from home plumbing scams with these tips:

  • Resist going into a contract or making payment to a business without doing your due diligence. You can do this by finding out if any complaints have been filed against the business with the Ohio Attorney General's Office. You can also look up the business and its reputation on the Better Business Bureau website.
  • Take time and do a search engine search of the name of the business and the parties involved for clues as to their past activities.
  • Resist all invitations to make a payment in cash.
  • Be cautious about plumbing inspections and offers of solutions to plumbing problems from unsolicited plumbers.
  • Avoid making large down payments. It is advisable to make your payments in installments that match the milestones of the work, such as the beginning, halfway, and completion.
  • Insist on having all agreements in writing.
  • Always remember consumer protection laws like the Ohio Home Solicitation Sales Act, which allows you to cancel a contract up to three days after signing if it was not signed at the company's office.
  • Be wary of offers of materials and plumbing services that are significantly lower than other quotes.
  • Be suspicious of plumbers who offer to use cheap material left over from a recent plumbing work nearby.

You can report a plumbing scam you may have experienced to the Consumer Protection Section of the Office of the Ohio Attorney General online using the available web form. Alternatively, you can also file a complaint via mail by downloading a consumer complaint form, filling it in, and sending the completed form to:

Consumer Protection Section
Office of the Ohio Attorney General
441 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

For inquiries on reporting consumer scams, you can call the Consumer Protection Section toll-free at (800) 282-0515. If you desire a refund of your funds not exceeding $6,000, you may opt to hire a lawyer and file a case at the Small Claims Department of the Toledo Municipal Court located at:

Toledo Municipal Court
555 North Erie Street
Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: (419) 245-1926
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday