How Much Does a Plumber Cost in Arizona?
Josh Chasteen, Updated , 5 min read
Angi's national figure for a plumber is $45 to $200 an hour, with most jobs landing around $340. Around here, most companies quote a flat price per job. Ours start with a $0 service call, Monday through Saturday, 8am to 6pm, and a written price before any work. Below is what our customers paid for common jobs.
What drives the price
| What changes | Why it moves the price |
|---|---|
| The job | A flapper is minutes. A water heater in the attic is most of a day. Angi's national spread is $99 to $989 |
| Who shows up | Angi puts apprentices at $45 to $90 an hour, journeymen at $60 to $110, and master plumbers at $80 to $200 |
| When | Angi puts emergency and after hours rates at $100 to $500 an hour, $170 on average, and up to $600 on holidays |
| Hourly or flat | Flat rate means you know the number first. Hourly means a stuck fitting is on your bill |
| Call-out fee | Some companies charge $100 to $250 just to show up, per Angi's Denver data. Some, like us, charge nothing to come look |
| Permit | Some jobs need one. Gilbert's residential plumbing permit is $150 |
The question to ask any plumber is simple: what's the total, in writing, before you start? A company that won't answer that is quoting you an hourly rate and hoping.
Arizona factors
Every plumbing contractor here needs an Arizona Registrar of Contractors license, and the ROC's own advice is to check the number before you hire. Anyone can print a truck wrap. The search is free, takes a minute, and shows whether the license is current and whether there are complaints. Ours is ROC 356064.
Hard water is the second thing. Chandler averages 16.5 grains per gallon and the rest of the East Valley isn't far off. That mineral is behind a big share of the calls we run: water heaters that quit early, cartridges that seize, valves that won't close. It's worth knowing when you're weighing a repair, because the part you're replacing is going back into the same water.
Permits are city by city. Gilbert exempts a like for like water heater swap when a licensed contractor does it, and charges $150 when a permit is needed. Other cities have their own rules. A plumber who pulls the permit when one is required is doing you a favor at resale, even when it adds to the bill.
What Yellowstone charges
These are the middle half of our paid invoices over the last 12 months. A quarter paid less, a quarter paid more.
| Job | What most customers paid | Jobs behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard drain clearing special | $88 | Price book |
| Drain, when it's more than a simple clear | $214–$496 | 42 jobs |
| Electronic leak detection | $144–$314 | 13 jobs |
| Water heater repair or maintenance | $421–$1,235 | 20 jobs |
| Pipe or water line repair | $719–$1,462 | 43 jobs |
| Drain repair | $934–$1,818 | 47 jobs |
| Pressure regulator (PRV) replacement | $963–$1,281 | 15 jobs |
| Tank water heater replacement | $2,940–$4,444 | 21 installs |
| Water softener or refiner, installed | $3,907–$5,461 | 12 installs |
| Tankless water heater install | $6,252–$8,027 | 9 installs |
Lines with fewer than 15 jobs behind them are thin samples. Read those as rough guides. Every job starts with a $0 service call, Monday through Saturday, 8am to 6pm, and a price in writing before we start. 0% financing is available for qualified homeowners.
When to call, and who
Call a plumber when water is somewhere it shouldn't be, when a drain backs up into a second fixture, when the water heater is leaking from the tank, or when the meter moves with everything off. Call the city, not a plumber, when the leak is in the street or at the meter itself, because that side is theirs. Call whoever you call after checking the license, and get the price in writing. If it's the middle of the night, our line is answered 24/7. Ask what the after hours rate is before you say yes.
If you want a real number for your job instead of a national average, call (480) 404-5226.
Sources
Where the numbers come from.
Yellowstone ranges are the middle half (25th to 75th percentile) of paid invoices from the last 12 months, with the job count behind each line. National figures are cited below.
- 01Angi, How Much Does Plumbing Repair Cost? (2026 data)
- 02Angi, How Much Does an Emergency Plumber Cost? (2026 data)
- 03Angi, How Much Does It Cost for an Emergency Plumber in Denver, CO? (service call fee example)
- 04Arizona Registrar of Contractors, Contractor Search
- 05Town of Gilbert, Development Services Fee Schedule (revised 7/1/2025)
- 06City of Chandler, Water Quality FAQs (hardness 5 to 20 gpg, average 16.5)
Good to know
Questions we get on this one.
Straight answers. Anything else, call or text and a person picks up.
How much do plumbers charge in Arizona?
Angi's national figure is $45 to $200 an hour, with most plumbing jobs landing around $340. Most East Valley companies, us included, quote a flat price per job instead of by the hour. Our real invoices for common jobs are in the table on this page, with the number of jobs behind each range.
What is the average call-out charge for a plumber?
It varies a lot. Angi's Denver data, as one example, shows service call fees of $100 to $250 on top of the work. Ours is $0, Monday through Saturday, 8am to 6pm. We come out, look, and you get a written price before anything starts. If you say no, you owe nothing.
How much does an emergency plumber cost?
Angi puts emergency rates at $100 to $500 an hour nationally, $170 on average, and up to $600 on holidays. We run a 24/7 line. Ask about after hours pricing when you call, because it's different from the daytime $0 service call, and you'll get the number before we roll.
How do I tell if a plumber is good?
Check the license number on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors site before anyone comes out. Ours is ROC 356064. Then look for a written price before work starts, a permit pulled when the job needs one, and reviews that mention the same tech more than once. A plumber who tells you that you don't need something is usually one worth keeping.
Is hourly or flat rate pricing better?
Flat rate, if you're the homeowner. You know the number before the work starts and a stuck fitting is the plumber's problem, not yours. Hourly only works in your favor on a quick job with a fast tech, and you can't know that in advance.
Keep reading
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Don't let your plumbing go wild.
A real number for your house, in writing.
Licensed & bonded, AZ ROC #356064. Answered 24/7. $0 service call Monday through Saturday, 8am to 6pm, and the price before we start.
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