Plumbing service in Alabama
Call NowFrom Huntsville's ridges to the Mobile Bay shoreline, Alabama plumbing problems split between hard freezes in the north and humidity, storms and high groundwater along the Gulf.
Alabama weather and your plumbing
North Alabama sees several hard freezes most winters, while the coast around Mobile rarely drops far below freezing but takes the brunt of tropical storms and very heavy rain. Summers statewide are long, hot and humid, which keeps crawl spaces damp and speeds corrosion on exposed metal piping.
Season by season in Alabama
- Winter
- Cold snaps in the Tennessee Valley and around Birmingham catch hose bibs and pipes in vented crawl spaces. Coastal homes worry less about freezing and more about winter storm runoff.
- Hurricane season
- From early summer through fall, Gulf storms bring power outages that stop sump and sewage ejector pumps, and storm surge can push water back up through low floor drains near the bay.
Problems the Alabama climate causes
Backflow into low drains
Cause: Tropical rain and surge on the Gulf Coast.
Result: Overloaded sewers and high water push sewage back through basement or garage floor drains.
Do: Ask about a backwater valve on the sewer line if your lot sits low near Mobile Bay or a river.
Crawl-space freeze
Cause: Arctic air reaching the Tennessee Valley.
Result: Supply lines in open crawl spaces split overnight.
Do: Close foundation vents and insulate exposed lines before a forecast hard freeze.
Housing in Alabama
Birmingham's older neighborhoods still have homes with galvanized supply lines and cast-iron drains from the early and mid twentieth century, while growth around Huntsville and Baldwin County is mostly newer construction on slabs and crawl spaces plumbed in plastic pipe.
Where calls are covered in Alabama
- Covered ZIP codes
- 396
- Cities and towns with coverage
- 290
Most covered ZIP codes
- Birmingham · 30 ZIPs
- Mobile · 20 ZIPs
- Montgomery · 15 ZIPs
- Huntsville · 11 ZIPs
- Gadsden · 5 ZIPs
- Florence · 4 ZIPs
- Anniston · 4 ZIPs
- Bessemer · 3 ZIPs
Check whether your exact Alabama ZIP code is covered (coverage changes over time)
Alabama questions
Why does my Mobile-area drain back up after heavy rain?
When rain overwhelms the sewer system or water tables rise, sewage can flow backward into the lowest drain in the house. A plumber can camera the line to rule out a blockage and discuss a backwater valve.
Do I need to drip faucets in north Alabama?
On nights forecast well below freezing, letting a faucet on an exterior wall drip keeps water moving and lowers the chance of a split pipe, especially in homes with vented crawl spaces.
How do I check a plumber's license in Alabama?
Alabama licenses plumbers and gas fitters through the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board, which certifies apprentices, journeymen and master plumbers. Plumbing companies register with the board under a master plumber. Ask for the master plumber's certificate number before work starts.