Plumbing service in Delaware
Call NowDelaware's plumbing needs follow its geography: older rowhomes and twins in Wilmington, suburban growth around Newark and Middletown, and low, flat coastal land in Sussex County.
Delaware weather and your plumbing
Delaware has cold but not extreme winters and hot, humid summers. Nor'easters and tropical storms bring heavy rain and coastal flooding, and much of southern Delaware sits close to sea level with a high water table.
Season by season in Delaware
- Winter
- Cold snaps freeze hose bibs and pipes in crawl spaces and unheated additions, especially in older Wilmington homes.
- Coastal storms
- Storm tides and heavy rain in Sussex and Kent counties overload drainage and can affect septic systems in low areas.
Problems the Delaware climate causes
Septic and drain-field saturation
Cause: Heavy rain on a high water table.
Result: Drains slow and septic systems back up when the ground is saturated.
Do: Reduce water use during wet stretches and have the tank pumped on schedule.
Aging city sewer laterals
Cause: Freeze-thaw and tree roots.
Result: Older clay and cast-iron laterals in Wilmington crack and clog.
Do: Camera-inspect the lateral before replacing it; spot repairs are sometimes enough.
Housing in Delaware
Wilmington and its inner suburbs include many early-twentieth-century rowhomes and twins whose original drain stacks are cast iron and whose older supply piping is threaded steel. New Castle County suburbs and the Route 1 corridor are mostly newer construction, and a large share of Sussex County homes draw water from a private well and send wastewater to an on-site system.
Where calls are covered in Delaware
- Covered ZIP codes
- 68
- Cities and towns with coverage
- 54
Most covered ZIP codes
- Wilmington · 10 ZIPs
- Newark · 5 ZIPs
- Dover · 2 ZIPs
- Bear · 1 ZIP
- Claymont · 1 ZIP
- Delaware City · 1 ZIP
- Hockessin · 1 ZIP
- Middletown · 1 ZIP
Check whether your exact Delaware ZIP code is covered (coverage changes over time)
Delaware questions
Who licenses plumbers in Delaware?
The state Board of Plumbing, HVACR Examiners under the Division of Professional Regulation. Ask for the master plumber's license number.
Why do my drains gurgle at the beach house after heavy rain?
A saturated drain field or high groundwater slows septic and drain flow. If it persists after the ground dries, have the system inspected.
How do I check a plumber's license in Delaware?
Delaware's Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners, part of the Division of Professional Regulation, licenses master plumbers. State law prohibits providing plumbing services without a master plumber license unless an exemption applies.