Plumbing service in Pennsylvania
Call NowPennsylvania has some of the oldest housing in the country, from Philadelphia rowhomes to Pittsburgh hillside houses, along with cold winters, wet basements and widespread private wells.
Pennsylvania weather and your plumbing
Pennsylvania winters are cold, with heavier snow in the north and west and lake-effect snow near Erie. Summers are humid with heavy storms, and remnants of tropical storms have caused severe flooding in river valleys.
Season by season in Pennsylvania
- Winter
- Frozen pipes in exterior walls, rowhome rear additions and unheated basements are the leading emergency calls.
- Storm season
- Heavy rain floods basements, overloads older sewers and backs up floor drains.
Problems the Pennsylvania climate causes
Basement flooding
Cause: Tropical-storm remnants and spring rain in the Susquehanna and Delaware valleys.
Result: Water enters through floors and walls, and sump pumps fail.
Do: Test the sump pump, add a backup and keep the discharge away from the foundation.
Old cast-iron and clay drains
Cause: Freeze-thaw cycles and roots.
Result: Older drains crack and clog.
Do: Camera-inspect before any major drain replacement.
Housing in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia's rowhomes and Pittsburgh's older houses frequently date to the early twentieth century or earlier, with cast-iron and clay drains, galvanized supply and some lead service lines. Pennsylvania has one of the largest numbers of private household wells in the country, spread across rural areas from the Poconos to the Alleghenies.
Where calls are covered in Pennsylvania
- Covered ZIP codes
- 1,463
- Cities and towns with coverage
- 1,279
Most covered ZIP codes
- Philadelphia · 50 ZIPs
- Pittsburgh · 43 ZIPs
- Erie · 14 ZIPs
- Harrisburg · 10 ZIPs
- Reading · 10 ZIPs
- Scranton · 8 ZIPs
- York · 7 ZIPs
- Allentown · 7 ZIPs
Check whether your exact Pennsylvania ZIP code is covered (coverage changes over time)
Pennsylvania questions
Does Pennsylvania license plumbers statewide?
No. Philadelphia, Allegheny County and some municipalities license plumbers locally. Ask which local license applies to your address.
What is HICPA registration?
Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires most home improvement contractors to register with the Attorney General. It is a registration, not a trade license.
How do I check a plumber's license in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license. Philadelphia licenses plumbers through its Department of Licenses and Inspections, Allegheny County (including Pittsburgh) licenses through its Health Department, and some other municipalities license locally. Contractors doing residential home improvement work generally also register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General.