About Plumber Comparator — who we are and how our numbers are built
Plumber Comparator is an independent information and referral service for California homeowners. We do one thing: help you understand what plumbing work should cost before you hire, and connect you with independent licensed C-36 contractors who can quote your job. We are not a plumbing company, we do not perform plumbing work, and we do not publish contractor rankings, listings or reviews — real or fake.
How our cost ranges are built
Every price on this site is a typical range, not a quote. We build and maintain those ranges from three ingredients:
- Regional labor markets. California plumbing labor varies more by region than by anything else — from roughly $95/hr in the Central Valley to $250/hr in San Francisco. Our city pages use the labor range of the region the city belongs to, plus typical service-call fees.
- Published industry cost data. Our service ranges (e.g. drain cleaning, water heater replacement, repiping) are compiled from publicly available California contractor pricing, industry cost references and the flat-rate price books commonly used in the trade — kept deliberately broad, because real quotes depend on scope.
- California code and permit requirements. Seismic strapping, permits, venting, low-flow standards: legal requirements move real-world prices, so they are folded into both the ranges and the advice.
Ranges are reviewed when we update the site (the "Updated" date on each page is a real content date, not an automatic timestamp). If a number looks off, tell us — we correct rather than defend.
How the city pages are built
Our 145 city pages start from documented local facts: when a city's housing stock was mostly built, what supply and drain materials were standard in that era (galvanized steel before ~1960, clay sewer laterals before ~1970, polybutylene 1978–1995…), the local water supply and its hardness, and regional traits like mature tree canopies, hillside lots or freeze nights. We turn those facts into practical guidance — we never invent statistics, company names or reviews for a city.
How we make money
When you submit a quote request, we transmit it to one or more independent licensed contractors or partner referral services able to serve your area, and we may be compensated for that referral. That is the entire business model. It does not influence our cost ranges — if anything, our incentive is the opposite: homeowners who know the fair price make better clients for good contractors.
What we tell every reader
- Verify any contractor's C-36 license, bond and insurance free at cslb.ca.gov — California requires a licensed contractor for any job over $1,000.
- Get two or three itemized written bids for any non-emergency job over a few hundred dollars.
- Treat every number on this site as a starting bracket, never a promise.
Who edits this site
Plumber Comparator is written and maintained by its publisher's small editorial team, which researches California plumbing costs, codes and housing stock and keeps the 17 service guides, 145 city pages and 413 homeowner guides current. Questions, corrections or partnership inquiries: support@mabel.life. See also our legal notice and privacy policy.