DIY or Call the Pros?
How to Decide for Your Plumbing Problem
Published Updated
6 min read
Small fixes you can see and reach, like a worn toilet flapper, a dripping showerhead or a loose hose connection, are usually fine to do yourself. EPA's WaterSense program calls the common household leaks often easy to fix with a few tools. Gas, digging and work your city wants a permit for are a different story: a gas leak is a job for a trained technician, digging starts with a call to 811, and a permit means the city inspects the work.
Key takeaways
- In your own home, state law doesn't require a plumber's license for the work, unless your city does.
- Skipping the license doesn't mean skipping the permit: towns that run a water, sewer or gas system also run permits and inspections.
- Gas leaks are never a do-it-yourself repair. Smell gas? Get out on foot first, then call.
- Before any digging, call 811. Utilities mark their own lines, not private ones such as your sewer line.
- Hidden leaks show up on the meter: note the reading, run no water for two hours, then check whether it moved.
Which plumbing jobs can I do myself?
The small ones you can see and reach, with the water shut off before you start.
- A worn toilet flapper. An old flapper can make a toilet run on its own or leak thousands of gallons a year without a sound. EPA calls replacing it a quick and easy fix and says to replace it at least every five years. To check yours, tint the tank water with food coloring and don't flush: if color reaches the bowl within 10 minutes, it's leaking (flush right after so the tank doesn't stain).
- A dripping showerhead. Many can be fixed by tightening the connection to the pipe stem and wrapping the threads with pipe tape. One dripping 10 times a minute wastes more than 500 gallons a year.
- A dripping faucet. Worn washers and gaskets are the usual cause, and EPA points to online tutorials for most faucet types. At one drip a second, a faucet wastes over 3,000 gallons in a year.
- A faucet aerator. EPA's WaterSense program has a short how-to for swapping one out.
- A leaky hose connection. If the hose leaks at the spigot, replace the rubber washer and snug the connection with pipe tape and a wrench.
- A clogged drain. Arkansas's plumbing law counts clearing a stoppage as a minor repair that needs no license. A hair catcher in the tub drain helps keep the next clog from forming.
- Exposed pipes before a freeze. Central Arkansas Water advises insulating pipes in unheated spots such as crawl spaces and attics.
Rather hand those off? See Plumbing repairs
What does Arkansas law say about doing your own plumbing?
You can do the plumbing in a home you own and live in without a plumber's license, unless your city requires one. The same law also exempts minor repairs to working parts and fixtures, and clearing stoppages. The exemption covers the home you live in, not a house you rent out.
A permit is a separate question. State law has every city, town or county with a water, sewer or gas utility run a permit and inspection program, and in Little Rock, for one, most plumbing work needs a permit. Before anything bigger than a repair, check with your city's permit office.
When should I call a plumber instead?
When the job involves a gas line, digging, a backflow device, or a system the city will want to inspect.
Gas lines
Summit Utilities puts it plainly: never try to repair a natural gas leak yourself. If you smell gas, leave on foot, get to a safe place, call 911 and the gas company, and warn your neighbors. The piping from the meter to the house belongs to the customer, so repairs on that stretch are yours to arrange. We repair and replace gas lines, and on that work we get the permit, and the line gets a pressure test before any gas flows again.
Sewer lines
A sewer line is buried, and every dig starts with a call to 811. Utilities mark their own lines within two full working days, but not private lines, and Summit Utilities says most gas pipeline leaks start with people digging on their own property. In Little Rock, upkeep of the sewer line between your house and the city's main falls to you. We run a camera through the line when the problem calls for it, pull the permit on a replacement, and dig rather than offer trenchless work.
Backflow (RPZ) valves
In Central Arkansas Water's area an RPZ assembly goes above ground on your side of the meter. State rules call for a test within 10 days of installation and every year after, and only testers certified by the Department of Health may do it.
We don't test backflow devices ourselves; a certified tester handles the yearly test.
Water heaters
When we replace a water heater, the permit, the install and hauling off the old one are all part of the job. Past the 10-year mark, ENERGY STAR suggests planning the replacement before the heater fails. Weighing a tankless unit? Read Tankless water heaters 101.
Repiping
Replacing the pipe through a house is not a weekend job. We repipe with your pick of PEX or copper.
A new toilet
A flapper is yours to change. For a whole new toilet, we take out the old one, set the new one and test it.
How do I decide in a minute?
Ask four questions before you open the toolbox:
- Does it touch a gas line? Then it's a job for a trained technician.
- Will it take digging? Call 811 first.
- Does your city want a permit for it? Find out before you start.
- Can you shut off the water to it? If not, track down the whole-house shut-off first.
Questions to ask before you pick up a wrench
How do I know if a plumbing job is too big for me to handle?
Run the four questions above. Gas, digging or a permit, or a fixture you can't shut the water off to, is your cue to call.
What tools should every homeowner have for basic plumbing repairs?
For the fixes EPA walks homeowners through, a wrench and a roll of pipe tape do most of the work. More useful than any tool: knowing how to shut off the water to the whole house, since doing it fast limits the damage from a burst pipe.
Are DIY plumbing repairs safe if I just follow an online tutorial?
For small fixes, often yes: EPA points homeowners to tutorials for faucets, aerators and toilet flappers. For a shower valve that drips when it's off, EPA suggests an experienced handyperson or a licensed plumber.
What could happen if I try a professional-level plumbing job on my own?
The biggest risks are gas and digging; Summit Utilities traces a majority of gas pipeline leaks to people digging on property they own. Work that needs a permit still has to pass the city's inspection.
How do I check out a plumber before I hire one?
Ask who will do the work and whether they're licensed. Every tech we send is state licensed, and Victory's master plumber license is MP #6781.
When is it worth paying for an inspection before deciding to DIY?
When a problem keeps coming back or you can't find where it starts. Try two checks first: the two-hour meter test for hidden leaks, and, if the water looks discolored, whether it's the hot water only, which Central Arkansas Water says most likely means the water heater. If neither explains it, we track down the cause before suggesting a fix.
Want this handled?
Dripping faucets, running toilets, worn shut-off valves: if you'd rather not do it yourself, we'll find what's wrong and fix it.