Hiring a plumber in Florida
Establish first whether you have a repair or a material problem, because they are different jobs with different economics. A leak is a repair. Cast iron drains or polybutylene supply lines are a material reaching the end of its life — and in Florida both are insurance problems as much as plumbing ones.
With most plumbing you fix what failed. With cast iron and polybutylene, repeated repairs are money spent on a system that is failing everywhere at once — and your insurer knows it, which is why patching does not restore insurability. Establishing which situation you are in is the first question, not a detail.
The two Florida materials
| Cast iron | Polybutylene | |
|---|---|---|
| Side of the system | Drain — waste and vent | Supply — pressurised |
| Typical era | Pre-1975 homes | roughly 1978 to 1995† |
| Florida lifespan | often 25–30 years in Florida† | Fails from internal degradation, unpredictably |
| How it fails | Corrodes and collapses from inside, often under the slab | Splits without warning, inside walls |
| Insurance position | Increasingly a decline in older homes | Many carriers decline outright |
| Replacement | Line replacement or lining, often invasive | Repipe, $2,000–$8,000† |
When you need a licensed plumber
- Anything requiring a permit, and anything over $2,500† — plumbing is its own specialty licence, not covered by a general contractor licence.
- Water heater replacement, which needs a permit in most Florida jurisdictions.
- Repiping, drain line replacement, or anything under the slab.
- Moving fixtures, or adding a bathroom.
- Backflow prevention work, which carries its own certification requirements.
Changing a tap washer, a shower head or a toilet fill valve is not licensed work. Neither is clearing a blockage. The line falls roughly where you start altering the pipework rather than what is attached to it.
How to choose one
- Verify the plumbing specialty licence — active, and in the name on the contract and your payment.
- For a repipe, ask what is included in making good. The plumbing quote frequently excludes drywall repair and painting, and that is a substantial second number.
- Ask for a camera inspection before agreeing to drain work. On cast iron it is the difference between guessing and knowing, and it produces evidence you can use with an insurer or a seller.
- Get insurance certificates from the insurer directly.
- Confirm they pull the permit, and that the closed permit is part of the deliverable.
Video of a collapsed cast iron line is a fact. A plumber’s opinion that the line is bad is a claim. If you are negotiating with a seller, an insurer, or deciding between lining and replacement, the recording is what moves the conversation — and it costs a fraction of the work it might justify.
Emergency work
- Stop the water first. Know where your main shut-off is before you need it, which is a two-minute job you will be glad you did.
- Photograph before anything is removed, if there is any chance of a claim.
- Authorise emergency mitigation, not your claim. You can absolutely have someone stop the damage and start drying. That is different from signing over your rights under the policy, which is no longer permitted on modern Florida policies anyway.
- Expect emergency pricing, and get the scope in writing even at two in the morning.
Liens
A repipe involves suppliers, and a supplier can record a lien within 90 days† of final furnishing even after you have paid the plumber in full. Collect lien releases with each payment on anything of that size.
Related
Common questions
Do I need a licensed plumber in Florida?
For anything requiring a permit, over $2,500, or altering pipework — including water heater replacement, repiping and drain line work. Changing a tap washer or clearing a blockage is not licensed work.
Should I repair or replace cast iron pipes?
With cast iron, repeated repairs are usually money spent on a system failing everywhere at once. Get a camera inspection first — video evidence of the condition is what should drive the decision rather than an opinion.
How much does it cost to repipe a Florida house?
Roughly $2,000 to $8,000 for the plumbing on a polybutylene repipe, depending on size and access. Ask specifically whether drywall repair and painting are included, because they frequently are not.
Why does my insurer care about my plumbing?
Because cast iron and polybutylene fail unpredictably and produce water damage inside finished space — the most expensive kind of non-catastrophic claim. Patching does not restore insurability, which is why the material matters more than the leak.
Should I sign anything a plumber gives me during an emergency?
Authorise emergency mitigation with a defined scope and price. Do not sign anything assigning your insurance benefits — that is no longer permitted on Florida residential policies issued from 2023.
Plumbing contracting is licensed under Chapter 489 of the Florida Statutes as a specialty category. Permit requirements are local. Carrier treatment of pipe materials is set by each insurer’s own underwriting guidelines and is not public.