BLS wage data says plumbers in Texas earn $31.69/hr. That's 1.6% below the national average. Here's what that means for your bids.
BLS Hourly Wage
$31.69
Customer Rate
$81–$109/hr
Markup Factor
3.0x
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2023. Customer rate = wage × markup.
Texas
National Avg
| Service | Texas Price Range |
|---|---|
| Drain unclogging (snake) | $148–$295 |
| Toilet repair or replacement | $197–$492 |
| Faucet replacement | $148–$344 |
| Garbage disposal install | $197–$443 |
| Water heater install (tank) | $787–$1968 |
| Tankless water heater install | $1476–$3444 |
| Pipe repair or replacement | $295–$1476 |
| Sewer line repair | $1476–$4920 |
| Bathroom rough-in (new) | $1968–$4920 |
Prices adjusted from national averages using Texas BLS wage data. Your local market may vary.
Pre-loaded with Texas rates. Enter your job's square footage and type to get a starting price.
Estimated per-job price for Texas (—–—/hr effective rate)
Based on BLS wage data for Texas (TX). Rates reflect state-level labor costs.
State averages hide the gap between metros. Here's what plumbers actually charge in the largest Texas markets.
Largest plumbing market in TX by revenue. North Dallas (Plano, Frisco, Highland Park, Southlake) supports premium residential rates and full-service contracts. Slab-leak detection and repair is an outsized sub-category — DFW soil is expansive clay that heaves with seasonal moisture cycles, driving frequent foundation movement and slab penetrations. Production-builder service-warranty work is steady commercial volume.
Year-round demand with hurricane-driven flood-zone repair surges (Harvey 2017, Beryl 2024). Houston gumbo-clay soil drives foundation/slab leak demand similar to DFW. Master-planned communities (Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Katy, Cinco Ranch) drive high-density route economics. Spanish-language fluency is the working-language norm in many submarkets.
Highest-priced TX plumbing market. Tech-corridor clients want tankless water heater upgrades, recirculation pumps, whole-house filtration, and smart leak-detection. Hill Country foundations on rock substrate are different from DFW/Houston clay — fewer slab heaves, but well-water and septic-to-sewer transitions in the western suburbs. Tight HOA standards in master-planned communities (Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Steiner Ranch).
Lower price point than Austin or DFW. Edwards Aquifer Authority drought-stage water-use rules drive irrigation-system retrofits, backflow-tester certifications, and water-conservation work. Stone Oak and northern San Antonio support 15–20% above baseline pricing. JBSA-Lackland and JBSA-Randolph military-housing turnover (PCS rotations) is a year-round contract category.
Lowest plumbing rates in Texas. Year-round residential demand, predominantly small-to-mid lot single-family. Cross-border commerce drives some commercial volume in border cities. Spanish is the working language; bilingual operations win retention. Older urban-core housing stock (downtown McAllen, Brownsville, Laredo) drives steady re-pipe and main-line replacement work.
The factors that actually move plumbing bids in Texas — beyond the BLS wage number.
Texas summers (June–September, 95–110°F) cause expansive clay soils in DFW, Houston, and parts of Austin/SA to shrink dramatically, then re-heave with the first fall rains. The cycle drives slab-penetration leaks, broken main-line connections under foundation, and pier-and-beam house leveling that disturbs supply lines. Slab-leak detection (electronic + acoustic + thermal) is a high-margin diagnostic sub-category ($245–$485/visit) that bids should price as discovery work, not an unbillable add-on. Foundation-movement plumbing work is the single largest residential category in TX clay-soil metros.
The February 2021 freeze (Winter Storm Uri) caused statewide power-grid failure and widespread freeze-burst events on uninsulated supply lines, attic-routed PEX, and exterior hose-bib connections. Most TX residential plumbing was not designed for sustained sub-freezing temperatures. The repair tail ran 18–36 months on uninsured/under-insured properties, and preventive winterization is now a sustained sub-market: pipe insulation in attics and exterior walls, freeze-rated hose bibbs, leak-detection sensors. Bid winterization service contracts as preventive measures, not just reactive emergency work.
San Antonio metro and surrounding Hill Country (Bexar, Comal, parts of Hays/Medina, Travis fringe) sit over the Edwards Aquifer, which the EAA regulates with stage-based pumping and outdoor-watering restrictions. Drip-irrigation conversion, backflow-prevention assembly testing (annual recertification required by most utilities), and water-conservation retrofits are sustained sub-categories. Bids that don't reference the customer's specific drought stage and irrigation-day-of-week leave money on the table — and risk customer non-compliance fines.
Coastal TX (Houston, Galveston, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Brownsville) faces hurricane-driven flood-clean and post-storm plumbing demand 1–4 times per decade. Major events (Harvey 2017, Beryl 2024) generate 6–18 months of work: flood-water contamination clean, water-heater replacement, sewer-line root intrusion, well-pump and septic repair. Out-of-state crews depress hourly rates short-term; local plumbers with insurance-adjuster relationships and code-current re-permitting capability hold pricing. Bid storm-cleanup work as separate emergency service ($95–$165/hr labor), not as part of recurring contracts.
Texas requires a state-issued plumbing license through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE). Three tiers: Apprentice, Tradesman/Plumber, and Master Plumber. Every licensed plumbing business must have a Responsible Master Plumber (RMP) on file as the credentialed individual responsible for the business's plumbing work — without an RMP designation, the business cannot operate. RMP turnover is a real risk: if your RMP leaves, you have 30 days to designate a replacement or stop pulling permits. Production-builder service contracts often verify RMP status quarterly.
The most common plumbing jobs in Texas, with what to focus on in the bid and what to watch out for.
What to know about Texas-specific licensing, permitting, and compliance before bidding plumbing work.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the Texas licensing board and your local jurisdiction before bidding.
Based on BLS wage data, plumbers in Texas typically charge between $81 and $109 per hour. The actual rate depends on the job type, scope, and whether materials are included.
Plumbing labor costs in Texas are 1.6% below the national average. The BLS-reported hourly wage in Texas is $31.69, compared to $32.20 nationally.
Start with your labor cost ($31.69/hr in Texas), apply a 3.0x markup to cover overhead, supplies, insurance, and profit. That puts your customer-facing rate around $81–$109/hr. Then adjust for job scope: complex jobs command higher rates.
The biggest factors are metro vs. rural (cities within Texas can vary 30–40%), job complexity, and recurring vs. one-time work. Recurring contracts cost less per visit because there's no re-quoting or onboarding.
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Sample bid sheet with line items, scope, and payment terms — pair with the Texas rates above.
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