Plumbing guides
24 guides across 4 pillars. Code tables are quoted with their section and edition; cost figures are ranges with the date they were read; wages come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, never from an average someone remembered.
Sizing and flow
5 guidesPipe size chartNominal versus actual diameter for copper, PEX, CPVC, PVC and steel.8 minHow pipe size is measuredWhy nominal never matches your caliper, and how to identify a line on site.7 minDrain pipe slope per footCode minimums by size, the too-steep myth, and how to shoot a grade.8 minPlumbing fixture units explainedWSFU and DFU, what they actually count, and a worked house.9 minHow to check water pressureThe gauge test, static vs flowing, the overnight spike, and what each reading means.8 min
Costs and estimating
9 guidesWater heater replacement costInstalled bands by type and what actually moves the number.10 minTankless water heater costUnit, gas upsize, venting and condensate — plus the payback maths.10 minSewer line replacement costOpen cut versus pipe burst versus CIPP, per foot, with restoration.9 minWater softener installation costUnit classes, loop versus no loop, and the drain work nobody quotes.8 minGarbage disposal installation costSwap versus first install, the electrical add, the dishwasher tie-in.7 minSlab leak repair costDetect, then spot repair versus reroute versus repipe — three cost paths.9 minDrain cleaning costCable, jet and camera — and why the second visit costs more.7 minPlumber hourly rateBilled shop rate versus the wage, built up line by line from BLS data.9 minGas line installation costInstalled bands by job and per foot, plus pipe size, CSST bonding and the test.8 min
Code and permits
5 guidesInternational Plumbing Code basicsWhat the IPC is, how adoption works, and the sections a house job touches.11 minPlumbing permit costHow fee schedules are built, with real published fee examples.8 minPlumbing vent requirementsWet vents, AAVs, island loops — and why a trap seal breaks.10 minBackflow preventer requirementsHazard classes, assembly types and the annual test rule.9 minPressure reducing valveThe 80 psi trigger, the expansion tank it forces, setting it and how it fails.8 min
Fixtures and repairs
5 guidesFrozen pipes: what to doFreeze mechanics, the thaw sequence, and prevention by climate zone.9 minHow to unclog a drainBy fixture, in escalation order, and when to stop and cable it.9 minShower valve replacementCartridge versus full valve, access panel versus tile cut, anti-scald code.10 minPlumbing rough-in dimensionsHeight and offset per fixture, with an elevation you can work from.9 minWater heater anode rod replacementCheck intervals from three makers, the swap step by step, and the rotten-egg fix.9 min
Keep the code book handy.
Every table on this site is dimensioned, sourced and dated. Bookmark the calculator you use most and it will be there on the next callout.
Open the calculators