Find Alabama PlumbersIf you have ever asked three plumbers what a job should cost and gotten three answers an hour apart, this page is for you. It puts a realistic band around the work that fills most service calls in Alabama: drains, toilets, faucets, disposals, water heaters, sump pumps, sewer lines and repiping. The numbers are organized by the state's wage areas rather than by city, because that is how the underlying wage data is collected, and because two towns fifty miles apart usually bill a lot alike.
Everything here starts from one number per area: the average hourly wage Alabama plumbers are paid, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS survey. That ranges from $23.70 an hour in Gadsden to $31.85 in Decatur, with the statewide average at $27.77. Shops do not bill that wage, they bill a multiple of it, because a plumber's hour on your invoice also carries the truck, fuel, insurance, the dispatcher, licensing and the warranty on the work. Across the Southeast that multiple lands around 2.5 to 3.9, which is what turns a $27.77 wage into the $70–$110 an hour a statewide customer should expect.
From there, each job is modeled as typical parts plus typical labor hours, and the band you see is the low corner of both to the high corner of both, rounded to the nearest ten dollars. Every assumption is printed in the table below the estimates, so if your job is easier or harder than the model, you can slide the number yourself. Use the page to sanity-check quotes, and use the directory to find the plumbers: every listing shows a phone number, confirmed services and, where the state board record exists, the license number.
Everyday repairs by area
The first column is the anchor: the estimated hourly rate a shop in that area charges for a plumber's time, next to the survey wage it is built from. The remaining columns apply it to the small jobs that fill most of a plumber's week.
| Area | Hourly rate | Unclog a drain | Faucet repair | Faucet replacement | Toilet repair | Toilet replacement | Garbage disposal replacement | Leak detection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama statewide$27.77/hr avg wage | $70–$110 | $70–$300 | $80–$260 | $130–$440 | $90–$290 | $190–$620 | $180–$520 | $90–$350 |
| Anniston-Oxford$28.15/hr avg wage | $70–$110 | $70–$300 | $80–$260 | $130–$440 | $90–$290 | $200–$620 | $180–$520 | $100–$350 |
| Auburn-Opelika$26.02/hr avg wage | $65–$100 | $70–$280 | $80–$250 | $130–$420 | $90–$280 | $190–$600 | $170–$500 | $90–$330 |
| Birmingham$28.53/hr avg wage | $70–$110 | $70–$310 | $80–$270 | $130–$440 | $90–$300 | $200–$630 | $180–$530 | $100–$350 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley$27.06/hr avg wage | $70–$105 | $70–$290 | $80–$260 | $130–$430 | $90–$290 | $190–$610 | $180–$510 | $90–$340 |
| Decatur$31.85/hr avg wage | $80–$125 | $80–$340 | $90–$290 | $140–$470 | $100–$320 | $200–$660 | $190–$560 | $100–$390 |
| Dothan$24.78/hr avg wage | $60–$95 | $60–$270 | $70–$240 | $120–$410 | $80–$270 | $190–$590 | $170–$490 | $90–$320 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals$28.62/hr avg wage | $70–$110 | $70–$310 | $80–$270 | $130–$440 | $90–$300 | $200–$630 | $180–$530 | $100–$350 |
| Gadsden$23.70/hr avg wage | $60–$90 | $60–$260 | $70–$230 | $120–$400 | $80–$260 | $180–$580 | $160–$480 | $80–$310 |
| Huntsville$28.12/hr avg wage | $70–$110 | $70–$300 | $80–$260 | $130–$440 | $90–$290 | $200–$620 | $180–$520 | $100–$350 |
| Mobile$28.26/hr avg wage | $70–$110 | $70–$310 | $80–$270 | $130–$440 | $90–$300 | $200–$630 | $180–$530 | $100–$350 |
| Montgomery$27.01/hr avg wage | $70–$105 | $70–$290 | $80–$260 | $130–$430 | $90–$290 | $190–$610 | $180–$510 | $90–$340 |
| Tuscaloosa$28.26/hr avg wage | $70–$110 | $70–$310 | $80–$270 | $130–$440 | $90–$300 | $200–$630 | $180–$530 | $100–$350 |
| Northeast Alabama (nonmetro)$26.63/hr avg wage | $65–$105 | $70–$290 | $80–$250 | $130–$430 | $90–$280 | $190–$610 | $170–$510 | $90–$330 |
| Northwest Alabama (nonmetro)$25.67/hr avg wage | $65–$100 | $60–$280 | $70–$250 | $120–$420 | $80–$280 | $190–$600 | $170–$500 | $90–$330 |
| Southeast Alabama (nonmetro)$25.76/hr avg wage | $65–$100 | $60–$280 | $70–$250 | $120–$420 | $80–$280 | $190–$600 | $170–$500 | $90–$330 |
| Southwest Alabama (nonmetro)$26.91/hr avg wage | $65–$105 | $70–$290 | $80–$250 | $130–$430 | $90–$280 | $190–$610 | $180–$510 | $90–$340 |
Installations and larger jobs by area
These bands swing wider because the parts dominate. Two water heater replacements in the same city can differ by $400 on the brand and venting alone, and a sewer repair that looks shallow from the surface may not be. Treat the top of a band here as a ceiling for a straightforward job, not a target.
| Area | Water heater repair | Tank water heater replacement | Tankless water heater installation | Sump pump replacement | Sewer main spot repair | Repiping (per fixture) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama statewide | $90–$470 | $810–$1,750 | $1,180–$3,270 | $280–$820 | $530–$1,980 | $350–$950 |
| Anniston-Oxford | $100–$470 | $810–$1,760 | $1,180–$3,280 | $290–$830 | $530–$2,000 | $350–$960 |
| Auburn-Opelika | $90–$450 | $800–$1,710 | $1,160–$3,210 | $280–$800 | $510–$1,910 | $340–$910 |
| Birmingham | $100–$480 | $810–$1,770 | $1,190–$3,290 | $290–$830 | $540–$2,010 | $350–$970 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $90–$460 | $800–$1,730 | $1,170–$3,240 | $280–$820 | $520–$1,960 | $340–$930 |
| Decatur | $100–$510 | $840–$1,850 | $1,220–$3,390 | $300–$870 | $570–$2,140 | $380–$1,050 |
| Dothan | $90–$440 | $790–$1,680 | $1,150–$3,170 | $270–$790 | $500–$1,870 | $330–$880 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | $100–$480 | $810–$1,770 | $1,190–$3,290 | $290–$830 | $540–$2,020 | $350–$970 |
| Gadsden | $80–$430 | $780–$1,650 | $1,140–$3,140 | $270–$780 | $490–$1,820 | $320–$850 |
| Huntsville | $100–$470 | $810–$1,760 | $1,180–$3,280 | $290–$830 | $530–$2,000 | $350–$960 |
| Mobile | $100–$480 | $810–$1,760 | $1,180–$3,280 | $290–$830 | $530–$2,000 | $350–$960 |
| Montgomery | $90–$460 | $800–$1,730 | $1,170–$3,240 | $280–$820 | $520–$1,950 | $340–$930 |
| Tuscaloosa | $100–$480 | $810–$1,760 | $1,180–$3,280 | $290–$830 | $530–$2,000 | $350–$960 |
| Northeast Alabama (nonmetro) | $90–$460 | $800–$1,720 | $1,170–$3,230 | $280–$810 | $520–$1,940 | $340–$920 |
| Northwest Alabama (nonmetro) | $90–$450 | $790–$1,700 | $1,160–$3,200 | $280–$800 | $510–$1,900 | $330–$900 |
| Southeast Alabama (nonmetro) | $90–$450 | $790–$1,700 | $1,160–$3,200 | $280–$800 | $510–$1,900 | $330–$900 |
| Southwest Alabama (nonmetro) | $90–$460 | $800–$1,730 | $1,170–$3,240 | $280–$810 | $520–$1,950 | $340–$930 |
How each estimate was built
Every cell above traces back to the same three inputs: the area's survey wage, the 2.5–3.9 billing multiple, and the parts and labor assumptions below. This table is the page's work shown, so a quote that beats a band here for real reasons, cheaper fixture, easier access, is exactly how it should be.
| Job | Typical parts | Typical labor | What the range covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unclog a drain | $0–$30 | 1–2.5 h | Fixture or main-line stoppage cleared through an existing cleanout. |
| Faucet repair | $10–$45 | 1–2 h | Diagnosis plus washers, cartridges or seals on an existing faucet. |
| Faucet replacement | $60–$220 | 1–2 h | Parts range covers a builder-grade fixture up to a mid-range one. |
| Toilet repair | $20–$75 | 1–2 h | Fill valve, flapper, wax seal or a running-toilet diagnosis. |
| Toilet replacement | $125–$350 | 1–2.5 h | The toilet itself is the biggest swing inside the parts range. |
| Garbage disposal replacement | $75–$250 | 1.5–2.5 h | Like-for-like swap on a standard sink connection. |
| Leak detection | $25–$75 | 1–2.5 h | Locating a hidden leak; the repair itself is quoted separately. |
| Water heater repair | $25–$200 | 1–2.5 h | Element, thermostat, valve or ignition work on a tank unit. |
| Tank water heater replacement | $600–$1,100 | 3–6 h | 40-50 gallon like-for-like swap, haul-away of the old unit included. |
| Tankless water heater installation | $900–$2,400 | 4–8 h | The unit dominates the range; gas-line or panel upgrades add more. |
| Sump pump replacement | $180–$500 | 1.5–3 h | Pump swap inside an existing basin. |
| Sewer main spot repair | $250–$900 | 4–10 h | Shallow dig to one section; full replacements need their own quote. |
| Repiping (per fixture) | $140–$300 | 3–6 h | Multiply by fixture count; a 2-bath house typically runs 10-14 fixtures. |
What moves a price up or down
- Access. A stoppage reached from a cleanout is the bottom of its band; one behind tile, under a slab or in a crawlspace climbs it.
- Parts tier. The faucet, toilet and tankless ranges assume builder-grade to mid-range fixtures; designer fixtures reset the parts line entirely.
- Permits and code. Water heater swaps often need a permit and an expansion tank, and gas-line work always needs a licensed gas fitter; both are inside the higher bands, and unpermitted work that fails inspection costs more than both.
- Timing. After-hours call-outs add a fee on top of time-and-a-half labor, which is why emergency visits land at or above the top of every band.
- Travel. The four nonmetropolitan rows average wider territories, so trip charges show up more often there than inside the metro rings.
- What the camera finds. Sewer bands assume a spot repair once the problem is located; root intrusion across the line or a collapsed clay lateral needs its own quote.
Hire with the numbers, not by them
A band tells you when a quote is out of line; it cannot tell you the work is good. Alabama licenses plumbers and gas fitters through the state board, and the strongest first step on any job over a couple hundred dollars is the same: get the license number, look it up in the board's business search, and put the scope in writing before anyone starts. Then compare quotes the way this page does, parts, hours and what happens when something unexpected turns up.
When you are ready to call, start with the plumbers in your city. Each listing carries the business's phone, its confirmed services and its Google rating with the review count behind it, so you can match the price band above to real companies that work your area.
Where to go next
Browse by city
Frequently asked questions
Where do these numbers come from?
The wage line for each area is the average hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (federal Occupation code 47-2152) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, statewide and for 12 metro areas plus 4 nonmetropolitan areas in Alabama. Customer rates are estimated at 2.5 to 3.9 times that wage, which is the range at which Alabama shops typically price a plumber's time once the truck, insurance, dispatcher and warranty are covered. Each job is then modeled from typical parts and typical labor hours, and the result is rounded to the nearest ten dollars. They are planning estimates, not quotes.
Why is the estimated rate higher in Decatur than in Dothan?
Because licensed plumbers in Decatur are paid measurably more in the wage survey, $31.85 an hour on average against $24.78 in Dothan, and shop rates scale with what the trade commands locally. The same spread shows up across the state: Birmingham, Huntsville, Florence-Muscle Shoals and Mobile all sit at or a little above the statewide average, while Gadsden and the rural southeast sit below it. A band of roughly $65 to $125 an hour covers every area in the state.
Do plumbers charge extra for nights, weekends or holidays?
Usually, yes. Expect an after-hours or emergency call-out fee on top of the job, often in the $75 to $150 range, and time-and-a-half labor for nights, Sundays and holidays. That means an after-hours visit lands at the top of a band on this page or above it, which is also why the statewide list includes a 24/7 emergency category you can filter by on each city page.
How do I turn a range on this page into a real price?
Call two or three plumbers who serve your city, describe the job the way the assumptions table does, and ask what the estimate includes: parts tier, permits, haul-away and restoration. Every listing in this directory shows the business's phone number and confirmed services, and a written quote beats any table. Before you hire anyone, check their license with the Alabama Plumbers & Gas Fitters Board's business search.
About these estimates
The wage figures are the federal OEWS survey's average hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (SOC 47-2152) by Alabama area, statewide and across 12 metropolitan and 4 nonmetropolitan areas. The billing multiple, parts and labor-hour assumptions behind each band were prepared by this directory from typical Alabama job costs and are shown in full above. Prices were last worked 2026-10-19; they are planning estimates only, they are not quotes, and no business listed here has endorsed them. Actual prices depend on your home, your fixtures and the company you hire.