Questions to ask a plumber before you sign

Independent guide · sources checked October 6, 2026

The City suggests getting "a few estimates."[source] Estimates are only comparable if each plumber answers the same questions. Print this page, or keep it open on your phone, and ask every plumber all of it. The rules behind each question are linked.

About the plumber

1. "What is your Philadelphia master plumber licence number, and whose name is it in?" Then check it yourself on the City's L&I Contractor Lookup.[source] Step-by-step check.
2. "Is your insurance on file with L&I?" The City requires the master plumber on a permit to have current insurance on file.[source]
3. "Can you give me references for similar jobs?" Checking references is one of the Attorney General recommendations the City passes on.[source]

About the diagnosis

4. "Have you read my notice? Which defect did PWD mark, and where?" The notice marks the defects with check boxes and on a diagram.[source]
5. "How will you find out what actually failed? Will you show me?" PWD's manual makes determining "the extent of repair work required" the plumber's responsibility.[source] Plumbers can check a lateral without digging.[source] Ask for photos or video of what they find.
6. "If you find more problems once the line is open, how will you price them, and will you ask me first?" PWD warns the marked defect may not be the only one.[source]

About permits and inspection

7. "Which permits does this job need, and will you pull all of them?" L&I Plumbing Permit, PWD Sewer or Water Connection Permit, or both, depending on the pipe.[source] Permit table.
8. "Will the permits be posted at my property before you start?" The City says they should be.[source]
9. "Who schedules the PWD inspection and the PA One Call (811) mark-out, and when?" Lateral work needs 48 hours' notice to PWD and a One Call three to ten business days before digging, outside emergencies.[source]
10. "Can you finish within the days on my notice? If not, what do I tell PWD?" Missing the deadline can lead to a shutoff.[source] About the deadline.

About the price

11. "Is this a written, itemized estimate?" Ask for labour, materials, permits, street or sidewalk opening, and restoration as separate lines, so you can compare plumbers line by line.
12. "Does the price include restoring the sidewalk and street?" Openings must be restored to Streets Department rules.[source]
13. "Are the City and PWD permit fees included?" L&I's fees are published; PWD's connection permits are invoiced separately.[source][source]
14. "What do you need up front, and when is the rest due?" Get the payment schedule in writing.
15. "What guarantee do you give on the work, and is it in writing?"

Questions 11, 14 and 15 are our own suggestions for comparing estimates, not City rules.

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