Plumbing in Ann Arbor
Before you sign for a water softener in Ann Arbor, ask the contractor what hardness they measured at your tap. The city already treats its water with softening, ozone, UV and activated carbon, drawing on the Huron River and groundwater wells, and the 2025 report gives an average distribution hardness of 126 mg/L, with a range of 74 to 180, or about 7.4 grains per gallon. On lead, the city says it has no lead service lines and none of unknown material out of 25,633 as of December 31, 2025, with 96 percent verified and 911 still needing inspection.
It notes that privately owned galvanized lines once connected to lead remain a separate concern. A dashboard sits at a2gov.org/lcr (we read this through a search summary). The housing is mixed: 121,179 people live here, 64.3 percent of homes predate 1980, and the median home value is $435,100. On a house at that value, ask for the permit and the price in writing. Permits come from Building and Rental Services at 301 E.
Huron St, 734-794-6000, applied for online through the STREAM system (confirm before calling). Ann Arbor Township is a separate jurisdiction. The city has no plumbing-specific fee table that we found, so ask the office what a permit costs. Ypsilanti is the nearest neighbour in our data.
What plumbing costs near Ann Arbor
Our estimates are statewide figures, adjusted for Michigan wages and not for Ann Arbor in particular. A drain cleaning is estimated at $160 to $375 per job and a water heater replacement at $1,050 to $2,025 installed, permit included. Both are models, not quotes: national published ranges, adjusted by Michigan's plumber wage ratio to the US (1.07). The Michigan mean wage is $37.14 an hour, which is pay, not price. All eleven estimates are on the Michigan page, and each service page shows its own beside the prices Michigan companies publish. How we estimate costs.
Permits for plumbing work in Ann Arbor
Many cities run their own building department, so start by asking the City of Ann Arbor building department who issues plumbing permits. Washtenaw County also publishes building and permit information. Washtenaw County: Washtenaw County Building Inspection
Work that replaces or alters piping, such as a water heater replacement or a sewer repair, generally needs a permit. Only repairs to the working parts of a faucet or valve and clearing stoppages are exempt from a plumbing permit; other plumbing work needs one.
Plumbing jobs in Ann Arbor
The short answer to each job, as it applies across Michigan. Each links to the full page with the cost evidence, permit rules and what to try first.
- Emergency plumber in Ann ArborIf water is running and you can shut it off at the main, do that first, then call an emergency plumber. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility before anyone else.
- Drain cleaning in Ann ArborOne slow fixture is usually cleared by cabling that single drain, and Michigan does not require a permit for clearing a stoppage. If several drains are slow at once, or the lowest drain in the house backs up, the blockage is further down the line and a camera inspection is the step that shows whether you have a clog or a damaged pipe.
- Water heater repair in Ann ArborMost water heater repair calls come down to one part: a pilot or thermocouple on a gas heater, an element or thermostat on an electric one, or a relief valve. If the tank itself is leaking, repair is usually off the table and it becomes a replacement.
- Water heater replacementA water heater replacement in Michigan needs a plumbing permit, because the state exempts only faucet and valve repairs and clearing stoppages. For a gas heater, LARA's mechanical FAQ says the installer needs a mechanical license and a plumbing contractor license, with both permits.
- Sewer line repairA sewer line repair starts with a camera inspection, because a clog and a broken pipe look the same from inside the house. In Michigan the permit comes from your city or township, and you have to call MISS DIG 811 before anyone digs.
- Leak repairIf a pipe has frozen or burst, shut off the water at the main valve first, then call a plumber. The State of Michigan says never to use a torch or open flame, and that a hair dryer may thaw a pipe if you start near the faucet.
- Sump pumpSump pump repair in Michigan usually comes down to one question: did the pump fail, or did the power? The State Police say basement flooding more often comes from sump pumps failing in power outages than from sewer water backing up, so a repair visit should look at the backup as much as the pump.
- Toilet and fixturesA plumber for a clogged toilet is clearing a stoppage, which Michigan law treats as minor repair that needs no permit. A swap to a new toilet is different: local rules vary, and some city fee schedules charge per fixture.
- RepipingRepiping near you means replacing the supply pipes inside the house, and in Michigan that is permit work, because the state's only exemptions are faucet and valve parts and clearing stoppages. It is a separate job from replacing a lead service line, which is the pipe from the street main to the house.
- Water softenerBefore you pay for water softener installation in Michigan, find your utility's hardness number. Grand Rapids water averaged 142 mg/L in 2025, Detroit-area GLWA water ran about 96 to 130 mg/L, and Lansing and Ann Arbor soften at the plant, so the answer depends on your address.
- Gas lineGas piping in Michigan sits under the state's mechanical license rules, which list fuel gas piping as a license classification, so confirm the license class on LARA before anyone touches your line. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911, then DTE at (800) 947-5000 or Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
More on Michigan plumbing
Licensing, permits, the frost rule and what a quote should say are covered once for the whole state on the Michigan page. To check a plumber, read how to find a licensed plumber in Michigan.