Get Quotes from Top Plumbers in Fremont, CA

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Plumber in Fremont?

Fremont requires any plumber who wishes to offer services to its residents to obtain an appropriate contractor license from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Plumbers who fail to obtain a license from this board and perform jobs worth $500 or more in Fremont can face penalties ranging from $200 - $15,000 in statutory fines and administrative fees, as well as a jail term of up to six months. Note that offenders may also receive a combined penalty of fines and imprisonment, with repeat offenders facing more severe penalties per violation.

Interested parties that wish to obtain a license from the CSLB must be at least 18 years old and provide acceptable evidence showing that they have accumulated at least four years' worth of work experience at the journeyman level. Individuals who meet these criteria will be required to complete an Application for Original License Form and pay a non-refundable application fee.

Applicants who fail to complete this form properly are given a grace period of 90 days to effect any required corrections, and failure to do this will result in the application becoming void. If this happens, the applicant will be required to start the application process afresh. Applicants who have had their application forms reviewed and accepted are sent a notice of examination by the CSLB as well as other relevant information necessary for this examination.

However, applicants from the States of Arizona and Nevada who meet certain license reciprocity requirements may qualify to have the trade portion of the CSLB's licensing examination waived. Once this licensing examination has been successfully passed, applicants are typically issued a plumbing license by the CSLB. Note that these licensees are generally required to renew their licenses every two years.

You can verify that your intended plumber has a valid license by utilizing the CSLB's online license check portal. You can also contact the CSLB at (800) 321-2752 to make license-related inquiries.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Plumbers in Fremont?

The average hourly rate of plumbers in Fremont is usually determined by factors like the cost of materials and permits needed for the plumbing job, the plumber's reputation and level of expertise, and the amount of labor required for the plumbing job. As such, before deciding on a specific plumber near you, it is advisable to compare quotes and estimates from several plumbers within your vicinity.

A plumber in Fremont earns an annual average wage of $76,420. Below is a breakdown of the average hourly wages for plumbers in Fremont compared with plumbers in other parts of California and other major cities in the country:

Do You Comply with the Fremont Building Code for Plumbing?

Plumbing work in Fremont is carried out in accordance with Chapter 15.20 of the Fremont Municipal Code, which is an adapted version of the 2019 California Plumbing Code with certain city-specific amendments. This code regulates the installation, alteration, repair, and replacement of plumbing systems in the city to ensure the safety of individuals and property that may use or interact with these systems in any way.

As such, it is necessary to ensure that any plumber you intend to hire in Fremont is familiar with the city's plumbing code and how this code applies to your intended project. Doing this not only ensures your safety but also prevents you from having to face any of the penalties associated with code violations. Per Chapter 1.15 of the Fremont Municipal Code, individuals found guilty of violating the city's plumbing code can face a wide range of penalties, including, but not limited to, fines of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

You can contact the Fremont Code Enforcement Department at (510) 494-4430 to make inquiries concerning the city's plumbing code and how it may affect your intended project.

Will You Get the Plumbing Permits as Required by the Fremont Code?

Plumbing permits are typically required for any new plumbing work in Fremont, as well as the alteration, repair, or replacement of existing plumbing systems in the city. However, per the city's plumbing code, certain types of plumbing work can be done without a plumbing permit. These are:

• Stopping leaks in drains, water, waste, soil, or vent pipes. However, in situations where any of these items become defective and require removal and replacement with new material, a permit must be obtained.
• Removing and reinstalling water closets and clearing stoppages or repairing leaks in pipes, fixtures, and valves, as long as these repairs do not require or involve replacing or rearranging any existing pipes, fixtures, and valves

The Fremont Community Development Department issues plumbing permits via its Development Services Center, and these permits can be obtained online via the center's Citizen Access portal. To utilize this platform, you will be required to take the following steps:

• Create a user account on the Citizen Access portal. You can contact the Development Services Center via email or utilize its Citizen Access user guide to get assistance on how to create this account.
• Log in to your account, select the œapply for a permit option, and then select œbuilding. You can access the city's permit record types document online to find descriptions of the various types of permits that the Development Services Center offers.
• Properly fill out the online form and upload any required plans or documents.
• Move on to the payment screen after filling out the form and making the applicable payments, after which you will receive an on-screen confirmation of these payments. Note that you will also be sent a receipt of payment via email.

Once your permit request has been successfully submitted, you will be issued a record number, which can be viewed under the 'My Records' section of your Citizen Access account. This request will be reviewed, and you will be contacted via email if it is determined that any additional information is required. Once the review process has been completed, you will be issued the requested plumbing permit. Plumbing permit-related queries can be directed to the city's Plans and Permits Division at (510) 494-4460. In-person queries and permit requests can also be made at the physical location of the Fremont Development Services Center at:

Note that even if you decide to request a plumbing permit in person, you will still be required to create a user account on the city's Citizen Access platform. Also, once your plumbing permit has been issued, you will be required to schedule inspections with the Building Inspection Division of the city's Community Development Department before any of your plumbing work is covered and also once the work is completed.

You can contact this division at (510) 494-4400 or via email to get information on the specific types of inspections that may be required for your plumbing project and the procedure for scheduling these inspections.

What Kind of Plumbing Services Do You Offer?

When hiring a plumber, after confirming this individual's licensing status, it is also important to make sure that the plumber offers the type of service that you require. While Fremont plumbers generally offer a wide variety of services, their services can be grouped into three categories, namely residential plumbing services, commercial plumbing services, and emergency plumbing services. These services typically cost an average of $100 - $130 per hour, inclusive of the costs of parts and materials.

However, regardless of the category of plumbing service that you need and its cost, you should always make sure that your intended plumber is skilled enough and properly equipped to handle the issue. The cost estimates of some plumbing services commonly offered by plumbers in Fremont are listed below:

Do You Offer Emergency Plumbing Services in Fremont?

While it is common to delay the resolution of some plumbing problems like dripping faucets and slow-draining sinks, these seemingly minor problems can quickly devolve into more serious and expensive issues. The average single-family residential home in Fremont is estimated to use about 200 gallons of water a day, which amounts to a bi-monthly fee of a little over $130 in water consumption charges alone. When these figures are taken into consideration, the importance of rectifying any plumbing-related issues that you have as soon as possible becomes clear.

In addition, some types of plumbing issues, such as burst pipes, clogged toilets, and lack of hot water during the winter, typically require more immediate attention than others, as they may pose serious health hazards and property damage if left ignored. In situations where you find yourself in need of emergency plumbing services, it is very important to make sure that you retain the services of a duly licensed professional plumber who is close enough to tackle the matter immediately.

You can find professional plumbers near you that offer emergency plumbing services via online resources like the California Contractor State Licensing Board's Find My Licensed Contractor platform and the Better Business Bureau website. It is important to note that you should always confirm the licensing status of any plumbers that you contact via these or any other resources.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Plumbers in Fremont?

Hiring a plumber who has a valid liability insurance plan protects you from having to bear the financial costs of any unexpected injuries and accidents that may occur during your project. According to research published by the United States National Library of Medicine, plumbing-related injuries are the second-highest contributors to the total cost of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the construction industry. Given this, plumbers in Fremont who have at least one employee are mandatorily required to maintain a valid workers' compensation insurance plan. The California Contractors State License Board also requires licensed plumbers to maintain a surety bond of at least $15,000 for the validity period of their licenses.

Finally, even though it is not statutorily required, the CSLB recommends that plumbers in Fremont also maintain a valid commercial general liability insurance plan. Therefore, before hiring any plumbers in the city, it is advisable to request copies of their insurance and bonding certificates and authenticate these documents by contacting the organizations that issued them.