Plumbing Questions, Answered for Northern California
Straight answers from a family-owned plumber that's been doing this since 1998. How we price, where we work, what to do in an emergency, and what that noise in your water heater means. Can't find yours? Call anytime and a real person will answer, or text us during office hours.
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36 common questions from homeowners and businesses across Northern California.
🏠 About Earl's
Who we are, how long we've been here, and how we work.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing is a licensed California contractor, CSLB #772565. We are BBB accredited with an A+ rating and Noritz certified for tankless water heaters. You can look up our license anytime on the Contractors State License Board website. Licensed work matters on water heaters, gas lines, and anything that needs a permit.
Earl's Plumbing was founded in 1998 by Clinton and Nicole Earl as a family-owned plumbing company in Northern California. Twenty-eight years later, we operate three offices in Chico, Redding, and Yuba City, and we're still family-owned. Clinton still leads the company and stands behind the work.
Earl's Plumbing is locally owned and family-run, not a franchise, and has been since 1998. We charge no service call fee, give a free quote before any work starts, answer calls 24/7, and back our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. And with offices in Chico, Redding, and Yuba City, help is local.
Earl's Plumbing has a 4.8-star rating across more than 8,500 Google reviews from our Chico, Redding, and Yuba City offices. Customers most often mention on-time arrival, clear upfront pricing, respectful technicians, and problems fixed right the first time. We read our reviews and use them to keep improving.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing backs its work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If something isn't right after we finish, call the office and we'll come back and make it right. Ask your technician about any manufacturer warranties on the parts or equipment installed on your job.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing serves restaurants, offices, retail stores, apartment buildings, schools, and other businesses across Northern California. We handle commercial plumbing repair, drain and sewer service, commercial water heaters and boilers, gas lines, and backflow testing. Call your nearest office to set up service or ongoing maintenance.
💲 Pricing & Scheduling
Quotes, fees, payment, and how to get on the schedule.
No. Earl's Plumbing doesn't charge a service call fee. A technician comes out, finds the problem, explains your options, and gives you a free quote before any work starts. If you decide not to move forward, you don't owe anything for the visit.
I wish we could, but every home is different, and a phone guess is usually wrong in one direction or the other. That's why we don't charge a service call fee. We come out, look at the actual problem, and give you one upfront price before we touch a thing. You decide from there, no pressure. — Clinton Earl, Owner
Yes. Your technician gives you an upfront price for the job before any work begins, and nothing starts until you approve it. If we find something else along the way, we stop, explain it, and price it separately so you can decide. You won't be surprised by the bill at the end.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing offers financing on approved credit, which helps with larger jobs like water heater replacement, repipes, sewer lines, and water treatment systems. Ask your technician or the office about current options when you get your quote, and apply only if it makes sense for you.
Earl's Plumbing accepts cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal. Financing is available on approved credit for larger projects. Ask the office if you have questions about paying for a larger project.
You can call or text your nearest office, or book online in about a minute. A real person answers the phone 24/7. Chico is (530) 343-0330, Redding is (530) 244-3275, and Yuba City is (530) 674-0330. Online booking is at the bottom of this page and on our schedule service page.
Yes. Calls are answered 24/7, and we offer same-day service when the schedule allows. Burst pipes, major leaks, sewer backups, and no hot water get priority. If you smell gas, leave the house first and call the gas company or 911 from outside, then call us for the repair.
📍 Areas We Serve
Three local offices covering eight Northern California counties.
Earl's Plumbing serves Northern California from Shasta County to Placer County through three local offices. The Chico office covers Butte and Glenn Counties, the Redding office covers Shasta and Tehama Counties, and the Yuba City office covers Sutter, Yuba, Colusa, and Placer Counties. Call the nearest office to confirm service at your address.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing's Chico office is at 220 Sellers Way, Chico, CA 95928, and it's where the company started in 1998. It serves Chico, Paradise, Magalia, Oroville, Durham, Orland, Willows, and surrounding Butte and Glenn County communities. Call or text (530) 343-0330.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing's Redding office is at 6841 Eastside Rd, Suite F, Redding, CA 96001. It serves Redding, Anderson, Cottonwood, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Red Bluff, Corning, and surrounding Shasta and Tehama County communities. Call or text (530) 244-3275.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing's Yuba City office is at 1250 Market St, Suite B, Yuba City, CA 95991. It serves Yuba City, Marysville, Live Oak, Gridley, Colusa, Williams, Lincoln, Roseville, and surrounding Sutter, Yuba, Colusa, and Placer County communities. Call or text (530) 674-0330.
Yes. Many of our customers live outside city limits, and we work on well pumps, pressure tanks, septic tanks, leach fields, and long private water lines. We also locate buried water and gas lines on rural properties. Tell us about your setup when you call so we send the right technician.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing works on mobile and manufactured homes, including water heaters, supply lines, drains, and leaks under the home. These homes often use different fittings and water heaters than site-built houses, so we bring the right parts for the job.
🔧 Plumbing Services
Common questions about the work we do every day.
Most tank water heaters last roughly 8 to 12 years. Signs it's time include rusty hot water, rumbling or popping from the tank, water around the base, running out of hot water faster, or a leaking tank. A leaking tank usually means replacement. Other problems can often be repaired, so get it checked first.
A tankless water heater heats water as you use it, so you don't run out during back-to-back showers, and it saves floor space. It costs more up front and may need gas line or venting changes. It's often worth it for larger households or long-term homeowners. Earl's Plumbing is Noritz certified for tankless installation and service.
Warning signs include a water bill that jumps for no reason, the sound of running water when everything is off, warm spots on the floor, damp or warped flooring, and a water meter that keeps moving with all fixtures off. Hidden leaks get worse with time, so call for professional leak detection quickly.
Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to scour the inside of drain and sewer pipes, clearing grease, scale, and roots that a cable can push through without fully removing. It's often recommended for recurring clogs, grease-heavy kitchen lines, and root problems. A camera inspection first confirms the pipe can handle it.
Signs include repeated leaks in different places, rusty or discolored water, low pressure at several fixtures, and old galvanized steel or polybutylene pipe. One leak usually means a repair. Frequent leaks in an older system often mean repiping costs less over time than chasing leak after leak.
Whole-house low pressure is often caused by a failing pressure regulator, a partly closed main valve, scale inside old galvanized pipes, or a leak in the main water line. On a well, the pressure tank or well pump is a common cause. Low pressure at just one fixture usually points to that faucet or its aerator.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing installs water softeners, whole-home filtration, reverse osmosis drinking water systems, and ice maker filters. We start by checking your water and what you're noticing, then recommend the system that fits. Many Northern California homes have moderately hard water, and many wells are harder.
Most homes only need drain cleaning when there's a problem, like slow drains, gurgling, or a clog. Homes with older pipes, big trees, or heavy kitchen use may benefit from regular maintenance, and businesses with grease lines often need it on a schedule. A camera inspection shows what's really in the line.
A sewer camera inspection makes sense before buying an older home, when clogs keep coming back, after a sewer backup, or when roots or a broken pipe are suspected. The camera shows the inside of the line so the fix matches the actual problem, whether that's cleaning, repair, or replacement.
Yes. Earl's Plumbing installs and repairs gas lines for water heaters, ranges, dryers, fireplaces, and outdoor kitchens, and does pressure testing when required. We also test, repair, and install backflow prevention assemblies for homes and businesses and can submit results to your water provider.
💡 Homeowner Tips
What to do in a plumbing emergency, and how to prevent one.
Turn off the main water shutoff right away to stop the flow. If water is near outlets or appliances, turn off power to that area at the breaker if it's safe. Move valuables out of the way, take photos for insurance, and call a plumber. Earl's Plumbing answers calls 24/7.
Most homes have a main shutoff valve where the water line enters the house, often near the front hose bib, in the garage, or in a crawlspace. There's also a shutoff at the water meter, usually in a box near the street, which may need a meter key. Homes on a well can turn off power to the pump.
A sudden jump in your water bill usually means a leak. Check for a running toilet, dripping faucets, and irrigation leaks first. Then turn off every fixture and watch the meter. If it still moves, you likely have a hidden leak in the supply line or under the house. The EPA says household leaks can waste more than 9,300 gallons a year.
According to the EPA, a faucet dripping once per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year, and a worn toilet flapper can silently leak thousands of gallons a year. Most drips are a simple cartridge or washer repair, and a running toilet is usually a flapper or fill valve.
Keep grease, oil, and food scraps out of the kitchen sink, use hair strainers in showers and tubs, and flush only toilet paper. Even products labeled flushable can cause clogs. Don't overload the garbage disposal with fibrous or starchy foods, and run plenty of water when you use it.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends setting your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent scald burns, especially in homes with young children or older adults. If your shower still gets dangerously hot, or swings between hot and cold, the shower valve may need attention.
Simple jobs like replacing a toilet flapper or cleaning a faucet aerator are fine for most homeowners. Call a licensed plumber for gas lines, water heaters, sewer lines, leaks inside walls or under the house, and anything that needs a permit. When in doubt, a free quote costs nothing and tells you what you're dealing with.
There's No Such Thing as a Dumb Plumbing Question
Most people only call a plumber a few times in their life, and usually when something's already gone wrong. So it's no surprise folks have questions: Is this an emergency? Can it wait until Monday? Am I about to get taken for a ride?
That's why we answer the phone 24/7 and why we don't charge a service call fee. Call with whatever you're wondering about, or text us during office hours. If it's something you can handle yourself, we'll tell you. If it needs a plumber, we'll come out, show you what's going on, and give you one price before we start.
— Clinton EarlOwner, Earl's Plumbing · Your Friend in the Business
Call or Text Your Nearest Earl's Office
Three local offices covering eight Northern California counties. Every line takes calls and texts.
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Redding · Anderson · Cottonwood · Shasta Lake · Palo Cedro · Red Bluff · Corning
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