Ann Arbor's plumbing runs from century-old Victorians near downtown to mid-century ranches and newer subdivisions, all fed by Huron River water. Plumbing Pros works on every era of it. Call (877) 401-2673 and get a crew that knows what these houses hide.

Plumbing Shaped by Ann Arbor's Mix of Old and New

Few Michigan cities pack as much housing variety into a small footprint as Ann Arbor. The Old West Side and the streets around Kerrytown hold Victorians and craftsmans from the early 1900s, many still carrying their original cast-iron stacks and galvanized supply lines. Burns Park and the near west side add 1920s through 1940s brick and frame homes. Farther out, the 1950s through 1970s subdivisions bring ranches and split-levels, and the edges of town keep adding new construction. A plumber here has to shift gears from one street to the next.

The water itself deserves attention. Ann Arbor draws its drinking water from the Huron River. It is treated at a plant with basins dating to 1938. The city's 2024 water quality report found no known lead service lines in the municipal system. That puts the focus where it belongs: on the piping inside older homes. If your house predates the late 1980s, the supply piping inside the walls deserves a look before your next remodel.

Groundwater is the other local story. The west side of the city sits near the Gelman 1,4-dioxane plume. The EPA added that contamination zone to the Superfund list in 2026. Some homeowners there have abandoned private wells to connect to city water. Most residents are on municipal supply and unaffected, but the plume is a reminder that what happens underground here has a long memory. Old fuel tanks, forgotten dry-cleaning solvents, and a century of urban fill all sit beneath these streets.

Below ground, the usual Michigan cast of problems performs on schedule. Clay tile sewer laterals serve the older neighborhoods, and after decades of freeze-thaw cycling their joints crack, admit tree roots, and sag out of grade. The city's mature tree canopy is beautiful and relentless, sending roots into every damp joint they can find. A camera inspection of the lateral is the single most informative hour a homeowner in an older neighborhood can buy.

Winter writes its own chapter. Subzero stretches freeze hose bibbs, split pipes in unheated crawl spaces, and punish the plumbing in converted attics and additions that were never properly insulated. Student rental turnover adds a local twist: houses that sit vacant between leases in January with the heat turned down are prime candidates for freeze damage. Landlords who winterize between tenants save themselves the spring surprise.

That is the full range Plumbing Pros covers in Ann Arbor: repiping pre-1988 supply lines, camera-inspecting clay laterals, replacing water heaters, thawing frozen runs, and keeping rental properties ready for turnover. If you live in 48103, 48104, 48105, 48106, 48107, 48108, 48109, or 48113, call (877) 401-2673 and we will take it from there. If your ZIP isn't on the list, call (877) 401-2673 and we'll confirm whether your street is covered.

Who We Are

Old-house plumbing is our home turf

How many plumbers have repiped a 1910 Victorian without disturbing the plaster medallions? In Ann Arbor, that is a real job requirement, and it is the kind of work Plumbing Pros does regularly. Our crew moves between century-old houses with stone foundations and 1970s split-levels with copper and PVC, reading each home's era before recommending anything. We diagnose with cameras and pressure tests, explain findings in plain language, and price every job in writing before starting. Old houses reward patience and punish shortcuts, so we bring patience.

• Era-specific diagnosis: we identify what your home's building decade means for its pipes, then verify with a camera or pressure test.
• Respect for old houses: we plan repipes and repairs around plaster, hardwood, and stone foundations to keep the house intact.
• Rental-ready service: we document work clearly for landlords managing turnover near campus and across town.
• Plain explanations: what failed, why now, and what it costs, in words that make sense without a trade dictionary.
• Clean job sites: drop cloths, shoe covers, and thorough cleanup on every visit, old house or new.
• Work that is tested: every repair runs under real conditions and gets a walkthrough before we leave.

Why Ann Arbor Calls Plumbing Pros

The crew for houses with history

• Century-home experience: we have repiped and repaired Victorians and craftsmans without gutting the character that makes them worth owning.
• Lead-solder awareness: we know where pre-1988 copper joints hide lead solder and how to address it during repipes and fixture replacements.
• Camera-first drains: recurring clogs get a camera inspection so roots, scale, or collapsed clay tile are found, not guessed at.
• Freeze recovery: we thaw frozen lines with controlled methods, repair the splits, and insulate or reroute the exposed runs.
• Water heater expertise: sizing, venting, and connections to current standards, with the old unit removed from your basement.
• Landlord-friendly: clear documentation, sensible scheduling around leases, and winterizing for vacant periods.
• Written prices: every job priced in writing from your home's actual condition before work begins.

Plumbing Problems We See Across Ann Arbor

Lead solder in pre-1988 copper plumbing

Here is the nuance behind the city's clean water report. The municipal system itself shows no known lead service lines. Inside older houses, though, the story changes: copper supply piping installed before 1988 was commonly joined with lead solder. In a city where so much housing dates to the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, that describes a large share of homes. In a city full of homes from the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, that describes a large share of the housing stock. The practical response is planning, not panic. When a bathroom is remodeled or a repipe is already on the table, replacing those soldered joints removes the concern at its source. We can assess what your home's piping contains and fold the fix into work you are already doing.

Clay tile laterals under old neighborhoods

The sewer laterals serving the early-1900s neighborhoods are very often original clay tile, jointed pipe that has spent a century in freeze-thaw soil under a mature tree canopy. The failure pattern is well documented: joints crack, roots invade, and sections settle out of grade until waste stops moving. Symptoms include slow drains across several fixtures, gurgling from the lowest toilet, and backups after heavy rain. We camera-inspect the full run to the street, show you exactly what the lens sees, and lay out the real choices from root management to lining or replacement.

Galvanized and aging supply lines

Homes plumbed before the 1960s often still carry galvanized steel supply piping, and even mid-century copper systems are now decades old. Galvanized pipe narrows from the inside as minerals bond to the walls, so pressure fades year by year and rust-colored water appears when lines are disturbed. Old copper fares better but its joints and valves still wear out. A whole-house repipe sounds drastic until you add up the service calls it replaces. We map the existing runs, design the new layout to protect plaster and hardwood, and restore the pressure the house was built to have.

Frozen pipes in additions and rentals

Ann Arbor's older homes have often grown by addition. A back bedroom here, a converted attic there. And the plumbing in those additions sometimes runs through spaces that were never properly insulated. Add the local rental pattern, where houses sit with the heat low between winter leases, and freeze calls spike every January. A frozen line is found by the fixture that goes dry while the rest of the house runs. We thaw with controlled heat, repair the damaged sections, and fix the exposure with insulation or rerouting so the next vacancy or cold snap does not repeat the damage.

Water heaters at end of life

In the mid-century subdivisions, water heaters are frequently the units installed during a previous owner's remodel, and in older homes near downtown they are often replacements of replacements. The signs of failure are universal: hot water runs out sooner, the tank rumbles with sediment, or moisture appears around the base. A leaking tank cannot be repaired. We size the replacement to the household's actual demand, handle venting and utility connections to current standards, and haul the old unit away.

Basement moisture and sump strain

Stone foundations in the oldest homes and block foundations in the mid-century ones both admit groundwater during spring melt and heavy summer rain. Many basements depend on a sump pump that has not been tested in years, and the discovery that it failed usually comes with water on the floor. We test pumps under load and replace units past their reliable span. We verify that discharge lines carry water away from the foundation. And we add battery backup where outages during storms are a concern. Dry basements in April are the goal.

What Happens When You Call

1. Walk us through the symptoms: Start with what the house is doing: which fixtures are affected, when it started, and anything that makes it better or worse. In a city with this much housing variety, those details tell us whether to bring the camera, the pressure gauges, or the pipe-thawing gear. Call (877) 401-2673 and we will ask the questions that matter.
2. We look before we conclude: At the house we reproduce the problem, test pressure at multiple fixtures, and send a camera down the line when drains or sewers are involved. In older homes we also check what era the visible piping belongs to, since that shapes every recommendation. You see the evidence with us, so the diagnosis is shared.
3. You choose from written options: Once the cause is confirmed, you receive the options in writing with firm prices: the repair that solves it now and, where relevant, the longer-term fix that keeps it solved. For old houses we are explicit about what each option means for plaster, floors, and disruption. Nothing begins until you have chosen.
4. Done, tested, and walked through: We protect the work area, complete the repair with attention to the house around it, and test everything under real conditions. Then we walk you through what was done, show you the result, and clean up completely. Old houses get the extra care their finishes demand.

Serving Ann Arbor Across 48103

Our coverage spans the full range of Ann Arbor's housing eras, from the downtown core to the city borders. We work the early-1900s streets of the Old West Side and Kerrytown, where Victorians and craftsmans still carry much of their original bones. We work the 1920s through 1940s homes of Burns Park and the near west side, and the mid-century ranches and split-levels in the subdivisions beyond them. The ZIP codes we serve are 48103, 48104, 48105, 48106, 48107, 48108, 48109, and 48113, covering the city from end to end. Victorian or new build, stone foundation or slab, we have worked houses like yours on your street, and we document the work clearly for owners and managers alike. Every visit starts with a real diagnosis and a firm written price before any work begins, so you always know where you stand. If your ZIP code isn't listed here, call (877) 401-2673 and we'll confirm coverage for you.

Zip Codes We Serve in Ann Arbor

48103, 48104, 48105, 48106, 48107, 48108, 48109, 48113

Testimonials

Our 1920s house had galvanized pipes and the water pressure was terrible. They repiped the whole house in two days and somehow kept the plaster walls almost entirely intact. The water pressure now is something I hadn't experienced in the ten years we've lived here.

I have three rentals near campus and winterize with them every fall. When a pipe froze in a vacant unit in January, they had it thawed and repaired the same week and insulated the chase so it won't happen again. Clear invoices, no drama.

Sewer kept backing up and I was expecting the worst. The camera showed roots in the clay lateral at two joints. They cleared it, showed me the footage, and gave me an honest plan for the long term instead of pushing a replacement I didn't need yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there lead in Ann Arbor's drinking water?

The city's distribution system tested clean for lead service lines in its 2024 report, so the municipal side is in good shape. What deserves a look is your own home's piping: pre-1988 copper joints, aging brass fixtures, and any remaining galvanized sections. A plumber can identify the materials during a remodel or repipe, which is the natural moment to address all of it at once.

What does repiping an old house cost?

The price follows the size of the home, the number of fixtures, how accessible the existing runs are, and how much care the finishes require. A plaster-walled Victorian costs more to repipe neatly than a ranch with open basement ceilings. The only honest quote comes from seeing the house. Call (877) 401-2673 and we will assess your plumbing and price the actual scope.

Why does my basement smell musty after rain?

Musty odors after rain usually mean moisture is getting in: through a stone or block foundation, up through a slab, or from a sump pit that is not keeping up. Check whether the sump pump runs during the rain and whether discharge lines carry water away from the house. Persistent dampness can also come from a slow plumbing leak, so if the smell never fully clears, it is worth having the basement plumbing checked.

How do I winterize a house that will sit vacant?

Keep the heat set no lower than the mid-50s, open cabinet doors on exterior-wall plumbing, and disconnect hoses from outdoor bibbs. Have someone check the house after severe cold snaps. For longer vacancies, a plumber can shut off and drain the supply lines and add antifreeze to traps. The houses that freeze are almost always the ones where the heat was turned down to save a little on the bill.

My drains are slow throughout the house. Is it the sewer line?

When every fixture drains slowly, the restriction is usually in the building drain or the lateral to the street rather than in any single fixture. In the older neighborhoods, roots in clay tile joints are the classic cause. A camera inspection of the lateral gives a definitive answer and shows whether you need a clearing, a spot repair, or a longer-term plan.

Should I replace my water heater before it fails?

If the unit is past its expected span and showing early signs, replacing it on your schedule beats replacing it after a leak. Watch for rumbling, slower recovery, or rusty hot water. A planned replacement also lets you pick the right size and type instead of accepting whatever can be installed in an emergency. We will give you a straight read on where your unit stands.

What is that banging noise in my pipes?

Banging when a faucet shuts off is usually water hammer: the sudden stop of flowing water sends a shock through the pipes. In older homes the air chambers that once absorbed that shock have filled with water over the years. The fix ranges from restoring air chambers to installing modern arrestors. Persistent hammering is worth addressing because the stress works joints loose over time.

Do you handle plumbing emergencies in Ann Arbor?

Yes. Burst pipes, major leaks, sewage backups, and failed water heaters get priority. Call (877) 401-2673, tell us what is happening, and we will help you stop the water safely and get a crew to you.

Local Weather Risk

Washtenaw County has recorded the following severe weather events since 2015, per NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information:

• Thunderstorm Wind: 90 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Hail: 61 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Flash Flood: 5 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Flood: 3 recorded events (2020–2023)
• Tornado: 1 recorded event (2015–2015)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Our Services

• Backflow Prevention Testing & Installation Near Me — Call for pricing
• Bathroom Plumbing Remodel Near Me — Call for pricing
• Bathtub Repair & Installation Near Me — Call for pricing
• Burst Pipe Repair Near Me — Call for pricing
• Commercial Plumbing Services Near Me — Call for pricing

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