Plumbers in Riverside, CA

How a call through this line works

The phone line routes you to an independent plumber who takes jobs in your part of the region. Plumber Riverside CA does not employ plumbers and does not quote or set prices. Everything about the job itself, including the scope, the invoice and the arrival window, is agreed directly with the plumber who picks up. How soon a visit can happen depends on that plumber's schedule, and this site does not guarantee a time.

Riverside residents call about plumbing emergencies, slow or stopped drains, damaged sewer lines, water heater trouble, leaks under the slab, water softener installation, annual backflow testing and gas line work.

First steps in a plumbing emergency

With water spreading across a floor, shut the main valve for the house and keep clear of any wiring or plugged-in appliances near the water. Problems on the utility side of the meter are a matter for Riverside Public Utilities, which takes calls at (951) 782-0330. Sewer issues on the public system go to City of Riverside Public Works at (951) 826-5311. If you notice a gas smell, do not stay to investigate: get everyone outside, and once you are clear of the house call 911 and SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200.

Where Riverside's water comes from, and why it scales

Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) supplies most of the city. Its water is groundwater pumped from RPU wells in the Bunker Hill and Riverside Basins and blended before delivery, with chlorine used for disinfection. Not every address is an RPU customer: the City's General Plan notes that Western Municipal Water District serves an area in southeast Riverside and Eastern Municipal Water District serves a small part of the city, so check your water bill if you are unsure. RPU's water quality report puts average hardness at 197 mg/L, roughly 12 grains per gallon, within a range of 180 to 210 mg/L. Water that hard leaves mineral buildup inside tank heaters and tankless units, crusts faucet aerators and showerheads, and stiffens shower valve cartridges over time, which is why softeners come up so often in Inland Empire homes.

Who owns which pipes

Under RPU's Water Rule 11, the utility owns and maintains the service connection up to and through the rear union of the water meter, including the meter and its vault. Everything past that point, along with any required backflow assembly, is the customer's to install and maintain. Where static water pressure runs above 80 psi, the same rule has the customer install and keep up a pressure regulator and relief valve. RPU reports it has replaced all known lead service lines on its side and posts a Service Line Material Inventory map, but homes built before about 1986 may still have a privately owned lead or galvanized line, and that piping is the owner's responsibility.

Plumbing permits come from the City's Building & Safety Division within Community & Economic Development. A simple water heater change-out can often be permitted over the counter the same day, and the Permit Counter at (951) 826-5800 and the online Public Permit Portal handle other requests. Where RPU calls for backflow protection, the assembly must be tested after installation, relocation or repair and at least once a year by a Riverside County certified tester approved by the City, with the results sent to RPU.

Older districts, slabs and Inland Empire weather

The median Riverside home dates to about 1976. Riverside's older core districts can have galvanized supply piping, cast iron drain lines and aging sewer laterals, while much of the newer suburban housing is built slab-on-grade, where a hidden leak may first appear as a warm floor, a damp patch or a jump in the water bill. Hot, dry summers bake exposed outdoor lines and hose bibs, Santa Ana winds and heavy winter storms can stress roof drains and yard drainage, and the occasional cold night can freeze exposed pipe in colder spots. This is also earthquake country, and California requires water heaters to be strapped.

Nearby Inland Empire cities

The independent plumbers you can reach through this number also work outside Riverside city limits, in places like Corona, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley, Norco, San Bernardino, Fontana and Ontario. Those cities often have their own water agencies and building departments, and each local page covers the details. The complete list of towns is on the service areas page.