Bullhead City, Arizona

Plumber in Bullhead City, AZ: Call About Leaks, Clogs and No Hot Water

Water on the floor, no hot water or a drain that will not clear? Call the dispatch line and you are routed to a plumber serving your area of Bullhead City.

CALL THE DISPATCH LINE(928) 766-1925 Find your problem below

Calls answered by the dispatch line
Routed to a plumber serving your area
Phone only, no forms to fill out

Gloved hands holding an adjustable wrench on a copper pipe joint under a sink — Joints under a sink are one of the first places to check when the cabinet floor is wet.

Start with what you can see

What is the plumbing doing right now?

Pick the closest match. Each one lists a safe first check, what that check cannot tell you, when to call now and who else owns part of the problem.

If more than one fits, start with the one that has water moving. Stopping the water is the first job whatever else is wrong.

Water is coming from somewhere it should not

Check first: Shut off the main valve, then open a low faucet to relieve pressure. Keep water away from outlets and the panel.
What that cannot tell you: Whether the break is a supply pipe, a fixture connection or a hidden line. That takes a plumber looking at it, and our page on repairing a burst or broken pipe explains what they check.
Call now when: The water does not stop, it is near electrical equipment or it is coming through a ceiling. Use the emergency plumbing line.
Someone else's job: Water coming out of the ground by the meter or in the street belongs to Bullhead City Utilities: (928) 763-0166, after hours (928) 763-1999.

The hot tap runs cold or the tank is leaking

Check first: See whether every hot tap is cold or only one, and look at the base of the tank for water. If you smell gas, leave the house and use the gas tab instead.
What that cannot tell you: Whether a part has failed or the tank itself is done. A tank that is leaking from the shell is a replacement; a failed part is often a water heater repair.
Call now when: Water is pooling under the tank or the water coming out is rusty.
Someone else's job: A replacement is not on the city's permit-exempt list, so ask who pulls the permit. Details are in the local rules section below.

A drain is slow, gurgling or backing up

Check first: Note whether one fixture is slow or several. If the tub gurgles when the washer drains, the problem is likely past the individual fixtures.
What that cannot tell you: Whether the blockage is grease, roots or a damaged pipe. Tell the dispatcher if you have already used a chemical drain opener. See drain cleaning and clog removal for how plumbers clear each case.
Call now when: Sewage is coming up in a tub, shower or floor drain.
Someone else's job: City sewer or septic decides who to call about the main line. Check the local rules section, and for a sewer-side problem read about sewer line repair and replacement.

The water bill jumped or the meter will not sit still

Check first: Turn off every fixture and appliance that uses water, then watch the meter for movement. A moving meter with everything off means water is leaking somewhere.
What that cannot tell you: Where the leak is. It could be a toilet, an irrigation line, a hidden pipe or an underground line. Finding it is the job of water leak detection.
Call now when: The meter moves with everything off and the loss is fast, or you find a wet spot in the yard or floor.
Someone else's job: Before anyone digs to reach a buried line, an Arizona 811 ticket is needed. The plumber should confirm that before excavation.

You smell gas

Check first: Leave the house. Do not use switches, lighters or phones inside, and do not try to find the source.
What that cannot tell you: Anything. This is not a plumbing diagnosis from inside the house.
Call now when: Always. Call 911 and Southwest Gas first, (928) 763-7467 on the city's utility list. Gas piping repair comes after the utility has made the area safe; see gas line repair.
Someone else's job: The gas utility, not a plumber, handles the first response.

Plumbing problem that will not wait?

CALL THE DISPATCH LINE(928) 766-1925

Plumbing services

Plumbing services in Bullhead City, by problem

Each service has its own page with the questions people ask, what to check first and what a plumber will assess. For prices, see typical plumbing price ranges, which are wide on purpose.

Urgent problems

Leaks

Drains and sewer

Water heating

Fixtures

Pipes and water quality

Local rules, local numbers

Bullhead City rules that change what you do next

These come from city and state sources, not from a generic list. Each one ends with the step it changes.

Bullhead City is a desert town on the Colorado River. July highs average about 111 degrees and the city logs only about two nights a year below 32 degrees (NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals), so heat and aging pipe, more than freezing, are what most often stress plumbing here.

Corroded old valve with a tape wrapped handle inside a concrete pit — Older homes can hide valves like this one, so say what you can see when you describe the problem.

Water heater swaps need a conversation about permits.
The city's permit-exempt list does not include water heaters or gas piping, and it says to assume a permit is required for anything not listed.

Ask whoever does a water heater replacement who pulls the permit. Building Division: (928) 763-0124. See the city's exempt list.
Fixing a leak is exempt. Replacing concealed pipe is not.
Stopping leaks, clearing stoppages and repairing leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures are on the exempt list. Replacing concealed pipe with new material counts as new work.

If a plumber proposes replacing the supply piping, ask whether a permit is part of the job.
Digging for a buried line needs a ticket first.
Arizona requires notice to Arizona 811 at least two working days before excavation, ten for apartment communities and mobile home parks.

Before any yard dig, ask the plumber to confirm the ticket. Info: Arizona 811.
Sewer or septic decides who to call.
The city runs the sewer and has replaced septic with sewer in several areas, including Sunridge. The city lists Mohave County Environmental Health for septic questions.

Confirm what serves your address with Bullhead City Utilities at (928) 763-9400 before paying to repair a line.
Homes here skew older, and many are manufactured.
The median home was built in 1991, about 26 percent were built in the 1980s and 29 percent of homes are mobile homes (ACS 2019 to 2023).

Tell the dispatcher your home type and rough age. It changes what the plumber brings and checks.
Heat is the constant, a hard freeze is rare.
July highs average about 111 degrees, and about two nights a year dip below 32 degrees (NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals).

Look over hose bibs and exposed outdoor lines after summer, and cover exposed pipe on the rare cold night.

Where dispatch covers

Plumber coverage across Bullhead City

This dispatch network lists these ZIP codes for Bullhead City. Call with your ZIP code and the dispatcher will confirm your address.

86429
86430
86439
86442

Not sure you are in range? Call (928) 766-1925 with your ZIP code. See every area we list for the full picture.

What happens when you call

How the dispatch call works

There is no form and no waiting on a reply. The call is the whole process up to the plumber arriving.

Man reaching under a sink to work on the blue handled supply valves, copper lines and white drain — Under-sink shutoff valves are the first thing to try when a single fixture is leaking.

Say what is happening
Where the water shows, whether the meter moves with everything off, and what kind of home it is. Plain words are fine.
Get routed to a plumber for your area
The dispatcher confirms your ZIP code and connects the call to a plumber serving it. Availability varies with demand.
Ask what they found and what it costs
Before work starts, ask the plumber to explain the problem, the options and the price, and whether a permit applies. Plumbers are independent and responsible for their own work.

Questions

Bullhead City plumbing questions, answered

What should I do first in a plumbing emergency in Bullhead City?

Shut off the main water valve, usually near the meter or where the line enters the house, then open a low faucet to relieve pressure. Keep water away from electrical outlets and panels. If water is coming out of the ground near the meter or in the street, Bullhead City Utilities takes calls about leaks and line breaks at (928) 763-0166, and its after-hours dispatch line is (928) 763-1999. For a leak inside the home, call the dispatch line on this site.

Does replacing a water heater in Bullhead City need a permit?

Water heaters and gas piping are not on the city's list of work exempt from permits, and the city says to assume a permit is required for any item not on that list. Ask the plumber who will pull the permit before work starts. The city's Building Division can confirm the rule for your job at (928) 763-0124.

Does fixing a leak or clearing a drain need a permit?

The city's exempt list covers stopping leaks in drain, water, soil, waste and vent pipe, clearing stoppages, and repairing leaks in pipes, valves and fixtures. Replacing a concealed pipe with new material is treated as new work and needs a permit. Confirm with the Building Division at (928) 763-0124 if your job falls between those lines.

Is my street on city sewer or on septic?

The city operates the sewer and has been replacing septic systems with sewer in several areas, including Arroyo Vista, Buena Vista, Tierra Grande, Desert Glen, Lake Mohave Highlands and Sunridge. Bullhead City Utilities can tell you what serves your address at (928) 763-9400. Septic questions go to Mohave County Environmental Health.

Does the dispatch line cover my ZIP code?

The dispatch network lists ZIP codes 86429, 86430, 86439 and 86442 for Bullhead City. Call with your ZIP code and the dispatcher will confirm your address. Coverage and availability vary with demand.

More answers are on the plumbing FAQs page.

Leaking, clogged or out of hot water?

Tell the dispatcher what the house is doing. A plumber serving your area takes it from there.