Plumber in Richmond, TX

Planet Houston Plumbing is a licensed residential plumbing company serving Richmond, Texas, and the surrounding Fort Bend County area. We repair, install, and replace home plumbing systems. That includes drains, sewer lines, water heaters, gas lines, fixtures, and whole-house piping.

We perform our work under Responsible Master Plumber License 46295, licensed and regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. We work on homes only. We do not take commercial jobs, so we schedule every visit around a household schedule.

Need a plumber in Richmond today? Call (832) 898-4922 or request plumbing service online .

Richmond Plumbing Services We Provide

We handle the full range of home plumbing repair and installation work:

Drain cleaning and drain line repair , including hydro jetting, clog removal, camera inspections, and A/C drain cleaning
Sewer line repair and replacement , including sewer camera inspection, sewer cleaning, and trenchless sewer repair
Water heater repair, installation, and replacement for both tank and tankless systems
Water treatment and filtration , including water softener installation, whole-home filtration, and reverse osmosis systems
Gas and propane services , including gas line installation, gas leak detection, and gas line repair
Kitchen and bathroom plumbing , including toilet installation, faucet installation, fixture replacement, and garbage disposal repair
Whole home repiping and pipe repair

We also handle leak detection, general plumbing repair, and preventative plumbing maintenance. See the full list on our plumbing services page .

Two Kinds of Richmond Homes, Two Kinds of Plumbing

Richmond is the county seat of Fort Bend County and sits on the Brazos River. The town was chartered back in 1837. But most homes with a Richmond mailing address were built in the last twenty years.

That gap matters. A plumbing company in Richmond is really working on two very different kinds of houses.

Older homes near downtown Richmond and the Brazos

Homes in and around the historic core, mostly in 77469, often have decades-old systems. Here is what we tend to find:

Cast iron drain pipe that has rusted thin from the inside
Galvanized steel pipe on the supply side, which narrows with rust and causes low water pressure
Mature oak and pecan roots that push into old clay or cast iron joints
Drain layouts that have been patched several times by different hands

The most common call from these homes is a main line stoppage. You flush a toilet and the tub gurgles. You run the washer and a shower drain backs up. That points to the main sewer line, not the fixture.

Newer homes along the Grand Parkway corridor

The 77406 and 77407 areas cover a huge stretch of newer master-planned neighborhoods near the Grand Parkway. Communities like Aliana, Harvest Green, Veranda, and Pecan Grove fall in this group.

These homes have modern materials. They often use PEX pipe, PVC drain pipe, and an attic tankless water heater. The pipes are not the problem. The problem is that no one has checked anything since the builder handed over the keys.

What we see in newer Richmond homes:

Water heaters that were never flushed and are now full of sediment buildup
Tankless units that have never been descaled
A toilet flapper that has warped, causing a running toilet and a high water bill
Shutoff valves and a pressure reducing valve that have stiffened with mineral deposits
Outdoor gas lines added by a landscaper without a permit or a pressure test

Both kinds of homes sit on slab-on-grade foundations over Gulf Coast clay. Expansive clay soil swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and that movement can stress the pipes under a slab. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation notes that shrink-swell soils are a very common cause of foundation problems. That same movement is a leading cause of slab leaks in this part of Texas.

Richmond Water Is Hard, and Your Plumbing Pays for It

The City of Richmond reports its water hardness at 9.76 grains per gallon, or 167 mg/L, which the City classifies as hard water. The City of Richmond Public Works provides that figure. The City draws drinking water from deep groundwater wells and disinfects it with chloramines.

Not every Richmond address is on City water. Many neighborhoods are served by a Fort Bend County MUD, or municipal utility district. Hardness varies from one district to the next, but groundwater across this area is consistently mineral-rich.

What hard water does inside your home

Hard water is safe to drink. It is not safe for your equipment. Dissolved calcium and magnesium drop out of the water when it is heated or when it sits still.

Scale buildup collects at the bottom of a storage tank water heater. It acts like a blanket between the burner and the water, so the unit runs longer to do the same job.
Tankless water heaters scale up inside the heat exchanger. That triggers error codes and weak flow.
Faucet aerators, showerheads, and toilet fill valves clog.
The anode rod in a tank water heater is consumed faster, which shortens tank life.
Soap does not lather, and glassware comes out of the dishwasher spotted.

What we can do about it

We install and service water softeners, whole-home filtration systems, and reverse osmosis systems for drinking water. A softener protects your water heater, your fixtures, and your appliances. A point-of-use reverse osmosis unit handles taste at the kitchen sink.

We flush tank water heaters and descale tankless units as part of routine maintenance. In a hard-water area, that service is not optional if you want the equipment to reach its expected life.

Not sure what your water is doing to your plumbing? Call (832) 898-4922 and we will take a look.

Warning Signs You Should Not Wait On

Call a licensed plumber if you notice any of these:

A sudden high water bill with no change in how you use water. The EPA’s WaterSense program notes that household leaks waste more than 9,300 gallons a year in the average home, and that nine percent of homes have leaks wasting 50 gallons or more per day.
Warm or damp spots on the slab, or the sound of running water when every fixture is off. Both point to a possible slab leak.
Low water pressure throughout the house, not just at one faucet.
Discolored water that is rusty or brown.
A gurgling drain or sewer odor coming up through a floor drain or tub.
Standing water in a shower base or around a yard cleanout.
A leaking water heater, or rumbling and popping from the tank.
A rotten egg smell, which may mean a gas leak. Treat that one as an emergency.

A dripping faucet or a running toilet is easy to ignore. EPA suggests two simple checks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period with no water running. If the number moves, you have a leak. Or put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If color reaches the bowl within ten minutes, the flapper is leaking.

Gas Line and Propane Services in Richmond

Planet Houston Plumbing performs residential gas and propane work in Richmond under our Texas plumbing license. Gas work isn’t a DIY job, and it isn’t a handyman job.

What we install and repair

Gas line installation for new appliances and additions
Gas leak detection and locating
Gas line repair on damaged or corroded piping
Propane line installation for homes on LP gas
Appliance gas hookups for ranges, dryers, water heaters, and furnaces
Outdoor gas line installation for outdoor kitchens, grills, pool heaters, fire pits, and standby generators

The outdoor work has grown fast in Richmond’s newer neighborhoods. An outdoor kitchen gas line has to be sized for the appliance load, buried at the right depth, protected against corrosion, and fitted with a proper gas shutoff valve. After the work is done, we run a gas line pressure test to confirm the system holds before putting anything into service.

If you smell gas, do this first

CenterPoint Energy adds an odorant called mercaptan to natural gas so leaks can be detected by smell. It smells like rotten eggs or sulfur. CenterPoint’s guidance is clear:

Leave immediately, on foot. Take your family and pets with you.
Do not use a phone, light switch, lighter, or anything that could spark. Do not stop to open windows.
From a safe distance, call 911 and the CenterPoint Energy gas emergency line.
Do not go back in and do not try to find or fix the leak yourself.

Once the utility has made the area safe, call us to repair the line and pressure test the system.

Outdoors, CenterPoint lists other gas leak signs: hissing near a line, dirt blowing up from the ground, bubbling in standing water, and dead or dying vegetation over a buried line.

Call 811 before you dig

Planning a fence, a pool, a patio, or a tree? Call 811 before you dig. CenterPoint Energy states that the service is free and required by law, and asks that you call at least two business days before you break ground. Utilities will come and mark the buried lines. Hitting a gas line while digging is one of the most common causes of a residential gas emergency.

Have a gas line project or a gas concern? Call (832) 898-4922.

Drain and Sewer Problems in Richmond Homes

One slow drain usually means a local clog. A clogged sink drain is often a plugged P-trap or a failing garbage disposal.

Several drains acting up at once is different. That points to the main drain line or the sewer line. So does a sewer backup, an overflowing toilet that will not clear, or wastewater appearing in the lowest fixture in the house.

Common causes we find in Richmond:

Tree root intrusion at old pipe joints
Grease. The City of Richmond runs a Fat, Oil, and Grease reduction program because grease poured down kitchen drains builds up inside sewer pipes, restricts flow, and can push untreated wastewater back into homes.
Wipes and other items that do not break down
Bellied, cracked, or collapsed pipe caused by soil movement

We start with a sewer camera inspection through the sewer cleanout to see the pipe’s actual condition. That tells us whether the fix is drain cleaning, hydro jetting, a spot sewer line repair, a trenchless sewer repair, or a full sewer line replacement. We don’t guess, and we don’t sell a replacement for a problem a jetter can solve.

Water Heater Repair or Replacement: How to Decide

Most tank water heaters last around 8 to 12 years. Repair usually makes sense in the first eight years for a single failed part. Replacement usually makes more sense past ten years, especially if the tank itself is leaking.

Repair is often the right call when:

The thermostat, heating element, or gas valve failed, but the tank is sound
The temperature and pressure relief valve is discharging and needs replacing
The unit only needs a flush and an anode rod replacement

Replacement is usually the right call when:

Water is weeping from the tank body. That cannot be repaired.
The unit is past ten years, and the repair cost is a large share of a new install
The tank is undersized for the household, and you run out of hot water daily
Scale damage has already compromised efficiency

If you are switching to a tankless water heater installation, the payback is real. ENERGY STAR estimates that a certified gas tankless unit saves a family of four about $95 per year, or roughly $1,800 over its lifetime, compared with a standard gas storage model. In hard water, a tankless unit needs regular descaling to maintain that performance.

We also confirm the supporting parts are correct during installation. That includes the main water shutoff valve, supply line connections, drain pan and drain routing, and a thermal expansion tank where required. Setting the thermostat around 120 degrees is a common recommendation. It slows scale formation and lowers the risk of scalding.

Ready to repair or replace? Call (832) 898-4922 for a plumbing estimate.

When Repiping Makes Sense

Signs you need repiping usually show up together rather than one at a time:

Low water pressure at every fixture, not just one
Rusty or discolored water, especially after the house sits unused
Repeat pinhole leaks in the same area
Visible corrosion on exposed galvanized steel pipe or copper pipe
Repairs that keep coming back to different spots on the same run

A single leak is a pipe repair. A pattern of leaks in aging pipe is a repiping conversation. Sometimes only one branch needs replacing. Sometimes a whole home repiping in PEX or copper is the better use of the money. We inspect first and tell you which one your house needs.

Who Owns Which Pipe in Richmond?

In most cases, the homeowner owns and maintains the water line from the meter to the house, and the sewer line from the house to the point where it connects to the public main. The utility maintains the mains and, generally, the meter itself.

This trips people up in Richmond because the utility is not the same everywhere. Some addresses are billed by City of Richmond Public Works. Others are served by a Fort Bend County MUD. The City notes that its main system includes several MUDs. Your water bill will tell you which one applies to you.

Why this matters when you hire a plumber:

If the leak is on your side of the water meter, the repair is yours
If a broken water line is between the meter and the street, call your utility first
A sewer cleanout on your property is your access point and your responsibility
Some districts require a registered tester to test a backflow prevention assembly. The City of Richmond maintains a program for this.

If you are not sure which side of the line your problem is on, call us. We can usually tell you over the phone, and if it belongs to the utility, we will say so.

What Happens When You Book a Visit

You call or submit the form. Tell us the symptom and your Richmond address so we can confirm coverage.
We schedule the appointment during our published business hours.
We inspect before we quote. Depending on the job, that may mean a camera inspection, leak detection, or a pressure test.
We explain what we found in plain language and lay out your options.
You get a plumbing quote before work starts. We don’t start work until you approve it.
We complete the repair or installation using quality parts and materials.
We walk you through what was done and what to watch for going forward.

Why Richmond Homeowners Call Planet Houston Plumbing

We are licensed. Responsible Master Plumber License 46295, licensed and regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. You can verify any Texas plumber’s license through the TSBPE public license search.
We are residential only. Homes are all we do. Your job won’t be behind a commercial contract.
We use proper diagnostic equipment. We use camera inspections and modern leak-detection tools, so we find the problem instead of guessing.
Our reviews are public. Our website displays a 5.0 Google rating based on 87 reviews at the time of writing.
We are based nearby. Our office is at 24285 Katy Fwy in Katy, a short drive up the Grand Parkway from Richmond.
Our hours are published. Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Limited services on Sunday.
We publish our offers. Current plumbing coupons include savings on water heater installation and whole-home repiping.

You can read more about the team on our About Us page .

Areas We Serve Near Richmond

We serve Richmond and nearby communities across west and southwest Houston, including Pecan Grove, Aliana, Harvest Green, Veranda, and neighborhoods along the Grand Parkway. We also cover:

If you are just outside one of these areas, such as Rosenberg, call, and we will tell you honestly whether we can get to you.

Richmond Plumbing Questions, Answered

Do you serve all of Richmond, including 77406, 77407, and 77469?

Yes. Planet Houston Plumbing serves Richmond addresses across 77406, 77407, and 77469, along with surrounding parts of Fort Bend County. Most people start with a search for a plumber near me, then have to check whether the company actually covers their street. Call (832) 898-4922 with your address, and we will confirm coverage before you book.

How much does a plumber cost in Richmond?

Cost depends on the job, the parts needed, and access to the problem. We inspect the issue, explain your options, and price the work before we start. Ask for a written estimate showing the scope of work.

Do I need a plumbing permit in Richmond, TX?

Permit requirements depend on the work and the authority covering your address. City and county requirements can differ. We confirm the jurisdiction and handle the applicable permit and inspection process for our work.

How long does a water heater last in Richmond?

Is Richmond, TX water hard enough to need a softener?

The City of Richmond classifies its water as hard. Homes served by a Fort Bend County MUD may have different hardness levels. A water softener can reduce mineral buildup in water heaters, fixtures, and appliances. We can check your water and discuss treatment options.

What causes a slab leak, and how do I know if I have one?

Expansive clay soil can move as it gets wet and dries out, stressing pipes under the slab. Warning signs include warm or damp floor spots, the sound of running water when every fixture is off, and an unexplained rise in your water bill. Call us for leak detection to locate the problem.

Do you offer same-day or emergency plumbing service?

Call (832) 898-4922 with the issue and your address so we can confirm availability. Our published hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Saturday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with limited services on Sunday. If you smell gas, leave immediately and call the gas utility from a safe distance.

Schedule Plumbing Service in Richmond

If you need a plumber in Richmond, we are ready to help. Tell us what is happening in your home, and we will schedule an inspection, explain your options, and price the work before we start.

Call (832) 898-4922 or request service online .

Planet Houston Plumbing, 24285 Katy Fwy, Katy, TX 77494. Responsible Master Plumber License 46295. Licensed and regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, P.O. Box 4200, Austin, TX 78765, (512) 936-5200.