We'll Beat Any Written Plumbing Quote — Anywhere in the DMV

Yes. Lud's Plumbing answers emergency calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including nights, weekends, and holidays, across the DMV — Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. Emergency calls reach our team rather than a national call center, so we can talk you through shutting off the water while a licensed plumber is dispatched to your address.

Shut off the main water valve to the house immediately, then open the lowest faucet in the home to relieve remaining pressure in the lines. Cut power to any circuit near standing water at the breaker panel. Then call a licensed plumber. Moving quickly on the shut-off is what limits the damage.

A conventional tank water heater typically lasts 8 to 12 years in Northern Virginia, and a well-maintained tankless unit lasts 15 to 20. Annual flushing and timely anode rod replacement matter more than brand. If your tank is past ten years and has never been flushed, plan for replacement rather than waiting.

Repair when the tank is under about eight years old and the failed part is a component such as a heating element, thermostat, thermocouple, or gas valve. Replace when water is coming from the tank body itself, when the unit is past ten years, or when repair cost approaches half the price of replacement.

Because the underlying cause was never removed. Repeat clogging usually indicates grease coating the pipe wall, tree roots at a joint, a low spot holding water, or a partial pipe collapse. A camera inspection identifies which one applies, and only the first two are actually solved by cleaning the line.

PEX installs faster, resists freeze damage better, costs less, and requires far fewer wall openings because it runs continuously between fittings. Copper is rigid, long-proven, and preferred by some homeowners for exposed runs. Both are code-approved in Virginia, and most residential repipes in this area use PEX.

Main sewer line replacement, main water line replacement, whole-house repiping, water heaters, and water filtration systems. The competing quote must be written, itemized, and from a licensed plumber for comparable scope and materials. Verbal estimates and quotes from unlicensed providers cannot be matched.

We primarily serve residential customers, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and small multi-unit properties. Light commercial work is handled case by case depending on scope and scheduling. Call and describe the property and the problem, and we will tell you plainly whether we are the right fit.