Plumber in Humble, TX: permits, fees and how to hire

Inside city limits, the City of Humble runs its own water and wastewater systems. The city's Water Distribution page says the systems serve about ten square miles and a population of 15,133. Water billing, water operations and wastewater collection and treatment are all city departments at City Hall, 114 W. Higgins Street.

A Humble mailing address does not by itself mean city service. If the City of Humble is not on your water bill, look up your district on the TCEQ Water Districts Map Viewer. Outside the city there is no city plumbing permit, but hired plumbing still has to be done or supervised by a TSBPE license holder.

The city publishes a lead service line inventory with an interactive dashboard, as required under federal lead and copper rules. If your home predates the late 1980s, check your address there and ask the city about the material on both sides of the meter.

Humble is a city of more than 5,000 people, so Texas Occupations Code 1301.551 requires it to regulate plumbing and require a permit for most work. The statute exempts only repairing leaks and replacing lavatory or kitchen faucets, ballcocks or water control valves, garbage disposals and toilets.

The city's Building and Inspection page lists the codes it enforces, including the 2018 International Plumbing Code, 2018 International Building Code, 2018 International Mechanical Code and 2017 National Electrical Code. It also notes that not all permits are submitted through the online portal, so check with the Building Department at City Hall before you assume a permit can be filed online.

The city's fee schedule effective October 1, 2024 lists these residential plumbing permit fees:

The same schedule lists re-inspection fees of $50 for the first, $75 for the second and $100 for each after that, a $100 contractor registration fee, and a penalty of double the permit fee for work done before a permit is issued. A plumber who skips the permit can leave you paying that penalty.

Census Bureau survey data for 2020 to 2024 count about 6,400 housing units inside the city, with a median year built of 1982. About 44 percent were built before 1980 and 24 percent in the 1980s (ACS tables B25034 and B25035). Older slab homes here are candidates for cast iron drain problems and slab leaks; see our cast iron guide.

Texas licenses plumbers at the state level, through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE). Under Texas Occupations Code 1301.351, a person other than a responsible master plumber may not do plumbing unless they hold the proper license, registration or endorsement and their work is supervised by a license holder. Anyone who advertises plumbing must secure a responsible master plumber, and license holders must carry the license on them while working. That rule applies the same way inside Humble and in the surrounding MUDs.

1. Ask for the name and license number of the person doing or supervising the work, not just the company name.
2. Search it in the Texas plumbing license search, by name or license number.
3. Confirm the status is active and the license type fits the job.
4. Get a written estimate that lists the scope, materials and price before work starts.

Homeowners have one exemption: Section 1301.051 says a property owner does not need a plumbing license to do plumbing in their own homestead. Someone you hire, including a handyman, is not covered by it. Our guide to choosing a plumber covers estimates, payment and warning signs in more detail.

This site is an independent homeowner guide. We are not a contractor, we do not perform plumbing work and we do not answer phones. To reach a plumber, call one of the licensed contractors listed on this page or see all listed contractors. Questions about this guide: email us. We do not take service requests. Run the license checks above on anyone you hire, including the contractors listed on this page. If water is actively spreading, start with our emergency steps first.