Plumber in Pasadena, TX: permits, utility and how to hire

The City of Pasadena runs its own water and sewer utility. The Water Billing office handles meter reading, billing and customer service for about 36,000 accounts, and sewer fees appear on the same monthly bill. The city lists the Pasadena Action Line, 713-475-5555, for sewer problems. The city's 2020 water quality report says Pasadena's water comes from purchased City of Houston surface water from the Trinity River and from the Gulf Coast Aquifer.

The city's FY 2026 Schedule of Rates bills sewer at 90 percent of water usage. A standard residential account pays $14.04 for water and $14.03 for sewer for the first 2,000 gallons, then $3.92 and $3.91 per thousand gallons for the next 5,000 gallons, with higher rates in later blocks. Because sewer follows water use, a running toilet or hidden slab leak raises both lines of the bill. If your usage jumps without a reason, check the meter with all fixtures off before calling anyone; our leak detection guide explains how.

The city's Permit/Inspection Department is at 1114 Davis Street, according to its plumbing maintenance registration form. As a city of more than 5,000 people, Pasadena must regulate plumbing under Texas Occupations Code 1301.551, which requires a permit before most plumbing work. The statute exempts repairing leaks and replacing lavatory or kitchen faucets, ballcocks or water control valves, garbage disposals and toilets. Water heaters, repipes and sewer line work are outside those exemptions, so expect a permit and inspection.

The same form shows one Pasadena-specific rule. Property owners can register a plumbing maintenance person for a $200 fee, but that person must be a permanent employee rather than an independent contractor, must be covered by liability insurance and may not do plumbing for the general public. A handyman offering plumbing to homeowners does not fit that registration; they need a state license.

Pasadena has some of the oldest housing among the cities on this site. Census Bureau survey data for 2020 to 2024 count about 53,800 housing units with a median year built of 1977. About 57 percent were built before 1980, and roughly 37 percent before 1970 (ACS tables B25034 and B25035).

Owners of older homes should read our cast iron pipe guide before agreeing to a full drain replacement, and insist on camera footage first.

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 in Pasadena as anywhere in Texas.

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.