Baltimore City plumbing calls are shaped by the housing: brick rowhomes, many built before 1950, with the water meter, main shut-off and water heater in a narrow basement and original cast-iron drains. Water and sewer service comes from Baltimore City DPW, and permits come from the city's Department of Housing & Community Development.
Water, sewer and permits in Baltimore City
| Water & sewer | Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) supplies water and sewer service and handles water main breaks (call 311). |
|---|---|
| Plumbing permits | Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development, Permits and Inspections. |
Rowhome plumbing: what's different
A typical Baltimore rowhome shares party walls with its neighbors and runs every pipe through one basement. That keeps runs short but makes access tight: water heaters are squeezed under stairs, drain stacks run inside shared walls, and the main sewer line exits under the front steps toward the street. Many have a single basement floor drain that becomes the first place sewage appears when the main line or the public sewer backs up.
Common problems in city homes
- Basement floor drain backups during heavy rain
- Cast-iron drain stacks scaled or cracked with age
- Clay sewer laterals with roots from street trees
- Galvanized supply pipe causing low pressure
- Older lead service lines in some homes
- Frozen pipes in unheated rear additions and kitchens
Neighborhoods we connect callers in
- Bolton Hill
- Brewers Hill
- Butchers Hill
- Canton
- Charles Village
- Federal Hill
- Fells Point
- Greektown
- Hamilton
- Hampden
- Highlandtown
- Lauraville
- Locust Point
- Mount Vernon
- Mount Washington
- Patterson Park
- Pigtown
- Pimlico
- Remington
- Riverside
- Roland Park
- Upper Fells Point
- Waverly
- Woodberry
City water, 311 and your plumber
If water is coming up through the street or sidewalk, or your whole block has lost water, call 311 — that's a city main, not a job for a plumber. Leaks and blockages on your side of the property line, including the service line into the house and the sewer lateral, are generally the owner's responsibility.
Plumbing services in Baltimore City
WaterDrain & sewerGas
The colors match the marks utility crews paint on Maryland streets before digging.
Water lines & fixtures
How to get a plumber in Baltimore City
- Call 443-863-5471. Tell us what's happening and where you are. Calls are answered 24/7.
- We connect you. You're put through to a licensed, independent local plumber who handles this kind of job in your area.
- Get a clear quote. The plumber explains the problem and the price before any work starts.
- You decide. Approve the work, and the plumber completes it with any permit your city or county requires.
Plumbers in Baltimore Today is a free referral service; we don't perform plumbing work ourselves. How it works.
Frequently asked questions
Does Baltimore City have a lead service line program?
Baltimore City DPW publishes information about lead service lines and its replacement work. Check with DPW about your address; a contractor can also check the pipe where it enters your basement.
Do I need a permit for plumbing work in Baltimore City?
Most work beyond like-for-like fixture swaps needs a permit from the Department of Housing & Community Development. A properly licensed contractor pulls it. See our permits guide.