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Sunshine State Plumbing

Plumbing questions, answered

Everything Jacksonville homeowners ask us, grouped by topic — from repipes to 24/7 emergencies.

General

Do you offer same-day plumbing service in Jacksonville?
Yes. We handle most plumbing calls in the Jacksonville area the same day you call, and we keep our phones staffed 24/7 for emergencies. When you call during business hours you reach a real Sunshine State team member — not a call center or voicemail — so we can dispatch a licensed tech quickly. Same-day availability depends on how booked the day is and where you're located, so the earlier you call, the better.
How much does it cost to repipe a home in Florida?
Most whole-home repipes in the Jacksonville area run roughly $4,000–$10,000, depending on the size of the home, how many bathrooms it has, whether we run PEX or CPVC, and how accessible the existing lines are. A partial repipe (one bathroom or a single problem run) costs considerably less. We don't guess prices over the phone — we inspect the home, walk you through the options, and give a firm written quote before any work starts.
Should I install a tank or tankless water heater?
It depends on your household. A traditional tank heater has a lower upfront cost and is simple to service, which is a great fit for many families. A tankless (on-demand) unit costs more to install but never runs out of hot water, takes up less space, and typically lasts longer and uses less energy. Hybrid heat-pump models split the difference on efficiency. We install and service gas, electric, and tankless models, and we'll size the right option around your hot-water demand and budget rather than upselling you.
Do you replace sewer lines and drain pipes?
Yes. Beyond drain cleaning and hydro jetting, Sunshine State Plumbing handles full re-drains — replacing the drain and waste piping throughout a home — as well as complete sewer line replacement. We assess the situation first and give you a firm written quote before any work begins, so there are no surprises along the way. Sunshine State Plumbing is a Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractor, license CFC1426859.
Is my Jacksonville water hard enough to need a softener?
Jacksonville and Northeast Florida groundwater tends to be on the hard side, with enough dissolved minerals to leave scale on fixtures, spot your dishes, and shorten the life of water heaters and appliances. Whether you actually need a softener depends on your home's specific levels, which is why we run a free water test before recommending or quoting anything. If your water doesn't need treatment, we'll tell you.
How fast can you respond to an emergency call?
For true emergencies — a burst pipe, a major leak, no water, or sewage backing up — we aim to have a tech on the way as quickly as possible, often within the hour depending on your location and the time of day. Our emergency line is answered 24/7, so you're never stuck leaving a message and waiting until morning. Shutting off your main water valve before we arrive can limit the damage in the meantime.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Sunshine State Plumbing is a Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractor, license CFC1426859, and we carry insurance on every job. We've been licensed and operating in Jacksonville since 2003. Our technicians live and work here locally and stand behind the work they do.
Do you charge for estimates?
Standard estimates for plumbing work are free, and we don't tack on trip charges to come out and look at the job. You'll get a clear, written quote before we begin, so there are no surprise add-ons once the work is underway. For complex diagnostics — like locating a hidden slab leak — we'll explain any diagnostic fee up front before doing the work.
What areas do you service?
We serve Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, including Downtown Jacksonville, Arlington, Riverside, Avondale, San Jose, and Mandarin, the Beaches (Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach), and out into Clay County and Orange Park. If you're not sure whether you're in our area, give us a call — if we can't help, we'll point you to someone who can.

Repipes

How do I know if my house needs a repipe?
A repipe is usually the right call when the problem is the piping itself, not a single fixture — repeat pinhole leaks in the same supply lines, water pressure that has dropped across the whole house, rusty or discolored water at multiple taps, or older supply lines that keep failing. If you've patched the same run more than once, a repipe ends the cycle instead of paying for the next leak. We inspect the system first and tell you honestly whether a targeted repair, a partial repipe, or a whole-home repipe is the right scope.
Do you run PEX or CPVC?
Both — we install whole-home and partial repipes in PEX and CPVC, and we'll walk you through which fits your home. PEX is flexible, fast to route through finished walls with fewer fittings, and forgiving in a freeze; CPVC is rigid and a long-proven choice many Florida homeowners prefer. The right material depends on your layout, water conditions, and preference, so we recommend rather than upsell.
Can you do a partial repipe instead of the whole house?
Yes. If the trouble is isolated to one bathroom, one wall, or a single failing run, a partial repipe replaces just that section instead of the entire system. We'll flag when a partial repipe genuinely solves the problem and when it only delays a whole-home repipe, so you can make the call with the full picture in front of you.
How disruptive is a repipe, and do I have to move out?
Most homeowners stay home through a repipe. We protect floors and belongings, open only the access points we need, restore your water by the end of the work, and keep you informed about which fixtures are offline and when. Re-piping touches walls, so there is some patching afterward — we plan the access cuts to keep that to a minimum and leave the home clean.
Is the repipe permitted and warrantied?
Yes. Sunshine State Plumbing is a Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractor (license CFC1426859), we pull the proper permits and meet the required inspections, and every repipe is backed by our standard 1-year labor-and-materials workmanship warranty. Estimates are free with no trip charge.

Water Heaters

Do you install gas, electric, and tankless water heaters?
Yes — we install, repair, and replace gas, electric, and tankless water heaters across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. We size the unit to your home's hot-water demand and fuel type and install it to current Florida code, whether you're keeping the same style or switching (for example, moving from a tank to a tankless unit).
My water heater is leaking / no hot water — repair or replace?
It depends on the age of the unit and what's failed. A bad element, thermostat, or valve is often a straightforward repair; a tank that's leaking from the body has usually reached the end of its life and is better replaced than patched. We diagnose the unit first and tell you honestly which path makes sense rather than defaulting to a replacement.
Do you handle the manufacturer's warranty?
Yes. When a unit is still under the manufacturer's warranty, we handle the warranty claim on your behalf — confirming coverage and coordinating the replacement part or tank with the manufacturer so you're not left chasing it down. Our own 1-year labor-and-materials workmanship warranty covers the installation.
Is a tankless water heater worth it?
For a lot of Jacksonville homes, yes — tankless units heat water on demand, take up less space, and avoid the standby tank. They aren't the right fit for every home, though, so we look at your hot-water usage, fuel source, and existing connections and give you a straight recommendation instead of a one-size-fits-all answer.
Are you licensed, and is the install warrantied?
Yes. Sunshine State Plumbing is a Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractor (license CFC1426859). Every water-heater installation is permitted where required, inspected, and backed by our standard 1-year workmanship warranty, and estimates are free with no trip charge.

Water Softeners

Do you test the water before recommending a softener?
Always. We start with a free water test so the recommendation is based on what's actually in your water — not a guess or a sales script. Hardness and water chemistry vary across the Jacksonville area, so testing first means you get a system sized to your home rather than an oversized or undersized unit.
Who installs the softener?
Our softener specialists. Water treatment is its own discipline, so these installs are handled by the team members who do them day in and day out — sized, plumbed, and set up correctly the first time, and tied cleanly into your home's water service.
What are the signs I have hard water?
Spotty glasses and dishes, scale buildup on faucets and showerheads, soap that won't lather well, dry skin and hair, and appliances that wear out faster than they should. If you're seeing those, the free water test will confirm whether a softener is the right fix and how much capacity you need.
Are you licensed, and is the work warrantied?
Yes. We're a Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractor (license CFC1426859), family-owned and Jacksonville-based since 2003. Softener installations are backed by our standard 1-year labor-and-materials workmanship warranty, and the water test and estimate are free with no trip charge.

Drains & Sewers

What drain and sewer work do you handle?
The full ladder — from routine drain cleaning and hydro jetting for stubborn or grease-heavy lines, up to full re-drains of a house or building, and complete sewer line replacement when a line is collapsed or past repair. We start with the least invasive fix that will actually solve the problem and only escalate when the line genuinely needs it.
What is hydro jetting, and when do I need it?
Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to scour the inside of a drain or sewer line clear of grease, scale, and root intrusion — a deeper clean than a standard snake. It's the right call when a line clogs repeatedly, drains slowly across multiple fixtures, or has built up years of buildup that cabling alone won't clear.
Can you replace a sewer line, not just clean it?
Yes. When a sewer line is collapsed, root-shattered, or simply at the end of its life, cleaning only buys time — we replace it. We'll show you what's going on, explain whether a section or the full run needs replacing, and handle the permitting and inspection that a sewer replacement requires.
Do you do whole-house or whole-building re-drains?
We do. When the drain-waste-vent system itself is failing — not just one clog — we re-drain the house or building, replacing the problem lines. It's the same in-house crew that handles our multifamily and single-family construction work, so the scope is no surprise to us.
Are you licensed and warrantied for this work?
Yes. We're a Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractor (license CFC1426859), and drain and sewer work is permitted where required, inspected, and backed by our standard 1-year workmanship warranty. Estimates are free with no trip charge.

Leak Detection

Can you find a leak you can't see?
That's exactly what leak detection is for. We locate slab leaks under the foundation and hidden line leaks inside walls and ceilings — the ones that show up as a spiking water bill, a warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water with everything off, or unexplained damp and mildew. We pinpoint the source before opening anything up, so the repair is targeted instead of exploratory.
What are the signs of a slab leak?
A water bill that jumped with no change in usage, a warm or damp spot on the floor, low water pressure, the sound of water running when no fixture is on, or cracks appearing in flooring or walls. If you're seeing any of those, it's worth having the slab checked before the damage spreads.
Do you repair the leak once you find it?
Yes. Detection and repair are one job — once we've pinpointed the source, we fix it, whether that's a slab leak, a hidden supply line, or a run that's better off rerouted. If the underlying piping is failing in more than one place, we'll tell you honestly whether a targeted repair or a repipe is the smarter long-term call.
Are you licensed, and is the repair warrantied?
Yes. Sunshine State Plumbing is a Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractor (license CFC1426859), family-owned in Jacksonville since 2003. Leak repairs are backed by our standard 1-year labor-and-materials workmanship warranty, and the estimate is free with no trip charge.

Emergency Service

Do you offer 24/7 emergency plumbing in Jacksonville?
Yes. We keep our phones covered 24/7, and when you call you reach a real Sunshine State team member — not a call center or a voicemail box. You can describe what's happening to someone who can actually help, and we move on same-day response to get a licensed tech to you.
What counts as a plumbing emergency?
Anything that's actively causing damage or leaving you without safe, usable plumbing: a burst or leaking pipe, no water, a backed-up sewer line, an overflowing or non-stop-running toilet, a failed water heater, or a leak you can hear but can't find. If you're not sure how urgent it is, call — we'll help you figure out whether it needs immediate attention or can wait for a scheduled visit.
What should I do while I wait for the plumber?
If water is actively flowing where it shouldn't be, shut off the supply — the fixture's local valve if it's one fixture, or the home's main shut-off if it's widespread — and kill power to a leaking water heater. Then call us and tell us what you've done; we'll talk you through anything else and head your way.
Will a real person actually answer?
Yes — that's the point. Around the clock, a real team member answers so you're not stuck in a phone tree during a plumbing emergency. We're family-owned and Jacksonville-based, and the same in-house crew that handles our scheduled work handles emergencies.
Are you licensed for emergency work?
Yes. We're a Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractor (license CFC1426859), licensed and operating in Jacksonville since 2003, and emergency repairs carry the same 1-year workmanship warranty as our scheduled work.

Still wondering?

Didn't find your answer?

Call us and a real Sunshine State team member will walk you through it — no phone tree, no pressure.

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