Plumbing & Water Hamilton, Ontario
Top Rated Plumbers in Hamilton
Seven Hamilton plumbers worth calling, what each one is actually best at, and why the city's pre-war housing changes which questions you should ask.
At a glance
| # | Company | Best for | Availability | Call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birnie Plumbing & Drains | Best overall | (905) 578-4659 | |
| 2 | Greg's Plumbing & Heating | Best for same-day service | Same-day service | (905) 928-6831 |
| 3 | Pitton Plumbing & Heating | Best established full-service plumber | (905) 544-0006 | |
| 4 | Superior Plumbing & Heating | Best for sewer line repair | 24/7 | (866) 932-2818 |
| 5 | Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning of Hamilton-Dundas | Best for Dundas and hard-water homes | 24/7 | (905) 390-3338 |
| 6 | Wentworth Plumbing | Best for backflow and commercial-grade work | (905) 389-5555 | |
| 7 | PlumbWize | Best for the Burlington side | 24/7 | (905) 332-8222 |
Hamilton’s housing stock does most of the work in explaining this list. A large share of the lower city predates the war, which means clay sewer laterals, cast iron stacks, and galvanised supply lines that are somewhere between forty and ninety years past their design life.
That shifts what a good plumber looks like here. Drain and sewer capability matters more than it would in a 2015 subdivision, and camera inspection is worth paying for before anyone quotes an excavation. It is also why the list leans toward companies with decades in the city rather than the newest van.
The other Hamilton specific thing worth knowing: the lateral on your property is yours. The city’s responsibility stops at the property line. Knowing where that line sits before the invoice arrives saves an argument.
The list
Birnie Plumbing & Drains
Best overall
The plumber that has been fixing Hamilton's oldest pipes for longer than most of those pipes have existed.
Why it is here
Birnie sits at the top for a reason that has nothing to do with marketing. The company has been family owned in Hamilton since the 1920s, which means it has worked on the same lower-city housing stock through every generation of pipe: clay laterals, galvanised supply, cast iron stacks, and now the copper and PEX that replaced them. There is not a failure mode in a Hamilton basement it has not seen before.
That history shows up in the service list. Drain and sewer work is the core of the business rather than an add-on, with hydro jetting and sewer line repair alongside the usual fixture and water heater work. In a city where a recurring slow drain usually means tree roots in a clay joint, that emphasis is the right one.
Pricing is stated upfront on the site, and the service area runs the whole Golden Horseshoe from Niagara to Mississauga. It is the pick for a homeowner who wants the call answered by a company that will still be there in ten years.
Best for
- Older homes below the escarpment
- Drain and sewer problems
- An established name
What sets it apart
A hundred years in one city is rare in any trade and almost unheard of in plumbing. Everyone else on this list is measuring tenure in decades.
Worth knowing
- A regional operation this size is rarely the cheapest quote. You are paying for depth, not for a deal.
- Hamilton is one of a dozen cities it serves, so it is not a one-neighbourhood shop.
Greg's Plumbing & Heating
Best for same-day service
Plumbing and HVAC under one roof, a written scope range before work starts, and a same-day window that actually means today.
Why it is here
Greg's is the newest company on this list, established in 2018, and it ranks this high because of how it runs rather than how long it has run. The site commits to same-day service and to giving you a written installed scope range before anyone starts, which is the single practice that prevents most plumbing disputes.
The other thing that sets it apart is the licence list. Greg's does plumbing and HVAC, so a water heater, boiler or furnace call goes to the same company rather than two. For a Hamilton home with a mid-efficiency furnace and a twenty-year-old tank, that overlap is genuinely useful.
It is based at Bigwin Road on the Mountain and covers the surrounding towns, Ancaster through Grimsby, without treating them as an afterthought.
Best for
- Same-day repairs
- Water heaters and boilers
- Mountain and east end
What sets it apart
The written scope range. Most plumbers quote verbally at the door. Greg's puts a range in writing before touching anything.
Worth knowing
- Eight years in business is a short record next to the rest of this list. The reviews are strong, but the long-term track record is still being written.
Pitton Plumbing & Heating
Best established full-service plumber
Forty-plus years, family owned, licensed crews with stocked vehicles, and a warranty. The dependable middle of the market.
Why it is here
Pitton has been trading in Hamilton since 1983 and is still family owned, which puts it in a small group of local plumbers with both tenure and continuity of ownership. The company's own guidance on older homes, recommending more frequent inspection once a system passes twenty years, reads like advice from people who have actually crawled those basements.
It is a full-service operation rather than a specialist: drains, sewer, water heaters, sump pumps, camera inspection and leak work, with licensed plumbers arriving in fully stocked vehicles so a repair does not become two visits.
The warranty is stated on the site, which not every company here can say.
Best for
- General repairs and replacements
- Warranty in writing
- Burlington and Oakville too
What sets it apart
Longevity plus a stated warranty. Birnie has more years; Pitton is the one that spells out what it stands behind.
Worth knowing
- Pitton also runs a portable sanitation division, so plumbing is one half of the business rather than the whole of it.
Superior Plumbing & Heating
Best for sewer line repair
Trenchless sewer repair with a camera first and a written warranty after, from a regional operator with a very large review base.
Why it is here
If the problem is the sewer lateral, Superior is the call. The company runs CCTV inspection before quoting and uses trenchless methods where the line allows, which in a Hamilton lot with a mature maple over the lateral is the difference between a repair and a landscaping bill.
It backs every service with a warranty of up to ninety days and states upfront pricing with no hidden fees. It also references TSSA, which matters the moment a job touches a gas water heater or boiler.
Superior is a regional company serving Hamilton among several cities, and its scale is why it can carry the equipment and the review count it does. Twenty-plus years and a review base in the thousands is not something a two-van shop can offer.
Best for
- Sewer line replacement
- Warranty on drain work
- Gas water heaters and boilers
What sets it apart
Trenchless repair as a standard offering rather than a special order, and a warranty attached to it.
Worth knowing
- The only listed number is toll-free and the company serves several cities. Hamilton is a service area, not home base.
- Regional scale tends to come with regional pricing.
Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning of Hamilton-Dundas
Best for Dundas and hard-water homes
The Hamilton-Dundas franchise with the widest service list here, including water treatment and backwater valves, and a 24/7 line.
Why it is here
Hy-Pro earns its place on breadth. Beyond the standard drain, sewer and water heater work, the Hamilton-Dundas location names trenchless service, water treatment, septic cleaning, root cutting and water main repair. For a Dundas property on a septic system or a well, that range matters.
It is also the one company on this list that addresses Hamilton's water directly. The site cites the city's own testing at roughly 120 mg/L of calcium carbonate, which the utility calls medium hard, and offers softening and treatment alongside the repair work. Scale in a tankless heater is a Hamilton problem, and Hy-Pro is set up for it.
Backwater valve installation is named explicitly, which is worth knowing in a city where basement flooding from sewer surcharge is the reason that valve exists.
Best for
- Dundas and Ancaster
- Water softening and treatment
- Backwater valves and flood prevention
What sets it apart
The only listing here that talks about the water itself, not just the pipes it runs through.
Worth knowing
- It is a franchise location. Standards are consistent, but the crew and the owner can change.
Wentworth Plumbing
Best for backflow and commercial-grade work
Run by a Red Seal master plumber, with backflow prevention and boiler work that most residential shops do not touch.
Why it is here
Wentworth's president is a master plumber with Red Seal certification, and the site invites you to contact him directly. That is unusual, and it tells you the person quoting your job is the person who holds the highest trade qualification in the country.
The service list leans technical: backflow prevention, boilers, tankless water heaters, backwater valves and camera inspection, across residential, commercial and industrial. Backflow testing in particular is a compliance job most residential plumbers subcontract out; Wentworth does it in house.
It has been operating since 2006. It is the right call when the job is a boiler, a backflow device or anything a general plumber would rather not quote.
Best for
- Backflow prevention and testing
- Boilers
- Mixed residential and commercial properties
What sets it apart
A Red Seal at the top of the company, reachable by name.
Worth knowing
- The site does not lead with emergency or same-day service. For a burst pipe at midnight, call someone higher on this list.
PlumbWize
Best for the Burlington side
Twenty years, 24/7, and a Burlington base that makes it the natural call for Waterdown, Aldershot and the west end.
Why it is here
PlumbWize is Burlington based and serves Hamilton, which is why it sits last on a Hamilton list and would sit near the top of a Burlington one. For homes on the west side of the city, or in Waterdown and Aldershot, it is closer than most of the companies above it.
It has been operating for over twenty years and runs a 24/7 emergency line. The service list covers drains, sewer, hydro jetting, sump pumps and camera inspection, which is the core of what a Hamilton basement needs.
It also publishes separate numbers for Burlington and Oakville, so you reach the right dispatch rather than a central desk.
Best for
- Waterdown, Aldershot and west Hamilton
- After-hours emergencies
- Sump pump replacement
What sets it apart
Location. On the Burlington border it is the closest truck, and closeness is what matters at 2am.
Worth knowing
- Based outside Hamilton, so for the east end and the Mountain there are closer options on this list.
Side by side
| Company | Strongest at | Availability | Since | Also serves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birnie Plumbing & Drains | Best overall | Stoney Creek, Burlington, Oakville, St. Catharines… | ||
| Greg's Plumbing & Heating | Best for same-day service | Same-day service | 2018 | Burlington, Ancaster, Dundas, Stoney Creek… |
| Pitton Plumbing & Heating | Best established full-service plumber | 1983 | Burlington, Oakville | |
| Superior Plumbing & Heating | Best for sewer line repair | 24/7 | ||
| Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning of Hamilton-Dundas | Best for Dundas and hard-water homes | 24/7 | Dundas | |
| Wentworth Plumbing | Best for backflow and commercial-grade work | 2006 | ||
| PlumbWize | Best for the Burlington side | 24/7 | Burlington, Oakville, Ancaster |
Which one for your situation
- A slow drain that keeps coming back
- Birnie Plumbing & Drains Recurring slow drains in Hamilton usually mean roots in a clay lateral. Birnie will camera it before it snakes it again.
- A burst pipe or flooding basement right now
- Greg's Plumbing & Heating Same-day service is a standing commitment, not a favour, and the crew can handle the water heater if that is what let go.
- A sewer line that needs replacing
- Superior Plumbing & Heating Trenchless repair with a camera first and a warranty after. It is the difference between a repair and an excavation.
- A house in Dundas on a well or septic
- Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning of Hamilton-Dundas Water treatment, septic cleaning and root cutting are on the list, which is rare for a plumber and exactly what rural Dundas needs.
- A boiler or a backflow device
- Wentworth Plumbing Red Seal master plumber at the top, and backflow testing done in house rather than subcontracted.
- You are in Waterdown or Aldershot
- PlumbWize Burlington based and 24/7. It is simply the nearest truck.
What it costs in Hamilton
| Job | Typical range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Service call and diagnosis | $100 to $200 | Ask whether it is credited against the repair. With some companies it is. |
| Hourly labour | $100 to $150 | After hours, weekends and holidays run one and a half to two times this. |
| Drain snaking | $150 to $350 | A camera inspection on top runs $200 to $400 and is worth it if the problem recurs. |
| Tank water heater replacement | $1,500 to $2,800 | Tankless runs $3,500 to $5,500 and needs a gas line check; ask for the TSSA number. |
| Sump pump replacement | $600 to $1,400 | A battery backup adds $400 to $900 and is the part that matters during an outage. |
| Sewer lateral repair | $3,000 to $12,000 | Trenchless is the low end; open excavation under a driveway is the high end. |
Ranges reflect what these companies and their competitors quote for typical residential work. Every job is priced on inspection.
How to choose in Hamilton
Ask for the 306A
Ontario plumbers hold a 306A Certificate of Qualification. Ask for the number. A company that hesitates has just told you something.
Ask for the WSIB clearance
If an uninsured worker is hurt in your home, the liability can land on you. A WSIB clearance certificate takes a legitimate company thirty seconds to produce.
Know where the lateral ends
In Hamilton, the sewer lateral on your property is yours. The city's responsibility stops at the property line. Most disputed drain invoices start with confusion about that line.
Camera before you dig
In the lower city, ask for a camera inspection before anyone quotes excavation. Clay laterals with root intrusion often need a targeted repair, not a full replacement.
Flat quote where the job can be scoped
Fixture swaps, water heaters and known repairs should be flat quoted. Hourly is fair for diagnosis. Avoid hourly billing on a job the plumber could have quoted.
Check the gas licence for heaters
Any job touching a gas water heater or boiler needs a TSSA-certified gas technician on top of the plumbing licence. Ask which technician holds it.
Questions people ask
What does an emergency plumber cost in Hamilton?
Expect a call-out fee of roughly $100 to $200 before any work, then $100 to $150 an hour. Evenings, weekends and holidays typically carry a premium of one and a half to two times the standard rate. Ask whether the call-out fee is credited against the repair, because with some companies it is.
Why does Hamilton have so much drain work?
Much of the lower city was built before the war, and those homes often still have clay sewer laterals with joints every metre. Tree roots find those joints. If you have a recurring slow drain in an older Hamilton home, the answer is usually a camera inspection rather than another snaking.
Is my sewer lateral my responsibility or the city's?
In Hamilton, the portion of the lateral on private property is the homeowner's responsibility. The city maintains the main and generally the portion under the road. That boundary is where most disputed repair bills come from, so establish it before work starts.
How do I check a plumber is licensed?
Ontario plumbers hold a 306A Certificate of Qualification, and the company should also carry liability insurance and WSIB coverage. Ask for the certificate number and the WSIB clearance. Both are ordinary requests and any legitimate company produces them quickly.
Should I get a flat quote or pay hourly?
Flat quote wherever the job can be scoped, which covers most fixture replacements, water heaters and known repairs. Hourly is reasonable for diagnostic work where nobody yet knows the cause. What you want to avoid is hourly billing on a job the plumber could have quoted.
Does hard water matter in Hamilton?
Yes. The city's own testing puts tap water at roughly 120 mg/L of calcium carbonate, which it classifies as medium hard. That scales tankless heaters and shortens the life of tank ones. A softener is not essential, but flushing a tankless unit annually is.