Since we started in 1914, we have found charging an hourly rate is fair to both of us. Some companies either quote you a lump sum and then stick you with extra charges when the project gets complicated or overbid the job and keep the extra money you agreed to pay when the project turns out to be easier than expected. Service calls are billed for the time we are working on your project. No hidden fees, no fuel surcharges, no surprises. If they don’t help, please call us for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

We charge an hourly rate based on time and material. All of our vehicles’ locations are tracked using GPS devices. Our service time call starts when the plumber leaves the shop, or the previous customer’s location.

We are open Monday through Friday, 8AM to 4:30PM. Come in and say hello at 1705 W. Lewis St. San Diego, CA 92103.

Powers Plumbing was formed by Luther Powers and his Son Calvin in 1914. In 1917, Powers moved from downtown to Mission Hills. In 1923, Powers commissioned Martin V. Melhorn to design and build the shop that we still occupy today at 1705 W. Lewis Street. The shop has been historically designated as part of the Fort Stockton Trolley Line Historic District.

We strive to be the best plumber in San Diego, but despite our best efforts, sometimes things don’t work out as planned.  If we did not perform service adequately the first time, we will return at no cost to you to correct our mistake.

Drain clogs are guaranteed for 30 days. The guarantee is for our workmanship. Be advised that clogs caused by items introduced into the drain after our service will be a chargeable service call. If we find you have a chronic problem, the service call will also be charged. (Such as a cracked drain line that has not been repaired since our last visit). Please be advised that if we notice a problem with your drain line we will bring it to your attention so that you can take an appropriate course of action to correct it.

Yes! We provide free written estimates for jobs that require more specifics beyond service and repair work.

Service and repair work is billed at an hourly rate with a 1 hour minimum for each plumber. After the first hour we bill in 15 minute increments. We start the time for the job from when we leave our Mission Hills shop and end time when we get back to our shop. This standard rate applies Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM through 4:30 PM.

Inspection of a sewer line with our video camera includes up to two hours of time, still shots from the video feed of your drain line, the spot marked, a depth report of any problem area, and the video may also be sent to you after the inspection.

Billing for your job starts when the plumber is dispatched. The time back to the shop is estimated to be the same as the time to get to your job. This is shown to you on the work order as the total time for the job. We have a GPS and fleet tracking system that shows the plumbers route to your job. Your plumber can show you the time stamps too. These time stamps show when he left, arrived, started work and finished work. There is no mystery with our billing practices. Ask us if you have any questions about time on the job or ask the plumber to show you his time stamps before he leaves if you have any questions. You will be given the opportunity to see the final work order before you sign off to approve the job and are asked to pay the bill before the plumber leaves.

We started using iPads to provide exceptional property management services for those busy professionals who can’t be in two locations at once. Besides emailing your the work order at the conclusion of the job, the plumbers report may also include photos that help explain the repairs to you and the owners. Then, we keep these photos attached with the record for future reference. Photos of your jobs are valuable part of the record that will assist you when budgeting or when dealing with insurance claims or tenant issues.

We bill our hourly rate for the review of documents, inspection and for writing the report. If you decide to hire us to do the work, the entire fee will be credited to the work on your project.

We expect payment due at the time of service with an emailed work order or invoice at the conclusion of the work. Your payment can be made with cash, check, Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Discover cards. If additional financing is needed we ask you to contact the office at or before the time of service. We will provide you with a copy of the invoice by email or if you prefer U.S. Mail please let us know.

The plumber can take your credit card and run it through his iPad. We also can take your card payment at the shop. We will ask you to provide us with an email when we set up the work order so that you can get a receipt of the work completed. We do not wish to take a phone order for a credit card only for your security reasons but will do so if this is your preference. Alternatively, if we send you an invoice by email you can find a link in the email to make the payment. If additional financing is required, we ask that you contact the office at the time of service or before the service call to make these arrangements.

We are centrally located in historic Mission Hills (in Uptown, Central San Diego) with excellent freeway access to get to many parts of town within 15-20 minutes from Downtown, Hillcrest, Point Loma, La Jolla, North Park, South Park, Chula Vista to name a few. We have had clients as far away as Palm Springs and Escondido but for quicker response times we are closest to these service areas and we try to coordinate our appointments whenever possible to save you time and money.

We are open on many bank and school holidays and charge our regular rates. We charge double time on the following observed holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.