GM Remodeling Services LLC is a licensed and insured plumber in Philadelphia. We repair leaks, replace fixtures and water heaters, clear drains and re-pipe older houses, and we quote every job in person at no charge.
Schedule a Free In-Home ConsultationMost calls we get fall into two groups. The first is something that stopped working: a faucet that drips, a toilet that keeps running, a water heater that went cold, a drain that backs up. The second is a house whose plumbing has reached the end of its life, where the repairs keep coming and it is time to replace a section of pipe or all of it.
We do both. Because GM is also a remodeling company, the same team can close the wall, patch the plaster or retile once the plumbing is done. We have worked in Philadelphia homes since 2011.
The right answer depends on the condition of the pipe around the problem, not only on the leak you can see.
A single leak at a joint, a worn faucet cartridge, a failed toilet fill valve or a clog close to the fixture are repairs. If the pipe around the problem is sound, fixing that one point is the right call and replacing more would be money spent for nothing.
Galvanized steel supply pipe rusts from the inside. The signs are low pressure upstairs, brown water after the house sits empty and pinhole leaks that show up in different places. Once that pattern starts, each repair buys less time and replacing the run is usually the better use of money.
A tank that leaks from the tank body cannot be repaired. A heater that is dry but not heating may only need a thermostat, an element, a thermocouple or a gas valve. Age counts too, since most tank heaters last around ten years. We check which case it is before recommending a new unit.
A large share of the city’s housing was built before 1950, and the plumbing reflects it. It is common to find galvanized supply lines, cast-iron drain stacks and, in some houses, a lead service line from the street. Drain stacks often run inside the party wall shared with the next house, the main shutoff is usually in the basement near the front wall, and many homes have had partial updates over the decades, so copper, galvanized and plastic meet in the same run. None of this is a reason to worry. It does mean the whole run should be looked at before a quote is given, because the fitting that failed is often just the weakest point of an older line. If water is already coming through a ceiling, our emergency plumber page explains what to do first.
We do not publish a price list because the same job can be very different from one house to the next. These are the things that change the number. You get the quote after we see the job in person.
A valve under a sink is easy to reach. A leak inside a wall or above a finished ceiling means opening and repairing a surface, and that labor is part of the job.
Replacing a few feet of pipe is different from replacing a riser that runs three floors. The material and the number of fixtures the line serves also count.
Replacing a fixture in the same place generally does not need a permit. New piping and relocated drains do, and a water heater replacement often does. In Philadelphia the plumbing permit is filed with Licenses & Inspections by a licensed contractor, not by the homeowner.
Dripping faucets, running toilets, leaking shutoff valves and leaks inside walls or ceilings. A stain on a ceiling under a bathroom usually comes from a drain or a failed seal at the tub or toilet, and we trace it before opening more than we need to.
Sinks, faucets, toilets, shower valves, garbage disposals and outdoor spigots. If you bought the fixture yourself, send us the model so we can confirm it fits the existing connections before the visit.
Repair and replacement of tank and tankless water heaters. When replacing one, we ask how many people and bathrooms the house has, since a tank that is too small is the most common complaint after a swap.
Slow or blocked sinks, tubs, toilets and main lines. One slow fixture is usually a local clog. Several fixtures backing up at once, especially in the basement, point to the main line.
Replacement of corroded or leaking supply and drain lines, by section or for the whole house.
The pipes run vertically through chases, closets and the party wall. The work is planned riser by riser, so only the walls along each run are opened.
Burst pipe or water coming through a ceiling? Our emergency plumber in Philadelphia page explains what to do first, and the same number is answered 24 hours a day.
Tell us what is going on. We will come out, look at it and give you a quote, and the visit is free.
Call (267) 968-3913It depends on the job, how hard the pipe is to reach and whether a permit is needed. Small repairs at a fixture you can get to cost the least; work inside walls or on a main line costs more. We look at the job in person and give you a quote before any work starts. The visit is free.
Not for replacing a faucet, toilet or sink in the same location. New piping and relocated drains need a plumbing permit from Licenses & Inspections, and it has to be filed by a licensed contractor rather than by the homeowner.
If the rest of the pipe is in good condition, repair it. If it is old galvanized steel and this is not the first leak, replacing that run usually costs less than a series of repairs and the damage each leak causes.
If only one fixture is weak, the cause is usually a clogged aerator or a failing valve. If the whole house is weak and the neighbors are fine, old galvanized pipe narrowed by rust is the usual reason. If the neighbors have the same problem, call the Philadelphia Water Department.
Yes. Plumbing is part of our kitchen remodeling and bathroom remodeling projects, including moving sinks, toilets and showers.
We serve Philadelphia and nearby New Jersey. Call (267) 968-3913 with your address and we will tell you whether we can come out.
We work in houses across the city, from Northeast Philadelphia, where our shop is on Cottman Avenue, to South and West Philadelphia and Center City, and in nearby New Jersey. Call or text (267) 968-3913 to set up a free in-home quote.
