A Tampa Homeowner's Plumbing Guide: Old Neighborhoods to New

Tampa is home base for us. Our shop is on W Kathleen St in West Tampa, and we've been doing plumbing work across the city since 2016. Tampa has some of the oldest homes in the Bay area and plenty of newer ones, and each has its own plumbing patterns. Here's what to watch for depending on where and when your home was built.

Historic Bungalows: Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Hyde Park

Bungalows in these neighborhoods date back to the 1910s and 1920s. Most have been updated at some point, but often only partly, so you can find several generations of pipe in one house. Common issues:

• Cast-iron and clay drain and sewer lines that are close to 100 years old
• Galvanized supply pipe that rusts from the inside, causing low pressure and rusty water
• Mixed materials where old pipe meets new, which are common failure points
• Big live oaks whose roots find their way into old sewer lines

If you're restoring a bungalow, the plumbing is often the best place to invest while walls and floors are open. See signs you need a repipe.

Mid-Century Homes: West Tampa, South Tampa

Many mid-century homes in West Tampa and South Tampa still have their original cast-iron drain lines and galvanized supply pipe. After 60 or more years, cast-iron drains crack and corrode, which shows up as slow drains, backups and sewer smells. See cast-iron drain pipes and tree roots in sewer lines.

Ybor City, Downtown and Older Commercial Buildings

Older buildings in Ybor City, Tampa Heights and downtown often have aging pipes, and burst or broken pipe repairs are common calls there. For businesses, see our commercial plumbing maintenance checklist.

Newer Homes: Westshore, New Tampa

Newer areas have the opposite problem from the historic neighborhoods. The pipes are modern, but builder-grade faucets, toilet valves, shut-offs and water heaters are reaching the end of their life. See our 25-year plumbing checklist, which applies to most homes built in the 1990s and 2000s.

Everywhere in Tampa: Hard Water

Tampa's water is hard and mineral-heavy. Scale builds up inside water heaters, faucets and toilet valves, so they wear out sooner than they would elsewhere. Flushing your water heater once a year and a water softener or filter slow that down. See why your water heater is popping.

Permits in Tampa

Inside Tampa city limits, plumbing permits go through the City of Tampa. Areas just outside the city, like Town 'n' Country, are unincorporated Hillsborough County and go through the county instead. Water heater replacements and repipes typically need a permit, and when a job needs one, we pull it as part of the job.

Plumbing Help in Tampa

Believe Plumbing serves all of Tampa, from West Tampa, South Tampa, Hyde Park, Palma Ceia and Davis Islands to Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Ybor City, Westshore and New Tampa. We're licensed (CFC1429476), and estimates are free. See our Tampa plumbing page, including sewer line repair, repiping and water heaters, or contact us.