Plumber in Glendale, AZ: water, rebates and how to hire

Glendale has an older housing stock than most West Valley cities. Census Bureau survey data for 2024 put the median year a Glendale housing unit was built at 1987; about 34 percent of homes predate 1980 and about 24 percent were built in 2000 or later (ACS table B25034 via Census Reporter). Homes from the 1960s and 1970s are now more than 50 years old, which is when original water heaters are long gone but original drain lines, shut-off valves and supply stops may still be in place. If you own an older Glendale home, ask any plumber to look at the condition of the main shut-off valve and the sewer cleanout while they are there.

Glendale Water Services' About Us page says the city draws on Salt, Verde and Colorado River water, groundwater reserves, and reclaimed wastewater for non-potable uses. It treats and distributes about 13 billion gallons of drinking water and treats about 6 billion gallons of wastewater each year.

The city's web pages we could verify do not publish a current hardness figure. Glendale draws on the same rivers and aquifers as its neighbors, and the neighboring utilities that do publish figures report hard water, so plan for scale on water heaters and fixtures. Our hard water guide lists the published numbers for nearby cities and explains when a softener pays off. To get a number for your own home, ask Water Services or test a tap sample.

Glendale's Lead and Copper page says the city has no records of any known public lead service lines. A records review identified the material of more than 30,000 service lines, about 98 percent of them copper, and found no lead or galvanized pipe so far. Field inspections began in the second quarter of 2024 and will continue until every line is identified. You can look up your address on the city's interactive Lead Service Line Inventory map, and customers will be notified if their line is listed as lead, galvanized or unknown.

The city service line is only part of the picture. Inside an older home, the risk comes from fixtures, solder and private piping. If your home was built before the late 1980s and you are planning a remodel, ask the plumber what your interior pipes are made of.

The city's Water Conservation Rebates page lists, for single-family homes in good standing:

• WaterSense toilet: up to $100 per toilet, not more than the pre-tax price. The new toilet's effective flush volume must not exceed 1.28 gallons, the old toilet must use 1.6 gallons per flush or more and be removed, and the purchase must be within the past 12 months and after January 1, 2023.
• ENERGY STAR clothes washer: up to $200 when replacing a top-load machine, with an Integrated Water Factor of 3.2 or lower.
• Irrigation technology: up to $750 total, including up to $100 each for flow sensors with leak detection.

Installation, parts, tax and shipping are excluded, and rebates are first come, first served while funding lasts. A leaking toilet flapper is one of the most common hidden water wasters, so a toilet replacement can pay twice.

Glendale's Building Safety and Codes Services division is at 5850 West Glendale Avenue. The division page says single-family projects need a Zoning Clearance Letter from the Planning Division before a building permit, and advises checking HOA requirements before submitting plans. For a plumbing job, ask the contractor whether a permit is needed and who will pull it; repiping, sewer replacement and gas line work typically are not simple repairs.

Arizona contractors are licensed by the Registrar of Contractors. Confirm the company's license is active and that its classification covers residential plumbing, such as R-37, R-37R or a dual CR-37 license listed in the ROC classification list. Under A.R.S. 32-1121, an unlicensed handyman may only do casual or minor jobs totaling less than $1,000 that need no building permit, and must state "not a licensed contractor" in advertising. Our hiring guide covers the rest.

This site is an independent guide that explains costs, warning signs and how to hire. It is not a licensed contractor; we do not perform plumbing work and do not answer phones. To reach a plumber, call one of the licensed contractors listed on this page or see all listed contractors. Questions about this guide: email us. We do not take service requests. Run the license checks above on anyone you hire. If water is actively leaking, shut off the main valve first and read our emergency plumbing guide.