Licensed & Insured · CA LIC #982663
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Pacifica, San Francisco, Burlingame, CA · Serving the Bay
PACIFICA, CA • LIC #982663 • 24/7
We answer the phone day, night, weekends, and holidays, with same-day service across the Peninsula.
Works Plumbing handles water line repair in San Francisco, CA on the pipe that brings city water from the street into your home. We find leaks, restore pressure, and replace aging service lines, with the price set before any digging starts.
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If SFPUC has told you your line is galvanized steel or of unknown material, this page explains what that means and what we do about it.
Talk to us about your San Francisco water line
SFPUC’s own reporting splits every water service into two parts: a utility-side line and a customer-owned line. The utility has been replacing its side. The customer-owned line, the pipe that runs on your property toward the building, is the part we repair and replace.
Before we quote, we confirm exactly where your line changes from the utility’s section to yours.
Service line problems tend to show up in one of these ways:
Low pressure at every tap usually points to the service line or the main shutoff. Low pressure at only one shower or sink is more often a fixture problem.
A single leak on a sound line can often be repaired. An aging galvanized line is a different case.
| Situation | What we usually recommend |
|---|---|
| One leak on copper or plastic pipe in good condition | Repair the damaged section |
| Leak at a fitting near the meter or house | Replace the fitting and a short run of pipe |
| Galvanized line flagged by SFPUC | Full replacement of the customer-side line |
| Material unknown | Identify it first, then decide |
| Repeated leaks on the same line | Full replacement |
Patching galvanized pipe tends to move the leak to the next weak joint. When the line is already flagged, replacement is usually the better use of your money.
We find the line’s path between the meter and the house and confirm the pipe material at each end. If there is a leak, we pinpoint it before opening the ground.
San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection requires a plumbing permit before cutting into or replacing buried pipe. We include the permit and inspection in the plan.
For a section repair, we expose the leak, cut out the damaged pipe, and join new pipe to sound material. For a replacement, we run new pipe from the meter connection to the house shutoff.
We pressure-test the new pipe, flush the line, and check pressure at the fixtures. Then we close the excavation and schedule the city inspection.
Many owners get used to weak water pressure without knowing why. When a galvanized line has narrowed inside, the change is slow enough to miss.
After a replacement, the difference often shows up at the shower first. If pressure is still low at one fixture after the service line is fixed, our shower repair in San Francisco team can check the valve and showerhead.
A broken service line can flood a yard or a garage quickly. Take these steps first:
We offer 24/7 emergency response for water line breaks. We stop the leak first, then return to the question of repair or replacement.
If you are concerned about lead, testing is the first step. In 2024 tap sampling, SFPUC reported lead at 4.9 ppb at the 90th percentile, well under the 15 ppb action level.
SFPUC offers lead tests for $25 per tap. You can request one through 311 or on the SFPUC website. A test result and our inspection of the line together give you a clear picture.
We serve homes across San Francisco, from the Outer Sunset to Parkside and Golden Gate Heights. For whole-home pipe work beyond the service line, see our repiping services.
SFPUC says my service line is galvanized. Do I have to replace it?
SFPUC lists customer-owned galvanized lines as recommended for replacement because they may have been connected to old lead pipe. We can confirm the material and price the replacement so you can decide with the facts in hand.
Does San Francisco have lead water service lines on private property?
SFPUC states that its plumbers have never observed a customer-owned lead service line. The focus is on galvanized lines that may have been connected to lead connectors on the utility side.
My line is listed as unknown material. What should I do?
As of January 2026, SFPUC listed 109 lines of unknown material. We can expose the pipe at the meter and where it enters the building to identify it.
Who pays for a water line repair in San Francisco?
SFPUC separates utility-side lines from customer-owned lines, and it has been replacing galvanized pipe on its own side. The customer-owned line is the owner’s to repair. We confirm where your line changes hands before quoting.
Do I need a permit to replace my water line in San Francisco?
Yes, in most cases. The Department of Building Inspection requires a plumbing permit before cutting into or replacing buried pipe. We handle the permit and inspection.
Will a new service line fix my low water pressure?
If the old line was galvanized and narrowed inside, a new line often restores pressure across the house. If one fixture is still weak, the problem is likely at that fixture.
Whether you have an active leak or a letter from SFPUC about a galvanized line, Works Plumbing can confirm the pipe, price the work, and repair or replace it.
Book water line repair in San Francisco
Have you lost water pressure? Maybe you noticed that the ground has a constant puddle. We work with clients that are both on city water as well as having wells. There are several reasons for broken water lines such as ground movement, freezing, or just getting old. Over time your water line outside will eventually give way and will need to be replaced. Finding the proper repair service is important in getting that water line fixed. If you have a water line underground, as many of them are, we will need to bring in some heavy equipment to dig into the source of the problem at times. Most times, however, we have a solution that doesn’t require any digging. This modern-day style of plumbing allows you to save money. Should you simply have no water coming into the home, this could mean there is more of a problem than just the line. It could be a dried-up well. No worries, we are pipe repairing professionals and will test that before we reach any conclusions.
Every job comes with upfront pricing, licensed and background-checked technicians, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee . No surprises, no pressure, ever.
Snap a photo of the problem before you call, it helps us bring the right parts on the first visit.
See how we handle it:
Upfront pricing, licensed techs, and a real human on the phone 24/7 across the Peninsula.
A look at real Works jobs around the Peninsula.
San Francisco has done more than most cities to clear old service lines, and its own numbers show where the remaining work sits. The SFPUC 2025 Annual Water Quality Report says the utility removed all known lead service lines in the 1980s.
The report then turns to galvanized steel. On the utility side, SFPUC confirmed about 1,495 galvanized service lines that may once have had lead “whips,” short lead connectors typically 3 feet or less. As of January 2026, 1,433 had been replaced with copper. Lead whips turned up in 19 percent of the galvanized services removed.
The customer side is where owners come in. As of January 2026:
SFPUC also states that its plumbers have never observed a customer-owned lead service line. The concern is the galvanized pipe and what it was once connected to.
There is a second reason galvanized lines fail. Steel pipe corrodes from the inside over decades, narrowing the bore and lowering pressure until a joint leaks.
We at Works Plumbing start these jobs by confirming the material at the meter and where the line enters the building. If it is galvanized or unknown, we explain the options and price a full replacement.
We also serve these neighboring Peninsula towns.
We’ve earned our reputation one happy homeowner at a time.
“Thank you again for another job well done, and thank you for responding right away. I will continue to recommend Works Plumbing because they respond right away and get the job done efficiently.”
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