RICHMOND GUIDE

Hiring a plumber in Richmond

Virginia licenses tradesmen through DPOR. Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover do not share one permit window. Ask about both.

By Mike M · Sources checked October 5, 2026 · How we write these guides

Look up the credential

Use Virginia DPOR’s license lookup for the tradesman or firm, and read the tradesmen program pages so you know what the credential is supposed to cover. A truck wrap is not a license. If the person who comes out is not the licensee, ask who is responsible for the work.

Match the permit to the address

• Confirm the diagnostic fee, daytime and after hours.
• Ask which locality issues the permit for your street.
• Get parts, labor, and exclusions in writing before plaster comes down.
• In a rowhouse, ask how they will protect shared stairs and the neighbor’s side of a wall.

Older houses need a clearer scope

Discovering galvanized supply or a brittle stack mid-job is common enough that the quote should say what happens if the visible repair turns into a larger one. You can decline an expanded scope. You cannot decline a surprise if nobody wrote the boundary down.

We do not rank anyone

This guide does not score companies. Courtesy is not a substitute for a credential you checked yourself.

A longer list of what to ask before the visit is in questions to ask a plumber. Contractor coverage and your own policy are separated in insurance questions.