A plumbing quote should not be a guess that grows. At Nic’s Plumbing every job, from a dripping tub spout to a whole-house repipe, comes back to you as three written options: Good, Better and Best, each with its own price and a plain description of what it includes. You read them on your phone, ask anything you like, and approve one before we pick up a tool. The number you approve is the number on the invoice. The quote itself is free.
- What you getThree written, priced options for your specific job
- When you get itAfter we have looked at the actual pipe, not from a phone guess
- How you approveDigitally, on your phone, before any work starts
- What it costsNothing, and no obligation to pick any of the three
How the free quote works, step by step
Tell us what is going on
Use the short form below or call (206) 571-6044. A sentence or two is plenty: rusty water upstairs, a water heater making noise, a basement drain that backs up when it pours.
We come look
You get a live tracking link when your technician is on the way. We inspect the real pipe, the real access, and what the last remodel left behind. Old Seattle houses rarely match the drawing.
Three written options land on your phone
Good, Better and Best, each priced, each spelled out, with our honest recommendation of which one we would choose for your house and why.
You approve one, or none
Take your time. Ask questions. Approve with a tap when you are ready. Nothing starts until you do, and nothing is added later without the same approval.
We do the work and prove it
Floor runners down, workspace sanitized when we leave, and side-by-side before-and-after photos of exactly what you paid for.
Request your free quote
Five quick fields. We will follow up to set a time to look, and your three options come after that visit.
Schedule Service
Tell me what's going on and where. I'll take a look, then explain the options.
Why plumbing quotes go wrong
Ask Seattle homeowners about the last plumber they hired and the complaint is rarely the plumbing. It is the quote. A verbal number at the door that turned into a bigger one on the invoice. A “rough estimate” that was never put in writing. A price that went up mid-job because “we found something,” with no chance to say no. Three quotes for the same repipe that describe three different jobs, so there is no way to compare them. Or the opposite problem: a part that cost very little, billed as if it were a whole afternoon.
None of that is about skill. It is about how the job was priced and who was in control of the decision. Our quote is built to put that control back where it belongs, with the person who owns the house.
Why three options, and why not by the hour?
Plumbers generally price one of two ways. Hourly billing charges for time plus materials, which can be fair for a fifteen-minute fix but leaves you holding the risk when a job in a 1910 wall runs long. Flat-rate pricing gives you a firm number before work starts and puts the risk of complications on the plumber, where it belongs. We quote flat-rate, in writing, after looking at the job.
Then we go one step further and give you three flat-rate options instead of one. A single number forces a single answer. Three options let you choose how far to go: a sound repair that solves today’s problem, a fuller fix that addresses what is behind it, or the do-it-once version for a house you plan to keep. You will also see a lot of industry writing that treats “Good, Better, Best” as a sales trick for raising the average ticket. We use the same three words and mean the opposite. Good is a real fix, not bait. Best is what we would do in our own house, not a padded upgrade. And we will tell you plainly which one we would pick for yours.
| How it is priced | What you know before work starts | Who carries the risk of surprises | Your choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly plus materials | A rate, not a total | You | Yes or no |
| Single flat-rate quote | One total | The plumber | Yes or no |
| Nic’s Good / Better / Best | Three totals, each spelled out | The plumber | Pick the scope that fits, or none |
Example: a water heater quote
Say your tank is leaking at the base in a Ballard bungalow with the heater tucked in a basement corner. Here is the shape of the three options you would see. What each tier includes depends on your house, and prices are in the written quote, not on a web page.
Like-for-like replacement
A new tank of the same type and size in the same spot, installed to current King County code so the fix is safe and permitted, not just quick.
- Remove and haul away the old heater
- New tank, new flexible connectors and shutoff
- Two seismic straps and a proper TPR discharge line
- Permit and inspection handled
Replacement plus the things around it
Everything in Good, plus the parts that usually fail next, so you are not calling again in two years for the drain pan or the expansion tank.
- Everything in Good
- Expansion tank where the system is closed
- Drain pan and leak sensor at the base
- Corroded venting or gas flex replaced
Efficiency upgrade
Move to a heat pump water heater or a tankless unit sized for the house, with the electrical or gas work planned in advance and the rebate paperwork pointed out.
- Everything in Better, adapted to the new unit
- Heat pump or tankless, sized to your fixtures and family
- Condensate, venting and electrical planned before install day
- Seattle City Light heat pump water heater rebate flagged (confirm the current amount with City Light)
More on the choices themselves is on our water heater installation and efficiency upgrades page, including tankless vs. tank for older homes and heat pump water heaters in Seattle.
Example: a whole-house repipe quote
Now the big one. A Queen Anne foursquare with rusty morning water, weak pressure on the third floor and original galvanized supply lines. This is the decision homeowners dread most, and it is exactly where three written options help, because “repipe” can mean three very different jobs.
Targeted mitigation
Replace the runs that are failing now, restore pressure where it hurts most, and give the house time without opening every wall.
- Camera and pressure diagnosis of the full system
- Worst runs and seized shutoffs replaced
- Written note on what will likely need attention next
Partial repipe
New lines on the main paths: service entry, trunk lines and the runs to the busiest fixtures, with sound newer sections left in place.
- Everything in Good
- Mixed-metal joints removed with proper fittings
- Openings in plaster and floors planned and photographed in advance
Whole-house repipe
Every galvanized supply line out and a clean copper or PEX system in, labeled at a new manifold. The do-it-once answer for a house you intend to keep.
- Everything in Better
- All supply lines replaced, water heater connections included
- Labeled shutoffs and a tidy manifold
- Permit, inspection and before-and-after photos of every run
The full story of what we find in old walls, and how copper and PEX compare, is on our whole-house repiping page. If your concern is underground instead, the same three-option quote applies to side sewer repair and trenchless replacement: a spot repair, a lined section, or a full replacement, each priced in writing.
What “approved before work” actually means
The rule we hold ourselves to
No work starts until you have approved a written option. If we open a wall and find something the quote did not cover, we stop, show you (with a photo), and write it up as a new option with its own price. You approve that too, or you tell us to leave it. A mid-job surprise is never a line item you learn about on the invoice.
That is the whole idea behind the digital quote. It is not a formality. It is the moment the price stops being ours and becomes yours, and everything after it has to match.
What a good plumbing quote includes
Whether you hire us or someone else, you should be able to check every quote against this list. It is what we put in ours.
The checklist
- In writing. A verbal number at the door is not a quote.
- After a look, not a phone guess. A price quoted sight-unseen for an old house is a price that will change.
- What is included, spelled out. Parts, labor, and what “done” looks like.
- Permits and inspections. Whether they are needed, who pulls them, and that they are in the price.
- Haul-away and cleanup. The old water heater, the old pipe, the dust.
- What happens if something unexpected turns up. The answer should be “we stop and show you,” not “it depends.”
- Timeline. Days on site and when you will have water.
- Warranty terms, written down. On labor and on parts.
- Who does the work. The person quoting, or a sub you have not met.
- Payment terms. Deposit, if any, and when the balance is due. Full payment up front is a warning sign.
- Proof of what was done. Photos before and after, so you are not taking anyone’s word for what is behind the drywall.
Red flags worth walking away from: a “today-only” price, pressure to sign on the spot, and no mention of permits on a job that clearly needs one.
What comes with every approved option
- Three written, priced options on every job
- Approved digitally before work begins
- Live tracking link when your tech is en route
- Floor runners and a sanitized workspace
- Before-and-after photos of every repair
- Permanent fixes recommended over patches
The quote is one part of a standard that runs through the whole visit. Tech en route · live map Read the full Nic’s Plumbing process, or if you would rather know what a first visit feels like before you book, what to expect on a first visit walks through it.
See three real numbers for your house before deciding anything
Fill in the form or call. We will come look, then send Good, Better and Best in writing for you to approve, or not, on your own time.
Where a three-option quote helps most
Whole-house repiping
Mitigation, partial or full repipe for galvanized-era Seattle homes. The biggest decision, and the clearest case for three written options.
Side sewer repair
Spot repair, lining or full trenchless replacement, priced after a camera inspection, with Seattle’s permit rules handled.
Water heaters
Like-for-like, upgraded, or a heat pump or tankless efficiency move, each as its own written option.
Heavy-rain drainage
From downspout fixes to sump pumps and backwater valves, so a wet basement gets a plan and not a guess.
Repairs and service calls
Leaks, fixtures and clogs. Small jobs still get a written price you approve first.
Contact Nic’s Plumbing
Prefer to talk it through first? Phone and email for the Seattle neighborhoods we serve.
Ready? Request your free quote
Same short form. Tell us what you are seeing and the neighborhood, and we will take it from there.
Schedule Service
Tell me what's going on and where. I'll take a look, then explain the options.
Questions homeowners ask about our quotes
Is the quote really free?
Yes. Requesting a quote and receiving your three written options costs nothing, and you are not obligated to choose any of them. We would rather you compare us honestly against other quotes than feel pressured. If you decide to go with a different plumber, use the checklist above to make sure their quote is as clear as ours.
Can you give me a price over the phone?
For an old Seattle house, a phone price is a guess, and a guess is what turns into a surprise later. We can talk through what you are seeing and what the likely paths are, but the real numbers come after we have looked at the pipe, the access and the condition of what is around it. That visit is what makes the written quote reliable.
What do Good, Better and Best actually mean on my quote?
They describe how far the job goes, not how well it is done. Good is a complete, sound fix for the immediate problem. Better addresses what is behind it so you are not calling again soon. Best is the permanent version for a house you plan to keep. All three are done to the same standard, and we tell you which one we would choose for your home and why.
What if you find something unexpected once the wall is open?
We stop, photograph it, and send you a new written option with its own price. You approve it, or you tell us to leave it alone and we finish the work you already approved. Old houses hide things; that is normal. What is not normal is discovering the surprise on the invoice, and that does not happen here.
Do your quotes include permits, haul-away and cleanup?
When a job needs a permit, such as a whole-house repipe or a water heater replacement, the permit and inspection are part of the written option, and we say so. Removing the old equipment, hauling it away, and leaving the workspace sanitized are included in every tier. If something is not included, the quote says that in plain words.
Should I get more than one quote for a repipe or sewer job?
For a big job, yes, and we mean it. Just make sure each quote is in writing and describes the same scope, or you will be comparing three different jobs. Our three options are laid out so that a comparison is easy: you can hold our Better against someone else’s single number and see exactly where the difference is.