Plumbing Services in Putnam County, FL

Leaks don’t stand a chance.

Rather text? Send a photo of the problem to 352-377-9447 and we’ll tell you what it sounds like.

Licensed Florida Plumbing Contractor CFC1430748

Locally owned, owner on site. Find it or you don’t pay. Emergency plumbing

to come out, waived on larger jobs

$ 69

flat leak detection, find it or free

$ 375

parts and labor warranty, then the manufacturer's

2 yr

First Choice Plumbing is a licensed plumber in Putnam County, FL, working Palatka, Interlachen, Florahome, Melrose and the surrounding rural corridors. We handle leak detection, pipe repair and repipes, water heaters, drain clearing, well water filtration and septic installs. It’s $69 to come out. Leak detection is $375 flat, and if we don’t find it, you don’t pay. Call or text 352-377-9447.

Why do plumbing problems out here play out differently than they do in town?

In a city neighborhood, a plumbing failure is one system going wrong. Out in Putnam County it’s usually three at once, because you own the whole chain. You own the well and the pump. You own the pressure tank, the softener and whatever’s trying to pull the iron and sulfur out of your water. You own the septic tank and the drain field. City folks call a utility. You call a plumber, and that plumber had better understand all of it.

That’s the part that wears people down. It isn’t the water on the floor, it’s the not knowing. Is that a slab leak or is the toilet running? Is the water heater on its way out or is the anode rod just spent? Is the drain backing up because of a clog, or because the drain field gave out and nobody’s told you yet? A plumber who only knows city plumbing will guess, and you’ll pay for the guess.

You shouldn’t have to become a plumber to keep from getting taken. You should get a straight answer, a real number, and somebody who will tell you when the cheap fix is the right fix. That’s the whole reason this shop exists.

Why does my well water smell like rotten eggs?

That smell is hydrogen sulfide, and around here it’s usually the aquifer, the water heater, or both. The Floridan Aquifer that most of Putnam County draws from runs naturally high in iron and sulfur, because the limestone it moves through is porous and it picks things up on the way. That’s the water side.

The other half of the answer surprises people. If the smell only shows up in the hot water, the aquifer isn’t your problem, your water heater is. The magnesium anode rod inside the tank reacts with sulfur bacteria and produces the odor. Swapping to an aluminum anode rod and flushing the tank often clears it, and that’s a couple hundred dollars of work instead of a filtration system. We’ll tell you that before we’ll sell you a train of tanks, and we’ve told plenty of people exactly that.

When the water itself is the problem, we build for it. Air injection systems and chlorine free systems for sulfur, media tanks for iron, softeners for hardness, and a gas-off tank on the sulfur setups. A whole system runs in the range of a few thousand dollars depending on what your water is doing, and we’ll size it off a real test, not a guess.

How often should I test a private well?

The Florida Department of Health recommends testing a private well every year for bacteria and nitrates, and a fuller panel every three years. Nobody regulates your well for you. Iron and sulfur are a nuisance, but bacteria and nitrates are the ones that matter for your family, and they don't smell like anything. Get your water tested free, no obligation.

Free water testing

We test, we show you the numbers, and we tell you what you actually need. Sometimes that's an anode rod. Sometimes it's a full system. You get the same honest read either way.

What do you actually do out in Putnam County?

Leak Detection, $375 Flat

This is what we’re known for. We find hidden leaks under slabs, in walls, in yard lines and in irrigation, with listening equipment and pressure testing instead of a sledgehammer and a guess. If we don’t find it, you don’t pay, and we write the whole thing up for your insurance carrier.

Well Water Filtration and Softening

Iron staining the tub, sulfur smell in the hot water, hard water eating your fixtures. We build air injection and chlorine free systems, softener and media tank trains, and sulfur systems with a gas-off tank. Water testing is free.

Septic Installs, Drain Fields and Locating

New tanks, replacements, drain field installs and abandonment done properly. We do not pump tanks and we do not do inspections, and we’ll tell you that up front and point you to someone who does. Drain field install and replacement

Water Heaters, Tank and Tankless

Electric, gas and propane. Repairs, swaps and tankless installs, plus the annual tankless flush we do with vinegar rather than chemicals. Tankless water heaters

Drain Clearing and Drain Cleaning

Two different jobs and we price them that way. Clearing is a clog and we’re usually in and out in about an hour and a half. Cleaning is descaling old cast iron with a milling machine until it’s smooth inside again, which is a one to two day job. Drain cleaning and descaling

Repipes, Pipe Repair and Trenchless Lining

Polybutylene, galvanized, failing cast iron and cracked PVC. We repipe in PEX or copper, and where it fits we line the pipe from the inside as a NuFlow Certified Contractor instead of cutting up your house. Trenchless pipe lining

Not sure which one you need? Call or text and tell us what’s going on. Kim will get you on the board.

What does it look like to get this handled?

Call or text and tell us what's going on.

Kim will get the details and where you are in the county, and get you on the board. If it’s an emergency, say so, and it moves.

We come out for $69 and find the actual problem.

Not a guess and not a scare. You get told what’s wrong, what it’ll cost, and what happens if you wait. If it’s a leak hunt, that’s the $375 flat and the find-it-or-free guarantee.

We do the work and stand behind it.

Two years parts and labor. Permits pulled where they’re required. Every hole we cut gets professionally patched. And if the job runs bigger than the moment allows, financing is available on work over roughly $500.

Who permits septic and plumbing work in Putnam County?

Two different offices, and it trips people up constantly.

Septic work goes through the Florida Department of Health in Putnam County, on Crill Avenue in Palatka. They review the site, an environmental health specialist comes out, and the permit is issued before a certified installer can start. That applies to new systems, modifications and repairs.

Regular plumbing work goes through the Putnam County Building Department under Development Services. And yes, replacing a water heater is permitted work in Putnam County. Plenty of homeowners find that out the hard way when they sell the house. We pull the permits on the work we do, so it’s inspected, it’s on the record, and it doesn’t come back on you at closing.

Who's actually going to show up?

Will Harrod owns this company and holds the license, CFC1430748. He does the estimating, the new construction, the remodels and the repipes, and he’s the one who’ll walk your property with you.

That’s the whole shop, and that’s on purpose. Will ran six and seven man crews before and pulled it back to people he’d trust in his own house. When the owner is standing in your kitchen instead of a rep working a commission sheet, the conversation changes. He’s not collecting money from behind a curtain.

The difference is in the details

No pressure and no upsell. If the smaller repair is the right one, that’s the one we’ll quote you.

What Matters	First Choice Plumbing	Typical Plumbing Company or Big-Name Brand
Price to come out	$69 flat, published on the website, waived on larger jobs	Not published anywhere. You find out when the tech is in your driveway
Leak detection	$375 flat. If we don't find it, you don't pay. Written up for your insurance carrier	Hourly, open ended, and no guarantee that anything gets found
Who is on the estimate	The owner and license holder, Will Harrod, CFC1430748	A commissioned sales rep. The license holder is a name on a filing
Wells and septic	Filtration, softening, tanks, drain fields and locating, all in house	Usually city plumbing only. Wells and septic get subbed out or declined
Repair method	Trenchless lining where it fits, so the floors and the yard stay intact	Open cut by default, because that is the only method on the truck
After the work	We patch every hole we cut, with a professional drywall contractor	Holes left open. Patching is your problem and your second contractor
Warranty	Two years parts and labor, then the manufacturer's warranty on top	Commonly one year, or parts only
Turning down work	We tell you when the cheap fix is the right fix, and when someone else is a better call	Every visit is an opportunity to sell the bigger ticket

What septic work do you do in Putnam County, and what don't you do?

We install new septic tanks, replace failing ones, put in drain fields, locate a tank when nobody knows where it is, and handle abandonment and decommission when a property goes onto a different system. We empty the old tank, break it up, crush it and bury it, done to code.

Here’s what we don’t do, and we’d rather you hear it now than after you’ve booked. We don’t pump tanks. We don’t do septic inspections. We don’t remove tanks whole. If that’s what you need, call and we’ll point you to somebody who does it properly, because sending you to the right person is worth more to us than taking a job we’re not set up for. See what we handle on septic

What should I do while I'm waiting on the plumber?

Call us first, then do this. It costs you nothing and it can save you thousands in damage.

Shut the water off. On a well, that’s the valve on the outlet side of the pressure tank, and if you can’t find it, kill the breaker to the well pump. On city water it’s the valve at the meter or where the line enters the house. Go find that valve today, before you need it, and make sure it turns.

Kill power to the water heater if the leak is at the tank, at the breaker for electric or the gas valve for gas. Open the lowest faucet in the house to let the lines drain down. Move anything that can be ruined off the wet floor and get air moving on it. Take photos and video before you clean anything up, because your insurance carrier will want them and so will we when we write up the claim.

Then sit tight. We’re on our way. Emergency plumbing

What parts of Putnam County do you cover?

Our shop sits on SE 221st Street in Hawthorne, which puts us right on the Alachua and Putnam line. Interlachen, Florahome and Melrose are a short run for us. Palatka, Grandin, Bostwick and the stretches along State Road 20 and State Road 100 are regular ground.

We’ll be straight with you about the far side of the county. Putnam is split by the St. Johns River, and the towns east and south of Palatka, places like East Palatka, San Mateo, Satsuma, Welaka, Pomona Park and Crescent City, are a longer haul from Hawthorne. Call and ask. If we can get to you and do the job right, we’ll tell you yes and tell you when. If somebody closer is a better fit for a small repair, we’ll tell you that too, and you’ll have lost nothing but a phone call.

Kim runs dispatch and batches jobs by geography on purpose, so our tech isn’t driving back and forth across the county all day. That’s part of how we keep the trip charge at $69 instead of pricing the drive into every invoice.

Not sure if you’re in range? Call or text 352-377-9447 and we’ll tell you straight.

Price to come out

$69 flat, published on the website, waived on larger jobs.

Leak detection

$375 flat. If we don't find it, you don't pay. Written up for your insurance carrier.

Wells and septic

Filtration, softening, tanks, drain fields and locating, all in house.

Warranty

Two years parts and labor, then the manufacturer's warranty on top.

Frequently Asked Questions About Plumbing in Putnam County

Do you charge to come out?

Yes, $69 flat. It covers the trip and the diagnosis, and it gets waived on larger jobs, generally in the $800 to $1,000 range and up. We publish it because you deserve to know what a call costs before you make it, not after the truck is in your driveway.

How much is leak detection?

$375 flat, anywhere we serve in Putnam County. That's the whole hunt, however long it takes. If we don't find the leak, you don't pay us. We also document everything for your insurance carrier, which matters if you're filing a claim on water damage.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Putnam County?

Yes. Water heater replacement is listed as permitted work by the Putnam County Building Department, same as most work that alters or replaces part of a plumbing system. We pull it as part of the job so the work is inspected and on the record, which is what you want when you sell the house.

Who issues septic permits in Putnam County?

The Florida Department of Health in Putnam County, at 2509 Crill Avenue in Palatka. They review the site, send an environmental health specialist out, and issue the permit before a certified installer can begin. That covers new systems, modifications and repairs.

Do you pump septic tanks?

No. We install tanks, replace them, put in drain fields, locate tanks and handle abandonment and decommission, but pump-outs and septic inspections are not services we offer. Call us anyway and we'll point you to somebody who does them right.

Why does my hot water smell like rotten eggs but the cold water doesn't?

That's almost always the anode rod in your water heater reacting with sulfur bacteria, not your well. Swapping the magnesium rod for aluminum and flushing the tank usually clears it. It's a small job, and we'd rather do the small job than sell you a filtration system you don't need.

Do you go to Interlachen, Florahome and Melrose?

Yes, regularly. We're based in Hawthorne, right on the county line, so that corridor is close work for us. Palatka, Grandin and Bostwick are regular ground too. For towns east and south of Palatka, call and ask and we'll give you a straight answer on whether we can get there.

Do you offer financing?

Yes, on larger jobs, generally from around $500 up. It's a quick application and you'll know before we start. Repipes, water heaters, filtration systems and septic work are the ones people usually finance. Financing

Putnam County, you've got a plumber.

Whether it’s a leak you can’t find, a well that smells wrong, a heater that quit, or a drain field that’s finally done, you’ll get a straight answer and a real number. $69 to come out. Licensed CFC1430748. Two years parts and labor, and we patch every hole we cut.

Leaks don’t stand a chance.

Call Now 352-377-9447 | Book Your Visit Online

Text the same number if that’s easier. Kim will get right back to you.

Tell us what's going on and we'll take it from there

You get a real person, a $69 visit, a flat price before we start, and a company that patches what it cuts and answers the phone when you call back. If a smaller fix is the right call, we’ll tell you that too.

First Choice Plumbing is a locally owned, owner led plumbing company working Gainesville, Hawthorne and Greater Alachua County. Leak detection, repipes, water heaters, drains, trenchless lining, well water filtration and septic. We find it, we fix it, we guarantee it.

Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor CFC1430748

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