Chris Johnson Plumbing has been serving Kennewick homeowners and businesses since 2006. For nearly two decades, we have shown up when pipes fail, drains back up, and water heaters quit. Local plumbers. Sound pipes. Honest quotes.
Whether you need a leaking pipe repaired today or a full bathroom fixture installation scheduled for next week, we handle it all. Same-day availability, up-front pricing, and work performed by licensed plumbers on every job. With a local shop, your questions go straight to the people doing the work.
Call (509) 619-1595 for a quote.
Every home's plumbing tells a different story, and after twenty years in the Tri-Cities area, we have heard most of them. Slow kitchen drains. Dripping faucets that have dripped for six months. A water heater that stopped producing hot water overnight. A sewer backup that turned a Tuesday into a crisis. We handle all of it, and we treat your home and its pipes the way we would our own.
Our work covers the full range of residential and commercial plumbing. Drain cleaning and clog removal, from a sluggish bathroom sink to a floor drain that needs hydro jetting to clear years of buildup. Leak detection and repair, including hidden leaks inside walls and under slabs that show up as a high water bill before they show up as visible damage. Toilet repair and installation, faucet and fixture work, shower valves, bathtub drains, and garbage disposals.
We also handle the bigger jobs. Whole-house repiping in PEX or copper when galvanized pipe has run its course. Sewer and main line service, including sewer camera inspection, main line clog clearing, and trenchless sewer repair where the site allows. Water pressure diagnostics when flow drops or spikes, and shutoff valve repair and replacement when the valve that is supposed to stop a problem refuses to turn.
If your water heater is leaking, taking too long to recover, or has simply reached the end of its life, we repair and replace both tank and tankless units. We also install tankless water heaters for homeowners who want on-demand hot water and better long-term efficiency.
Code-compliant plumbing on every job. We keep your home dry and your water flowing.
A burst pipe does not wait for business hours. Neither do we. When something goes seriously wrong, a local plumber homeowners rely on is exactly what you need, and we work to get there the same day.
We respond to burst pipes, major leaks, sewer backups, toilet overflows, and sudden loss of hot water. We assess the situation, explain what we found, and get the repair underway without padding the estimate. Quick response. Straight pricing. No surprises under the sink.
Call (509) 619-1595 and we will get someone moving toward your door.
The hardest part of a plumbing problem is knowing when to call, and a lot of people wait longer than they should because they are worried about what the bill will look like. We understand that. Our approach is straightforward: we give you an up-front quote before any work begins, so you know exactly what you are agreeing to. No charges added after the fact, no vague line items, no bill that bears no resemblance to the number you heard on the phone.
We do not promise a specific dollar figure here because every job is different. A dripping faucet and a main line repair are not the same call. What we do promise is that you will know the price before we pick up a wrench. Reach out and we'll get it diagnosed quickly.
Your home deserves pipes that are sound and up to code, and so does your rental property, your office building, or your restaurant kitchen. We work for homeowners, landlords, property managers, and commercial clients across the area.
On the residential side, that means everything from a leaking pipe under the kitchen sink to a full bathroom remodel rough-in. On the commercial side, we handle commercial drain cleaning, commercial water heater installation, backflow prevention, and pipe repair for multi-unit buildings and light commercial spaces. Landlords and property managers call us when a tenant reports a problem and they need it handled without a lot of back-and-forth.
Experienced plumbers who respect your home show up to every job the same way, whether it is a single-family house in Kennewick or a commercial building in the Tri-Cities area. With a local shop, your questions go straight to the people doing the work. Call us and the rest is on our team.
Kennewick winters are not gentle. January and February bring hard freezes, and the freeze-thaw cycles that run through Benton County each year put real stress on pipes in crawl spaces, exterior walls, and unheated utility areas. Snowmelt in the spring adds its own pressure. The three services below come up regularly in this area, and we handle each one with the local conditions in mind.
When temperatures drop into the teens, exposed or under-insulated pipes in crawl spaces and exterior walls are the first to go. A frozen pipe can become a burst pipe quickly, and a burst pipe can put a significant amount of water into a home in a short time. We thaw frozen pipes safely, repair burst sections, and help identify where insulation gaps are leaving pipes vulnerable. If you wake up to no water pressure on a cold morning, that is the call to make.
Spring snowmelt and seasonal runoff push groundwater up in the Tri-Cities area, and basements and crawl spaces without a working sump pump can take on water before a homeowner realizes what is happening. We install, repair, and replace sump pumps and also service ejector pumps for homes where the plumbing sits below the main sewer line. A pump that fails during a heavy melt can cause as much damage as a burst pipe, so we take these calls seriously.
Before the cold season arrives, exposed pipes in unheated garages, crawl spaces, and outbuildings need proper insulation. We also winterize outdoor faucets and hose bibs, check and replace shutoff valves that may not close fully, and walk through the areas of a home most likely to cause trouble once temperatures drop. Frost-free hose bib installation is a common upgrade that removes one of the most common freeze points on a house. Getting this done in the fall is a lot less expensive than dealing with a burst line in February.
We are based in Kennewick and work throughout the surrounding area. That includes Richland, Pasco, West Richland, Benton City, Prosser, Finley, and Burbank. If you are in Benton County or the broader Tri-Cities metro and need a plumber, we are close by and familiar with the homes, the water, and the seasonal patterns that affect plumbing in this part of Washington.
You call us, describe what is going on, and we ask a few questions to get a clear picture of the problem. We schedule a visit, often the same day for urgent calls, and a licensed plumber shows up, diagnoses the issue, and gives you a quote before any work begins. Once you approve the work, we complete the repair and confirm everything is functioning correctly before we leave.
Yes, we work with homeowners, landlords, property managers, and commercial clients across Kennewick and the surrounding Tri-Cities area. On the residential side, that covers everything from a dripping faucet to a full repipe. On the commercial side, we handle drain cleaning, water heater installation, sewer line service, and pipe repair for multi-unit buildings, restaurants, and office spaces.
Yes, older homes are a regular part of our work in Kennewick and Benton County. Galvanized pipe corrodes from the inside over time, restricting flow and eventually leaking. We assess the condition of existing pipes honestly and help you decide whether a targeted repair or a full repipe makes more sense for your situation.
It helps to know the general location of the problem, whether you have already shut off any water, and whether the issue is urgent or something that can wait a day or two. If you know where your main shutoff valve is, that is useful information to have on hand. We will ask a few quick questions when you call to make sure we send the right tools for the job.
Someone over the age of 18 should be present during the visit so we can walk through what we find and get approval before starting any work. We give you a quote before we pick up a wrench, and that conversation needs to happen in person or by phone with the person authorizing the work. If your schedule is tight, let us know when you call and we will do our best to find a window that works.
Shut off the water supply to the fixture first if you can reach the shutoff valve safely. For a toilet, the valve is usually on the wall behind and below the tank. If you cannot reach a fixture shutoff, turn off the main water supply to the house. Then call us and we will get someone moving toward your door as quickly as possible.
Low water pressure throughout the house, drains that are backing up in more than one fixture, water stains on ceilings or walls, a running toilet that will not stop, and any visible leak that is actively dripping or pooling are all reasons to call promptly. Waiting on these problems tends to increase the repair cost and the potential for water damage. If something seems off with your plumbing, calling sooner is almost always the right move.
It helps to make sure the plumber has clear access to the water heater, the main shutoff valve, and any fixture or area related to the problem. Moving stored items out of a utility closet or crawl space access point before we arrive saves time and lets us get to work faster. If access is difficult, let us know when you call so we can plan accordingly.
It depends on the job. A faucet replacement or toilet repair is usually completed in under an hour. A water heater replacement or main line clearing typically takes a few hours. Larger work like a full repipe or a sewer line repair is planned in advance and may take a full day or more. We will give you a realistic time estimate when we quote the job so you can plan around it.
Payment is due when the work is complete. We give you a clear quote before we start, so the number on the invoice matches what you agreed to. There are no charges added after the fact for work we did not discuss with you first.
A targeted repair makes sense when the rest of the system is in good condition and the problem is isolated. When pipes are corroded throughout the house, or when a water heater is old enough that a repair only delays the inevitable, a replacement or repipe is often the more cost-effective path over time. We help you think through that decision honestly based on what we actually find, not on what generates the bigger job.
Leak found. Leak fixed. Water back on.
Chris Johnson Plumbing has been handling plumbing repairs and installations in Kennewick since 2006. Same-day availability when the situation calls for it. Up-front pricing before any work begins. Work performed by licensed plumbers on every job, every time.
Call (509) 619-1595 for a quote. Call us and the rest is on our team.
We handle the full range of residential and commercial plumbing in Kennewick and the Tri-Cities area, from a dripping faucet to a burst pipe on a January morning. The table below covers what each service includes, who it is best for, and a practical note to help you decide what to do next. Every job comes with an up-front quote before any work begins, and work is performed by licensed plumbers on every call.
| Type of Job | What's Included | Recommended For | Things to Keep in Mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drain Cleaning & Clog Removal | sink, tub, and floor drain clearinghydro jetting for heavy buildupkitchen grease and soap scum removal | Slow or completely blocked drains in any fixture | Recurring clogs in the same drain often point to a deeper line issue worth inspecting |
| Garbage Disposal Service | disposal repair and resetfull disposal replacementdrain connection and leak repair | Disposals that hum but do not spin, leak, or have stopped working entirely | Most disposal replacements are completed in under an hour |
| Frozen & Burst Pipe Repair | safe pipe thawingburst section repair and replacementidentifying insulation gaps that leave pipes vulnerable | Homes losing pressure or showing no water flow during or after a hard freeze | Kennewick's January and February temperatures put crawl space and exterior wall pipes at the highest risk |
| Emergency Plumbing | burst pipe responsemajor leak containment and repairsewer backup and overflow service | Any plumbing failure that cannot wait for a scheduled appointment | Same-day availability for urgent calls; we assess and quote before any work begins |
| Pipe Insulation & Winterization | exposed pipe insulation in crawl spaces and garagesoutdoor faucet and hose bib winterizationfrost-free hose bib installation | Homeowners preparing for Benton County winters before the cold arrives | Winterizing in the fall is considerably less expensive than repairing a burst line in February |
| Water Heater Repair & Replacement | tank water heater repair and replacementtankless unit installationsame-day response for no-hot-water calls | Water heaters that are leaking, slow to recover, or past their service life | Most tank water heaters last 8 to 12 years; a unit older than that is often more cost-effective to replace than repair |
| Faucet & Fixture Installation | faucet repair and replacementshower valve and bathtub drain servicebathroom and kitchen fixture upgrades | Dripping faucets, outdated fixtures, or remodel installations | We ensure all fixture connections meet current code before we leave the job |
| Toilet Repair & Installation | running toilet diagnosis and repairwax ring and flapper replacementfull toilet replacement and installation | Toilets that run, rock, leak at the base, or need replacing | A running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons a day, so prompt repair pays for itself quickly |
| Sewer & Main Line Service | main line clog clearingsewer camera inspectiontrenchless sewer repair where site allows | Multiple slow drains, sewage odors, or a confirmed main line backup | Camera inspection shows exactly what is happening in the line before any digging begins |
| Water Pressure & Shutoff Valve Repair | pressure regulator inspection and replacementshutoff valve repair and replacementwhole-house pressure diagnostics | Low or spiking pressure throughout the house, or valves that will not close | A failing pressure regulator can damage fixtures and appliances over time if left unaddressed |
| Sump Pump Installation | new sump pump installationpump repair and replacementejector pump service for below-grade plumbing | Basements and crawl spaces at risk from spring snowmelt and seasonal groundwater rise | A pump that fails during a heavy melt can cause as much damage as a burst pipe |
| Leak Detection & Repair | visible pipe and fitting leakshidden leaks inside walls and under slabswater bill spikes traced to source | Unexplained water damage, high bills, or dripping you cannot locate | Finding a hidden leak early keeps a small repair from becoming a large one |
How do I know if my water heater needs to be repaired or replaced?
Age is the first factor. Most tank water heaters last 8 to 12 years, and a unit past that range is often more cost-effective to replace than to repair. Beyond age, watch for water pooling around the base, rusty or discolored hot water, a rumbling or popping sound during heating cycles, and a noticeable drop in how much hot water the tank produces before it runs cold. If the unit is relatively new and the issue is a failed element, thermostat, or anode rod, a repair often makes sense. We look at the full picture and give you an honest recommendation before quoting any work.
What causes drains to clog and back up?
In kitchen drains, the most common culprits are grease, soap residue, and food particles that build up on pipe walls over time. In bathroom drains, hair and soap scum are the usual cause. When multiple drains in the house are slow or backing up at the same time, the problem is usually further down the line in the main sewer, not in the individual fixture. A single slow drain is almost always a localized clog. A pattern across several fixtures is a signal to have the main line checked.
What should I do if a pipe freezes or bursts?
If you suspect a frozen pipe, shut off the main water supply to the house before anything else. This limits how much water can escape if the pipe has already cracked. Do not use an open flame to thaw a frozen pipe. If you can see the frozen section and it is accessible, a hair dryer on low heat or warm towels applied to the pipe are safer options while you wait for us to arrive. Call us as soon as you realize there is a problem. We thaw frozen pipes safely, repair burst sections, and help identify where insulation gaps are making pipes vulnerable to the next cold snap.
Transparent Upfront Pricing
We give you a clear quote before any work begins. The number you agree to is the number on the invoice, with no charges added after the fact.
How are hidden leaks found without tearing open walls?
We start with the symptoms: a water bill that has gone up without a change in usage, soft spots or staining on walls or ceilings, the sound of running water when nothing is on, or a meter that keeps moving after all fixtures are shut off. From there we use pressure testing and, where the situation calls for it, camera inspection or acoustic detection equipment to locate the source. Our goal is to find the leak with as little disruption to the home as possible before we open anything up.
What are the signs of a sewer or main line problem?
The most common signs are multiple drains backing up or draining slowly at the same time, a sewage odor coming from drains or the yard, gurgling sounds from toilets when other fixtures are used, and wet or unusually green patches in the yard above where the sewer line runs. Any one of these is worth a call. A sewer camera inspection gives us a clear view of what is happening inside the line, whether that is a grease buildup, a root intrusion, or a damaged section of pipe.
What is the difference between a tank and a tankless water heater?
A tank water heater stores a set volume of hot water, typically 40 to 50 gallons for a residential unit, and keeps it heated continuously. A tankless unit heats water on demand as it flows through the unit, so there is no storage tank and no standby heat loss. Tankless units tend to cost more upfront but can deliver better long-term efficiency for households with consistent hot water demand. Tank units are simpler, less expensive to install, and easier to service. We help you think through which makes more sense based on your household size, usage patterns, and budget.
Same-Day and Emergency Availability
When a pipe bursts or a sewer backs up, we work to get a plumber to your door the same day. Urgent calls move to the front of the line.
What causes low water pressure throughout the house?
Low pressure that affects every fixture at once usually points to one of a few sources: a failing pressure regulator, a partially closed main shutoff valve, corrosion buildup inside older galvanized pipes that has reduced the interior diameter over time, or a leak somewhere in the supply system that is bleeding pressure before it reaches the fixtures. We run a pressure diagnostic to identify the source and give you a clear picture of what the fix involves before any work begins.
Do I need to be home when the plumber arrives?
Someone over 18 should be present during the visit. We give you a quote before we start any work, and that conversation needs to happen with the person who is authorizing the job. If your schedule is tight, let us know when you call and we will do our best to find a window that works for you.
Work Performed by Licensed Plumbers
Every job, from a faucet swap to a full repipe, is handled by licensed plumbers who treat your home and its pipes the way we would our own.
How does pricing work, and will the final bill match what I was quoted?
We give you an up-front quote before any work begins. The number on the invoice matches what you agreed to. We do not add charges after the fact for work we did not discuss with you first. Every job is different, so we do not post flat rates here, but we are straightforward about what a job involves and what it will cost before we pick up a wrench.
When should I call a plumber instead of trying to fix it myself?
Simple fixes like a running toilet with a worn flapper or a slow drain that responds to a plunger are reasonable DIY attempts. The line shifts when the problem involves the main water supply, the sewer line, a gas connection to a water heater, or anything inside a wall or under a slab. Mishandled repairs in those areas can turn a modest problem into a costly one. If you are not certain what you are dealing with, a call costs you nothing and gives you a clear picture of whether it is a DIY job or one that needs a licensed plumber on site.
How do sump pumps fail, and what are the signs mine is not working?
Sump pumps most commonly fail because of a stuck float switch, a burned-out motor, or a clogged intake screen. A pump that runs constantly without cycling off, one that makes grinding or rattling sounds, or one that does not turn on at all when water rises in the pit are all signs of trouble. In the Tri-Cities area, spring snowmelt can raise groundwater quickly, so a pump that is questionable heading into that season is worth having checked before it is needed most.
Call (509) 619-1595 and we will walk you through what your situation calls for and get a plumber scheduled.
(509) 619-1595