Saint Paul plumbing, from frozen lines to hundred-year-old boilers
A pipe that split overnight, a floor drain backing up after the thaw, a water heater that quit before the morning shower. Call and we tell you what happens next, what it usually costs, and when we can be there.
- Answered 24/7, holidays too
- Office at 289 E 7th Street
- 45 plumbing services
We work out of 289 E 7th Street, a short drive from every Saint Paul neighborhood and the east metro suburbs.
Fixtures, water heaters, pumps and valves we work on every week
- Kohler
- Moen
- Delta
- American Standard
- Rheem
- A. O. Smith
- Bradford White
- Navien
- Rinnai
- InSinkErator
- Zoeller
- Liberty Pumps
- Watts
- Weil-McLain
A plumber that picks up when the basement is filling
Most plumbing problems announce themselves at a bad hour. Saint Paul makes that worse: a January cold snap freezes the line in an old porch wall, the April thaw pushes groundwater toward the floor drain, and a summer storm finds every weak spot in a seventy-year-old sewer lateral.
When you call Kent's Plumbing, you get a straight answer about what to shut off, whether it needs someone tonight, and what the repair usually runs. Then we come out, find the cause, explain it in plain words and fix it. We work from an office on East 7th Street in Lowertown, which keeps every neighborhood from Highland Park to the Greater East Side within easy reach.
We work on houses of every age, but older homes are a big share of our week. Galvanized supply pipe that has rusted down to a trickle, cast iron drain stacks with cracked hubs, steam radiators that knock, lead service lines coming in through a fieldstone wall: that is normal Saint Paul plumbing, and it is work we like doing well.
The short answer
We repair and install plumbing in Saint Paul and the east metro: drains and sewers, water heaters and boilers, water lines, sump pumps, fixtures and gas lines. The phone at (651) 215-2087 is answered 24/7. Most repairs are finished on the first visit, and you hear the price before any work starts.
What we fix, install and replace
45 plumbing services in six groups. Each page explains the warning signs, how the job is done and what it typically costs in Saint Paul.
Emergency and repair
Drains and sewer
Water heaters and boilers
Water lines and piping
Basements and water quality
Is the pipe coming into your basement lead?
Find the water pipe where it comes through the basement wall, before the meter. Two simple tests tell you what it is made of. It takes two minutes and a fridge magnet.
1. Does a strong magnet stick to the pipe?
2. Scratch it gently with a coin or key. What shows?
Answer both questions
Pick an answer for the magnet and the scratch. The pipe drawing changes color as you go.
About lead service line replacementProblems that should not wait until Monday
If you are seeing any of these, call (651) 215-2087 now. We will tell you what to shut off while we are on the way.
Water where it should not be
A ceiling stain spreading, a wet baseboard or a puddle under the water heater. Shut the nearest valve and call.
Every drain gurgling at once
When the tub, toilet and floor drain all act up together, the main sewer line is usually the problem, not one fixture.
No water from one faucet in a cold snap
A dry tap on an outside wall during subzero weather points to a frozen line. Thawing it before it splits saves a ceiling.
A rotten egg smell near the stove or dryer
Leave the house and call Xcel Energy or 911 from outside. Then call us to find and repair the leak.
A sump pump that runs and runs, or never runs
Spring melt and summer storms decide whether a basement stays dry. A pump that will not keep up needs attention now.
Rusty or lukewarm hot water
Brown water, popping noises and short showers usually mean a water heater near the end, or a boiler coil that needs service.
What happens after you call
Five steps, the same on a midnight burst pipe as on a planned water heater swap.
You call, we answer
Day or night, a person picks up. Describe what you see and hear, and we tell you what to shut off.
A plain price range
We give you the typical range for that kind of job before anyone drives over.
We find the cause
On site we trace the problem to its source, with a camera or a pressure test when the cause is hidden.
You approve the work
We explain what we found and the price for the repair. Nothing starts until you say yes.
Fixed and cleaned up
We make the repair, test it with you, haul away the old parts and leave the work area clean.
Plumbing shaped by Saint Paul houses
A large share of Saint Paul homes were built before World War II, and their plumbing shows it. Summit Hill and Ramsey Hill have Victorian houses with steam heat and long cast iron stacks. Mac-Groveland, Merriam Park and Hamline-Midway are full of 1910s and 1920s homes where galvanized pipe and clay sewer laterals are still common. Highland Park, the Greater East Side and Battle Creek lean toward postwar ramblers with their own set of aging parts.
Water comes from Saint Paul Regional Water Services in the city and several neighboring suburbs, and SPRWS has been replacing lead service lines across its system. Many east metro suburbs, including Woodbury and Cottage Grove, have hard water that wears out water heaters faster. We plan every repair around those details instead of treating every house the same.
Saint Paul neighborhoods we cover
- Downtown and Lowertown 55101
- Highland Park 55116
- Macalester-Groveland 55105
- Summit Hill 55102
- Summit-University 55104
- Merriam Park 55104
- Hamline-Midway 55104
- Como Park 55103
- St. Anthony Park 55108
- North End 55117
- Payne-Phalen 55130
- Greater East Side 55106
- Dayton's Bluff 55106
- Battle Creek 55119
- Highwood 55119
- West Side 55107
- West Seventh 55102
- Frogtown 55104
Check your ZIP code
Typical prices for common Saint Paul jobs
These are typical ranges for planning. We confirm the price after we see the job and before any work starts.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Drain CleaningBathroom sink or tub drain clearing | $167 to $283 |
| Water Heater Installation40 gallon gas tank, like-for-like swap | $1,690 to $2,640 |
| Frozen Pipe ThawingThaw an exposed or reachable line | $217 to $389 |
| Sump Pump RepairFloat or switch replacement | $187 to $319 |
| Main Sewer Line ClearingMain line clearing through an accessible cleanout | $289 to $467 |
| Lead Service Line ReplacementPrivate side replacement, trenchless pull | $3,870 to $6,240 |
Every price on one page
Our price guide lists typical ranges for all 45 services, with filters by type of work.
Open the price guideQuestions Saint Paul homeowners ask us first
Does a person really answer the Kent's Plumbing phone at night?
Yes. The line at (651) 215-2087 is answered 24 hours a day, every day, including holidays. Tell us what is leaking, backing up or not heating, and we will tell you whether it needs someone tonight or can safely wait for a daytime visit.
Which parts of the Twin Cities does Kent's Plumbing cover?
Every Saint Paul neighborhood plus the east metro suburbs around it, from Roseville and Shoreview to Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Eagan and Stillwater. Use the ZIP checker on this page or the service area list to confirm your street.
How do you price a plumbing job before you start?
On the phone we give you the typical range for that kind of job. Once we see the problem, we explain what we found and give you the price for the work before we begin. Nothing extra gets added without your say.
Can you work on the old boilers and pipes in Saint Paul houses?
Yes. Hot-water and steam boilers, galvanized supply lines, cast iron stacks and clay sewer laterals are everyday work for us in a city where so many houses went up before World War II.
Do you pull the city permit when a job needs one?
Yes. Work such as a water heater replacement, a new gas line or a sewer repair needs a plumbing permit in Saint Paul and most suburbs. We pull it, schedule the inspection and include it in the price we give you.
What should I do first if a pipe bursts?
Shut off the main water valve, usually where the line enters the basement next to the meter, then switch off the water heater and call us. If water is near outlets or the panel, stay out of the wet area.
Plumbing Answers
Plain-spoken guides for Minnesota homeowners, written by Phoebe Gustafson, our plumbing answers editor.
How to thaw a frozen pipe safely, and when to stop
A step-by-step way to thaw an exposed frozen pipe with gentle heat, plus the clear signs that the job needs a plumber instead.
Private wells in Washington and Anoka counties
If your house runs on a private well, a little knowledge about the pump, tank and switch goes a long way when the water acts up.
What banging, gurgling and hissing from a boiler mean
Old boilers and radiators talk. Here's how to tell normal sounds from the ones that need a visit, for both steam and hot-water systems.
Call the Saint Paul office, day or night
A real person picks up at any hour. Tell us what you are seeing, and we will tell you what happens next and roughly what it costs.
(651) 215-2087- Phone
- Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Office
- 289 E 7th Street, Saint Paul, MN 55101
- Headquarters
- 50666 229th Ave, Bemidji, MN 56601
- Coverage
- Saint Paul and the east metro, see all areas