What Duluth homeowners call about most
Census estimates put Duluth at about 13,800 housing units, and roughly 58 percent of them went up between 1980 and 1999. The median year built is 1994. That is a city of houses and condos old enough to be on a second or third water heater.
The city's own long-range plan says Duluth built 3,667 housing units in the 1980s, and 2,151 of those were apartments. So a Duluth caller is as likely to live in a stacked condo or townhome as in a detached house, and the two get different plumbing problems.
A flooded utility closet at night is a water heater repair call, and a tank that has run for more than ten years is usually a candidate for water heater replacement instead. We take emergency calls in Duluth around the clock, and the first question is always the same: where is the water, and can the main be shut off?
Calls we expect from Duluth houses and condos
These are the problems that bring the most calls from a housing stock of this age. If one sounds like yours, the 24/7 emergency line is the right number at any hour.
Water stains under a tank
A rust ring or a damp pan under a water heater from the 1990s or later is the usual lead-in to a failed tank. Shut off the cold supply to it and call.
A ceiling stain below a condo bathroom
In stacked buildings the water often starts in the unit above. Tell the upstairs neighbor and the association, then call us if the leak is on your side of the wall.
Drains that gurgle together
When a tub, sink and toilet all complain at once, the blockage is usually in the main line, which is where drain cleaning with a cable or jet comes in.
A toilet that runs or rocks
Worn flappers, fill valves and loose flanges are common in houses where the original fixtures are still in use. A toilet repair visit often fixes it in one stop.
A water bill that jumped
A hidden leak shows up on the meter before it shows up on a wall. Leak detection finds where the water is going.
Who owns what: Gwinnett County, you, or your association
Duluth water and sewer service comes from Gwinnett County Water Resources, per the city's utilities page. The county's 24/7 dispatch line for water and sewer emergencies is 678.376.7000, and Customer Care is 678.376.6800. Call dispatch first if a main or a meter is leaking in the street.
Gwinnett County says the property owner maintains the private sewer lateral, and that everything on the house side of the water meter is the homeowner's responsibility. A cracked lateral or a broken line after the meter is a plumbing job, and sewer line repair covers the lateral when a camera confirms the damage.
Condo owners have a third party to consider. The association documents usually say whether the shared drain stack and supply risers belong to the building or to each unit. Read them before you pay for a repair inside a wall, and call us for the part that is yours.
Utility, plumber or management: who to call first
In Duluth the right first call depends on where the water is. This table is for the first ten minutes of a problem, including after hours.
| Where the problem is | Call first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Leak or break at the street or the meter | Gwinnett County Water Resources, 678.376.7000 | The county maintains the main and the meter, and dispatch is 24/7. |
| Pipe, fixture or heater inside your unit or house | Our 24/7 emergency line | Everything past the meter is the owner's side. |
| Sewage backing up with neighbors affected | Gwinnett County dispatch, then us | A blockage in the county main is not fixed from inside your house. |
| Leak coming from a unit above you | Association or building management | Shared stacks may be the building's to fix. |
| Smell of gas | Leave, then the gas utility or 911 | Never call a plumber first for gas. |
If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility, for most homes Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321, or 911 before anything else.
Permits, inspections and Old Town
Plumbing is a trade permit in Duluth. The city's Community Development and Engineering Department, Permitting and Inspections Division, takes trades permits online through GovWell, and it can be reached at 770.476.1790 on weekdays. The city lists a slab plumbing inspection among its building inspections, so ask before any work that opens a slab.
Duluth City Hall sits at the end of the Town Green in Old Town Duluth, but you do not have to go downtown to file. A licensed contractor registers with the city and files the trades permit for the job. Permit rules vary by the kind of work, so ask your installer and the city before a heater or repipe job.
According to the City of Duluth's own planning FAQ, water and sewer code inspections are handled by Gwinnett County, and water or sewer emergencies go to Gwinnett County Water Resources at 678.376.7000. Trades permits, including plumbing, are filed through the city's GovWell portal.
Before We Get to Your Duluth Address
Find the main shutoff
In a detached house it is usually where the water line enters, and in a condo it may be inside the unit or in a shared closet. Turn it clockwise if water is running and nobody has stopped it.
Clear the water heater closet
Houses from the 1980s and 1990s often have the tank in a tight garage corner or hall closet. Move boxes so the plumber can reach the tank, the cold supply and the drain valve.
Ask about the building
In a condo or townhome, tell the association that a leak is active. Have the unit number, the management contact and any gate code ready when you call us.
Protect the floors
Lift rugs, cords and cardboard off any wet floor, and keep children away from outlets near the water. If water is near electrical panels, stay out and call.
Stop the drains
If a toilet or tub is backing up, stop flushing and skip the laundry and the dishwasher. Every cycle sends more water toward the blocked line.
Gas first
If a gas water heater or furnace is nearby and you smell gas, leave first. Call the gas utility or 911 from outside, then call us.
Duluth plumbing questions
We serve Duluth ZIP 30096 and the Gwinnett side of 30097 around Duluth. We dispatch from our base at 425 Buford Highway in Suwanee, about 6 miles from Duluth by road, and we serve the town along with the neighboring towns such as Lilburn and Lawrenceville. ZIP 30097 also covers Fulton and Forsyth county addresses, so give us your street address and we will confirm it. The full list is on our service area page.
Yes. The 24/7 emergency line answers on nights, weekends and holidays. While you wait, shut off the main water valve, keep people away from wet areas near outlets and panels, and stop using any drain that is backing up.
If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility, for most homes Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321, or 911 first. Then call us for the plumbing side.
Yes, with one extra step. Shut off the water to the unit, tell your association, and call us. A burst pipe repair on your side of the wall is ours to fix, and the association settles anything on a shared stack.
If only your home is affected, the blockage is probably in your lateral and we can clear it. If neighbors have the same backup, call Gwinnett County Water Resources dispatch at 678.376.7000 and tell us as well.
The city handles plumbing as a trade permit through GovWell, and the Permitting and Inspections Division is at 770.476.1790. Rules vary by job, so ask your installer and the city before work begins.