Birmingham's housing is a mix of Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas, 1930s semis and large houses in Sutton Coldfield, and converted buildings and flats in the Jewellery Quarter and city centre.
Older houses in Harborne, Moseley and Kings Heath often still have original pipework and awkward bathroom layouts, which makes refits a planned-job business rather than a quick fix. Student and investor rentals in Selly Oak and Handsworth produce a steady flow of landlord calls.
Severn Trent handles sewers and most mains water across Birmingham and the Black Country, while South Staffs Water supplies mains water in parts of the Black Country, so callers with a supply leak may need a different company from callers with a drain problem.
Customers can also look up approved plumbers on the WaterSafe register. They often need to know which company to ring. England has no single plumbing licence; gas work requires Gas Safe and water fittings follow the water regulations.