The number-one question I get on plumbing calls: "What will this cost?" And the honest answer is — I can't tell you until I've seen it. A water heater swap and a whole-house re-pipe are both "plumbing," and they live in completely different worlds. What I *can* tell you is this: I'll come out, look at it with my own eyes, and give you a real number in writing before any wrench turns. Free estimate, priced in person.
I'm Joe. I run Onel Construction right here in Boca Raton. Fifteen years in this business. Onel Construction LLC is a licensed general contractor (CGC1511492), and plumbing is one of the trades I run personally — I bring in licensed plumbers, I pull the permits, I supervise the work, and I stand behind it. When water's involved, there's no room for guessing.
What I Actually Do in Plumbing
Most of my plumbing work falls into a few buckets:
- Repairs and replacements — water heaters, garbage disposals, faucets, toilets, shut-off valves, leaking supply lines.
- Re-pipes — this is the big one in Boca. Plenty of homes here are running on old galvanized or polybutylene pipe that's living on borrowed time. A full re-pipe replaces it all with modern PEX or copper.
- Bathroom and kitchen rough-ins — moving drains, adding a shower, relocating a kitchen sink. This is the plumbing side of every remodel I do.
- Slab and trench work — when a drain needs to move under the concrete, we cut the slab, trench it, run the new drain, and pour it back. I ran exactly this job on a bathroom in Delray Beach — cut the slab, trenched in the new drains, passed inspection. That's the unglamorous work that has to be done right, because once the concrete's back, you're never touching it again.
If it involves water going in or water going out, I can handle it.
The Permit Question
Yes, I pull permits. Every time the work requires one — water heater replacements, re-pipes, new fixtures and rough-ins, sewer work. Florida law requires it, and honestly, on plumbing I'd want the permit even if it didn't.
Here's why: a permit means the work gets inspected by the city. An inspector with no skin in the game looks at my plumber's work and signs off that it's right. That's your second set of eyes. When a contractor tells you "we don't need a permit for this" on a water heater or a re-pipe, what he's really saying is he doesn't want anyone looking at his work. Think about that.
What Goes Wrong With Cheap Plumbing Contractors
Plumbing is the trade where the cheap bid costs you the most, because the damage hides. A bad paint job looks bad on day one. A bad plumbing job looks fine for six months — and then you find the leak.
Here's what I see from cut-rate plumbers:
- Wrong materials — mixing metals that corrode each other, using fittings that aren't rated for the pressure.
- No permit, no inspection — and when that water heater lets go and floods your garage, your homeowner's insurance asks who installed it. Unpermitted work gives them a reason to say no.
- Slab work done sloppy — drains without proper slope or bedding. Once the concrete pours, it's a jackhammer to fix.
- Disappears when it leaks — the guy with the magnetic truck sign doesn't come back. I do.
Water damage is the most expensive damage in a house. Saving $300 on the install and spending $15,000 on mold remediation and drywall isn't a deal. It's a trap.
How the Job Works When You Call Me
1. You call or text (561) 462-9293. Tell me what's going on — even a photo helps.
2. I come out and look at it. Not a salesman. Me. I diagnose it and give you a written price, in person.
3. I pull the permit (when required) and schedule the work.
4. Licensed plumber does the work under my supervision. I run the job — I coordinate the inspection, I check the work myself.
5. City inspects, I walk it with you, you pay when it's done right.
No deposits that vanish. No "it'll be another $2,000 once we're in the wall" surprises — if we open something up and find a real problem, I show you the problem, I show you the fix, and we agree on it before I touch it.
Financing
Plumbing surprises don't wait for a good time. A water heater dies on a Tuesday and you need hot water by the weekend. Through Acorn Finance I can offer financing — smaller jobs from around $120/month, typical work in the low $200s to $300s a month, with approved credit — rates as low as 4.49% APR with approved credit. Ask me about it when I come out. No deferred-payment gimmicks, just straight financing so the job gets done right, now.
Why Me and Not the Other Guy
Fifteen years doing this. Onel Construction LLC is licensed and insured — CGC1511492. I don't send a salesman — I come out myself, I diagnose it myself, and I price it in person. My plumbers are licensed, the permits get pulled, the city inspects the work, and I stand behind all of it. When your house is the one with water in it, you want the guy who's done this a thousand times and answers his own phone.
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Related Services
- Bathroom Remodeling — the plumbing is half the job on every bathroom I remodel.
- Kitchen Remodeling — sink relocations, gas lines, new rough-ins done under permit.
- Impact Windows & Doors — while I'm at your house, ask about the other big Boca upgrade.
- Electrical — panels, wiring, and everything behind the walls.
FAQ
Do you charge to come look at a plumbing problem?
No. The estimate is free. I come out, look at it, and give you a real written number. You decide from there — no pressure, no obligation.
Can you fix it the same day?
Sometimes — water heater swaps and straightforward repairs, often yes. Re-pipes and slab work need permits and scheduling, so I'll give you a straight timeline when I see the job.
Do you guarantee your plumbing work?
I stand behind every job I run. If something I installed fails, I come back and make it right. That's the difference between a contractor with a license and a license number to protect, and a guy with a truck.
Will you pull a permit for a water heater?
Yes. Water heaters, re-pipes, rough-ins — permitted and inspected, every time. It's the law, and it's your protection.
Get a Real Number for Your House
Call or text (561) 462-9293. Tell me what's going on with your plumbing and I'll come take a look — free in-home estimate, real price in writing, licensed and insured (CGC1511492). Or visit onelconstruction.com.