Below are a number of the most common questions we get asked; if we haven’t answered your question, complete our contact form or give us a call at (239) 851-0207
Do you offer emergency plumbing services?
Yes, we are a 24/7 plumbing company and will respond to emergency water leaks, sewer back ups etc.
Are you a local SW Florida company?
Yes, we are a family company doing business in Fort Myers and surrounding areas for over 47 years.
Do you offer plumbing services for businesses?
Yes, we provide comprehensive plumbing services to commercial businesses. No job is too big or too small for Van Franey Plumbing Inc.
Do you offer plumbing services to residential communities?
Yes, we can provide plumbing services to large residential communities through the homeowners association or the property manager.
Do you cover plumbing services in Southwest Florida?
Our company is based in Fort Myers and we offer comprehensive plumbing service throughout SW Florida by our expert, highly trained plumbers.
Do you offer leaking locating services?
Yes, we use the latest, high tech equipment to locate any type of leak. Once we find the leak and diagnose the cause, we can offer options for repair.
I need a water heater replaced, can you help?
Of course we can help. We will assess the condition and age of your current water heater and, if it cannot be repaired, we can offer options for replacement. We can replace your old water heater with a traditional tank heater or one of the latest tankless water heaters.
How do I know you are a reputable company?
We are a local, family founded, & operated plumbing company licensed and insured in the State of Florida. We have been in business in Fort Myers for over 47 years. We have 4.9 stars from 680+ Google reviews, and reviews on Facebook, Angie’s List and Yelp. Please call and speak with us about any concerns.
Are you licensed and insured in Florida?
Yes. Van Franey Plumbing holds Florida plumbing contractor license RF0036901 and carries insurance. The license number is printed on this site so you can look it up with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation before you book. A licensed contractor is the one who can pull a permit in your name, and insurance is what protects your home if something goes wrong during the work.
Which areas do you serve?
We work across Lee County and northern Collier County: Fort Myers, Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers Beach, Estero, Bonita Springs and Naples. That includes single-family homes, condos and townhomes, rental properties, and light commercial buildings such as restaurants, offices and retail plazas. If you are just outside those areas, call and ask; the answer is usually yes.
What happens when I call at night or on a weekend?
A plumber answers 24/7. You speak with a person, not a recording, and that person can tell you what to shut off while you wait. For a burst pipe or a slab leak, that means closing the main water valve at the house, usually near the meter box at the street or where the line enters the garage. For a sewer backup, it means stopping all water use in the house. Not every after-hours call is a true emergency; if the problem can safely wait until morning, we will tell you.
Do I need a permit for plumbing work?
Many jobs do. In Lee and Collier County a water heater replacement, a repipe, a backflow device, a sewer line repair, and most work that moves or adds plumbing are permitted, and the permit is closed by an inspection. Small repairs such as a faucet, a fill valve, or a drain cleaning generally are not. When a job needs a permit, we pull it, schedule the inspection, and give you the paperwork for your records. Unpermitted work tends to surface later, at a home sale or on an insurance inspection, so it is worth doing right the first time.
How long does a water heater last in Southwest Florida?
Most tank water heaters here reach the end of their useful life at 8 to 12 years, and hard water and hot garages shorten that. The date of manufacture is coded in the serial number on the label. If your heater is past ten years, is rusting at the fittings, or has water in the pan, plan the replacement before it fails and floods the garage or the closet. We install standard tank, tankless, and heat pump models, and every replacement here needs a permit and a pan with a drain.
When does a house need a repipe instead of another repair?
When leaks keep coming back on the same kind of pipe. Gray polybutylene from the late 1970s through the mid 1990s, early CPVC that has gone brittle in the attic, and old copper with pinhole leaks are the usual reasons in Fort Myers and Cape Coral homes. After the third leak, a repipe is normally the better choice. We replace every hot and cold supply line and valve, the work is permitted and inspected, and on a slab home it runs through the attic so the floor is never opened.