Plumbing built to last, from a Buffalo company that’s been here since 1927.
Homes, businesses and new construction across Buffalo — service calls, replacements, and full plumbing packages from underground to final fixtures.
- 3 Master Plumbers
- 15 Journeyman Plumbers
- NYS Backflow Certified
- Licensed & Insured
- OSHA Compliant
The everyday work that keeps a house running.
Sump pump & bubbler
Installation, replacement and battery backup, plus the exterior bubbler line that carries the water away from the foundation instead of back toward it.
Leak detection & repair
Finding the leak before it finds your ceiling. We trace it to the source and repair the pipe rather than opening up more wall than we have to.
Drain & sewer cleaning
Slow drains, repeat clogs and backups — cleared, then inspected to work out whether it’s a one-off or a line problem.
Water heater installation & repair
Conventional tanks and tankless. We install Bradford White and Navien, and we’ll tell you honestly whether yours has life left in it.
Pipe repair & replacement
From a single failed section to a full repipe. We quote the work that needs doing — not the whole house by default.
Fixture installation
Faucets, toilets, tubs, shower valves and vanities, fitted properly and tested before we leave.
The part of the job nobody sees.
Buffalo’s housing stock is old, and so are a lot of the lines running under it. We inspect before we dig, and we tell you when a line can be cleaned rather than replaced.
- Sewer camera inspection — see the actual condition of the line before committing to anything.
- Drain cleaning & hydrojetting — roots, grease and scale cut back to the pipe wall.
- Traditional sewer line replacement — excavation, replacement and full restoration.
Gas work, done to code and tested.
Running a line to a new range, a dryer or a garage heater, or chasing down the smell of gas — this is licensed work and it gets pressure-tested and inspected before it’s signed off.
- Gas line installation for new appliances and additions
- Gas line repair and replacement
- Gas leak detection and safety inspections
If you smell gas, leave the building first and call from outside. Then call us at (716) 875-3900.
We plumb buildings, not just bathrooms.
New construction, gut renovations and commercial fit-outs are a core part of the business. We come in at the ground and stay through closeout — working to the drawings, to the inspection schedule, and to the general contractor’s program.
How a project runs
- Bidding
- Preconstruction
- Underground plumbing
- Building sewer & water services
- Below-slab plumbing
- Above-ground rough-ins
- Kitchens, bathrooms & mechanical spaces
- Water distribution & drainage systems
- Fixture installation & final finishes
- Testing, inspections & project closeout
Project types
- New construction
- Large residential remodeling
- Restaurants & small commercial
- Large commercial properties
“I have done over $80K worth of work with Hertel and I can’t recommend them highly enough. They are highly skilled and fast at a reasonable price. When I call them with issues, they are quick to fix it at a fair price.”
Backflow testing & certification.
A drop in water pressure — from a main break, a service disruption or a power outage — can reverse the flow in your line and pull contaminated water back toward your clean supply. A backflow prevention device stops that, but only while it’s working correctly. We test, certify and repair those devices so your water stays safe and your system stays code-compliant.
- Certified backflow testing and device inspection
- Repair and replacement of faulty devices
- Code-compliant documentation and certification
- Available for homes and businesses
Plumbing certifications & product partners
Signs your plumbing needs attention.
- Drains that run slow or clog again a week after you clear them
- Water stains, damp spots, or a water bill that jumped for no reason
- Low or inconsistent water pressure
- Gurgling drains, sewer smell, or anything backing up
- Discolored water or rust around fixtures
- A water heater that’s leaking, rumbling, or running out of hot water early
What happens on a service visit.
- We talk through the problem and how it’s affecting the household
- We inspect the system and the parts connected to it
- We explain what we found and what your options are
- We give you the price and wait for you to approve it
- We test the repair and confirm everything runs properly before we go
On the plumbing side.
“Another plumber tried telling me I had to get rid of all steel and copper pipes, and to replace every pipe I had, but the guys at Hertel plumbing were honest and only quoted the work that actually needed to be done.”
“The plumbers are always professional. They even took off their boots before entering the house. The plumber talked me through every step of the process.”
“I can’t thank this company enough for what fantastic work they provided. The clean up was great. I couldn’t believe the amount of effort they put forth.”
Also need heating or cooling?
Furnaces, boilers, air conditioning, heat pumps and ductless mini splits — same company, same upfront pricing, same phone number.
Tell us what’s going on.
Send us the details and we’ll get back to you during business hours to schedule a visit and talk through pricing.
Have an emergency? Please call — don’t submit a form.
For burst pipes, no heat, no hot water, gas odors, or any after-hours emergency, call (716) 875-3900. Form submissions are answered during business hours and are not monitored around the clock.
Thanks — we’ve got your request.
Someone from the office will get back to you during business hours. If this turns into an emergency in the meantime, please call (716) 875-3900 rather than waiting on the form.
Plumbing, answered.
For genuine emergencies — a burst pipe, a sewer backing up, no water — call and we’ll get someone moving as fast as we can, day or night. One customer described calling at the end of the day and having two of our people at the house inside the hour. That’s the goal every time. Call (716) 875-3900 rather than using the form.
Yes, and it’s a real part of what we do rather than a sideline. We take projects from underground and below-slab work through rough-ins, water distribution and drainage, fixture packages, and final testing and inspection sign-off.
New York State requires backflow prevention devices to be tested at least once every 12 months, measured from the date of the previous test or the initial installation. A certified tester checks that the device still stops water flowing backwards into the clean supply, repairs or replaces it if it doesn’t, and files the code-compliant paperwork.
A camera inspection is the only honest way to tell. Roots and grease build-ups clear with cleaning or hydrojetting; a collapsed, offset or badly corroded line needs replacing. We’d rather put a camera down it and show you than guess — and we’ll tell you if cleaning will do.
A conventional tank generally runs 8 to 12 years, though Buffalo’s water and how hard the household uses it both move that number. Rusty hot water, rumbling from the tank, or moisture around the base are the usual signs it’s near the end.
Always. We look at the job, explain what we found and what your options are, and give you the price. Nothing goes ahead until you’ve approved it.