Plumber in Gresham, OR: water, sewer backups and permits

Census Bureau survey data for 2020 to 2024 put Gresham's median year built at 1981. About 48 percent of homes were built before 1980, about 11 percent before 1960 and about 21 percent in 2000 or later (ACS table B25034 via Census Reporter). Whatever the age, a camera inspection of the sewer lateral is worth it on any home you are buying, because the lateral is the owner's pipe.

According to the city's Cascade Groundwater Alliance page, Gresham's primary water source switched to groundwater in spring 2026. The Alliance is a partnership between the city and the Rockwood Water People's Utility District. Nine wells pump from the Sand and Gravel Aquifer more than 600 feet below ground, and three treatment plants serve the system. If you notice a change in taste or in mineral spots on fixtures since the switch, ask the city about it before paying for a water treatment system.

The city's lead in drinking water page says there are no known lead service lines in Gresham's 244-mile distribution system. That does not rule out lead inside the house: solder on copper pipe and older brass fixtures are the usual sources in the region. If you replace faucets or a water heater in an older home, ask the plumber to note what the existing supply pipe is made of.

The city's sewer backups page asks residents to contact the city if sewage backs up from toilets, sinks or floor drains, and lists 503-661-3906 for evenings, weekends and holidays. The city says it will respond to protect public health and provide limited preliminary cleanup. The responsibility split is direct:

• Gresham utility customers are responsible for backups caused in the private sewer lines.
• If the blockage is within the public sewer system, the city covers the cleanup.

Its safety steps include placing rags over the backup and holding them down with a sandbag or kitty litter, washing any skin that touched sewage, keeping people and pets away, calling your insurance agent and documenting the damage. Common causes listed by the city include grease, roots and foreign objects, flows that exceed system capacity during heavy rain, pump station failures and soil movement next to a pipe.

The same page explains that a backwater valve attaches to the sewer discharge pipe and closes when backwater is detected. Properties at a lower elevation than the nearest manhole in the street are typically at greater risk of backups without one, and the city notes that the Oregon State Plumbing Code requires a backwater valve at applicable properties. If your basement floor drain sits below the street manhole, ask a licensed plumber whether one is required for your house. Our basement flooding guide compares backwater valves and sump pumps.

Gresham's projects that do not require permits list says permits are required to construct, alter, repair, replace or move plumbing systems, with a short list of exceptions for single-family homes:

The right-hand column follows the state's Building Codes Division permit list, which also requires a permit for emergency repair of freeze-damaged or leaking concealed piping when the new piping exceeds five feet. The person doing the work, whether homeowner or contractor, is responsible for the permit, and a permit expires if work does not start within 180 days.

Oregon splits plumbing licensing between two agencies. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) licenses the business, and the Building Codes Division (BCD) licenses plumbing contractors and individual journeyman plumbers. Run both checks before you sign anything:

1. Search the company in the CCB license search and confirm the license is active.
2. Search the company and the person doing the work in the BCD license holder search.
3. Ask who pulls the plumbing permit, and get the permit number before work starts.

Our guide to choosing a plumber explains the two licenses in more detail, and the Portland plumber cost guide helps you judge a quote.

This site is an independent guide, not a contractor. We do not perform plumbing work and do not answer phones. To reach a plumber, call one of the licensed contractors listed on this page or see all listed contractors. Questions about this guide: email us. We do not take service requests. If water is actively leaking, shut off the main valve first and see our emergency plumber guide.