Plumber in Hillsboro, OR: water, sewer and permit fees

Hillsboro is young by Portland-area standards. Census Bureau survey data for 2020 to 2024 put the median year built at 1997, with about 44 percent of homes built in 2000 or later and about 24 percent before 1980 (ACS table B25034 via Census Reporter). Age still matters for lead, as the next sections explain.

The Joint Water Commission (JWC) describes itself as the primary drinking water supplier in Washington County, treating water for more than 458,000 customers since 1976. Hillsboro is one of four owners, with Forest Grove, Beaverton and the Tualatin Valley Water District. A second source is under construction: the Willamette Water Supply Program is building a system that will treat Willamette River water pumped from Wilsonville at a plant in Sherwood, for TVWD, Hillsboro and Beaverton, and the program lists 2026 as the year it is expected to come online.

Hillsboro's lead information page says the water system has no known lead pipes or connections. It adds two cautions for homeowners:

• Customer-owned service lines installed before 1986 may still contain lead components.
• Solder installed in homes before 1986 may contain high lead levels, and homes built or plumbed between 1970 and 1985 are generally most at risk.

The city offers free lead-in-water test kits to qualifying customers in its service area. If you live in a 1970s or early 1980s home, a test is a cheap first step before you decide whether to replace fixtures or pipe.

Clean Water Services (CWS) manages the public sanitary sewer system in urbanized Washington County, including Hillsboro. Its lateral repairs fact sheet says homes connect to the public system through private plumbing called laterals, and that property owner responsibility runs from the house to the public mainline. When a backup happens, the fact sheet suggests this sequence:

1. Check whether the whole building or only isolated fixtures are affected.
2. Clear isolated clogs with a drain snake, yourself or through a plumber.
3. If that fails, the plumber works through a fixture or the cleanout, and may video the lateral.
4. Significant lateral work may need a plumbing permit, an erosion control permit and utility locates through 811.

CWS repairs structural defects in the part of the lateral inside the public right of way, including cracked or crushed pipe, open or offset joints and root intrusion. A plumber, homeowner or realtor can submit a video to request a review. A sag or belly is not considered a structural defect. Our sewer line repair guide covers repair methods and costs.

The city's citywide fees and charges schedule, last updated July 1, 2025, lists plumbing fees by item:

Permit fees are small next to the job itself, so a contractor who suggests skipping the permit to save money is a warning sign. Our water heater guide covers typical replacement costs.

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.