Delaware · 14 covered places · 50 ZIP codes
Plumbers in New Castle County, DE
We cover 14 cities and towns in New Castle County, Delaware, across 50 ZIP codes, including Wilmington, Newark, New Castle. About 568,000 people live in those ZIP codes. 31% of the homes were built before 1960, so galvanized pipe and old cast iron drains are common.
| Year built | Share of homes |
|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 11% |
| 1940–1959 | 20% |
| 1960–1979 | 26% |
| 1980–1999 | 24% |
| 2000 or later | 19% |
Share of housing units in the covered ZIP codes. Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates.
| Place | Residents in covered ZIPs | Built before 1960 |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | 219,376 | 50% |
| Newark | 142,233 | 14% |
| New Castle | 60,593 | 34% |
| Middletown | 50,542 | 5% |
| Bear | 44,801 | 3% |
| Hockessin | 17,366 | 9% |
| Claymont | 15,936 | 41% |
| Townsend | 14,151 | 8% |
| Delaware City | 2,059 | 49% |
| Port Penn | 630 | 92% |
What goes wrong in New Castle County homes
Pre-1960 homes: galvanized pipe and cast iron
31% of homes in New Castle County's covered ZIP codes were built before 1960. Houses that old often still have galvanized steel supply lines that rust closed from the inside, and cast iron or clay sewer pipe that cracks and lets roots in. Weak pressure at upstairs fixtures, brown water after a shutoff and slow drains are the usual clues. Typical fixes are whole-house repiping and a sewer camera inspection.
Oil-heated homes
10% of occupied homes here heat with fuel oil, far above the national norm. Many of them make hot water with a tankless coil inside the boiler, which runs the boiler all summer. Plumbers often replace the coil with an indirect tank or a standalone water heater when the boiler is serviced or replaced.
Natural gas in most homes
54% of occupied homes here heat with utility gas, so gas water heaters, ranges and dryers are common. That means gas line extensions for new appliances, flexible connector replacements and venting checks when a water heater is swapped. If you smell gas, leave first and call the gas utility from outside. See gas line repair.
Winter freezes
57% of homes here were built before 1980, when pipes were more often run through exterior walls and uninsulated crawl spaces. In a cold Delaware winter those are the lines that freeze and split. See frozen and burst pipe repair.
Common plumbing work in New Castle County
City pages in New Castle County
Other covered towns in New Castle County
- Bear (1 ZIP)
- Brookside (1 ZIP)
- Claymont (1 ZIP)
- Delaware City (1 ZIP)
- Hockessin (1 ZIP)
- Middletown (1 ZIP)
- New Castle (3 ZIPs)
- Odessa (1 ZIP)
- Port Penn (1 ZIP)
- Saint Georges (1 ZIP)
- Townsend (1 ZIP)
- Yorklyn (1 ZIP)
New Castle County plumbing FAQ
Which towns in New Castle County do you cover?
14 places: Bear, Brookside, Claymont, Delaware City, Hockessin, Middletown, New Castle, Newark, Odessa, Port Penn, Saint Georges, Townsend, Wilmington, Yorklyn. Enter your ZIP code to confirm coverage for your street.
How old are homes in New Castle County?
Across the covered ZIP codes, Census estimates put 31% of homes as built before 1960, 26% from 1960 to 1979, 24% from 1980 to 1999 and 19% in 2000 or later.
Who licenses plumbers in New Castle County, DE?
Delaware's Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners licenses plumbers.
Housing and heating figures are US Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year estimates for the ZIP code areas we cover in New Castle County, combined across places and weighted by housing units. Some ZIP codes extend into neighboring counties.
Need a plumber in New Castle County?
Same-day service when a plumber is available. One call connects you with a licensed plumber who serves your ZIP.