Rhode Island · 9 covered places · 9 ZIP codes
Plumbers in Washington County, RI
We cover 9 cities and towns in Washington County, Rhode Island, across 9 ZIP codes, including Wakefield, Westerly, Narragansett. About 79,000 people live in those ZIP codes. 33% of the homes were built before 1960, so galvanized pipe and old cast iron drains are common.
| Year built | Share of homes |
|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 18% |
| 1940–1959 | 15% |
| 1960–1979 | 23% |
| 1980–1999 | 27% |
| 2000 or later | 17% |
Share of housing units in the covered ZIP codes. Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates.
| Place | Residents in covered ZIPs | Built before 1960 |
|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | 22,628 | 33% |
| Westerly | 21,698 | 37% |
| Narragansett | 12,984 | 27% |
| Charlestown | 8,017 | 30% |
| Hope Valley | 4,950 | 24% |
| Ashaway | 2,661 | 58% |
| Bradford | 2,561 | 55% |
| Wyoming | 1,745 | 13% |
| Carolina | 1,432 | 16% |
What goes wrong in Washington County homes
Oil-heated homes
44% 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.
Pre-1960 homes: galvanized pipe and cast iron
33% of homes in Washington County's covered ZIP codes were built before 1960, 18% of them before 1940. 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.
Long, hard winters
56% of homes here were built before 1980, when pipes were more often run through exterior walls and uninsulated crawl spaces. In a long Rhode Island winter those are the lines that freeze and split. See frozen and burst pipe repair.
Common plumbing work in Washington County
Other covered towns in Washington County
- Ashaway (1 ZIP)
- Bradford (1 ZIP)
- Carolina (1 ZIP)
- Charlestown (1 ZIP)
- Hope Valley (1 ZIP)
- Narragansett (1 ZIP)
- Wakefield (1 ZIP)
- Westerly (1 ZIP)
- Wyoming (1 ZIP)
Washington County plumbing FAQ
Which towns in Washington County do you cover?
9 places: Ashaway, Bradford, Carolina, Charlestown, Hope Valley, Narragansett, Wakefield, Westerly, Wyoming. Enter your ZIP code to confirm coverage for your street.
How old are homes in Washington County?
Across the covered ZIP codes, Census estimates put 33% of homes as built before 1960, 23% from 1960 to 1979, 27% from 1980 to 1999 and 17% in 2000 or later.
Who licenses plumbers in Washington County, RI?
Rhode Island's Department of Labor and Training licenses plumbers through its Professional Regulation unit.
Housing and heating figures are US Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year estimates for the ZIP code areas we cover in Washington County, combined across places and weighted by housing units. Some ZIP codes extend into neighboring counties.
Need a plumber in Washington County?
Same-day service when a plumber is available. One call connects you with a licensed plumber who serves your ZIP.