A tenant has rung about water coming through the ceiling. The kitchen drain in your Villa Road terrace is backing up. The radiators in your big Victorian house never quite get hot. You need a local plumber in Handsworth who picks up straight away and turns up fast. GS Plumbing And Heating answers every call instantly, 24/7, and has an engineer at your door within 60 minutes. Our 7 local engineers are based at Telford Close, B71, a short drive west of Handsworth, with 7+ years of experience and 200+ jobs completed across Sandwell.
Need help now? Call +44 7701 369047 or get a free, fixed quote. You approve the price before we start, so there are no surprise charges. For shops, restaurants and takeaways along Soho Road, see our commercial plumbing in Handsworth.
The Handsworth ward had 11,820 residents at the 2021 Census, and its streets mix many architectural periods, including some of the finest Victorian buildings in Birmingham (Wikipedia). From tap and toilet repairs to low water pressure and full pipework upgrades, our general plumbing in Handsworth covers homes and businesses across B20 and B21.
In a tall Victorian house, a burst pipe on the top floor can soak through every ceiling below it. Our emergency plumber in Handsworth service covers burst pipes, overflowing cisterns, failed stopcocks and leaks through ceilings anywhere from Soho Road to Handsworth Wood. Emergency calls are answered instantly, 24/7, and an engineer is on site within 60 minutes.
Large Victorian rooms need a heating system that works hard, so cold spots and slow radiators are quickly noticed. Our radiator services in Handsworth cover radiator repair and replacement, power flushing, bleeding, valve and TRV upgrades, and leaking heating pipework.
Damp patches, a musty smell under the stairs or a water bill that jumps for no reason all point to a hidden leak. We trace it with moisture meters and thermal imaging, then our leak repair in Handsworth fixes only what needs fixing.
We clear blocked drains in Handsworth, plus sinks, toilets, showers and outside gullies anywhere from Birchfield to Holyhead, then check for root ingress or collapsed sections. If the drain is shared with neighbours, we tell you before quoting, because Severn Trent may be responsible.
Looking for a bathroom fitter who also handles the plumbing? From a new mixer tap to complete bathroom fitting in Handsworth, we handle first fix, second fix, showers and sanitaryware for Handsworth homeowners and landlords. Our tiling services in Handsworth and vinyl flooring in Handsworth finish the room too.
If you let a property in the Handsworth ward, you need a selective licence from Birmingham City Council unless an exemption applies (see below), and keeping the plumbing in good order is part of letting a home that is safe and decent. We give landlords and letting agents fast call-outs, clear invoices and photos of every job. Between tenancies, our property maintenance in Handsworth and handyman services in Handsworth keep rentals ready to let.
Not sure what the problem is? Describe it on the phone and we will tell you the likely fix and a fixed price before anyone visits. Call +44 7701 369047.
If you rent out a home in the Handsworth ward, you need a selective licence from Birmingham City Council unless an exemption applies. The scheme started on 5 June 2023, covers 25 of Birmingham's 69 wards, costs £700 per licence for up to five years, and aims to make sure rented homes are of a decent standard. Letting without a required licence can lead to a civil penalty of up to £40,000 (Birmingham City Council).
The council's official designation lists the wards covered, including Handsworth, Holyhead, Lozells, Birchfield and Soho and Jewellery Quarter, and the scheme runs until 4 June 2028 (Birmingham City Council designation notice). Handsworth Wood is not on that list, even though some websites say it is, so always check the council's map for your exact address.
| Plumbing issue | Why it matters to a landlord |
|---|---|
| Leaks and damp | Water damage and damp affect whether a home is safe and decent to live in |
| No hot water or a broken toilet | Tenants expect these fixed quickly; delays lead to complaints |
| Blocked or smelly drains | A health issue, and often a shared-drain question for Severn Trent |
| Lead supply pipe | Worth replacing in older homes, especially on soft water (see below) |
We cannot give legal advice on licence conditions, but we can keep the plumbing sound and give you dated photos and itemised invoices for every job, so you have a clear repair record.
Handsworth is not on South Staffs Water's list of supply areas (South Staffs Water zone list). Like most of Birmingham, it is supplied by Severn Trent, whose Elan Valley Aqueduct carries water 72 miles from Wales to over a million customers across the city (Severn Trent). Elan Valley water is known for being exceptionally soft (Wikipedia).
Soft water means little limescale, but it matters for lead. Many homes built before 1970 still have lead supply pipes, and Severn Trent adds a small amount of phosphate to its water to coat old pipes and reduce the lead reaching your tap (Severn Trent). In a Victorian Handsworth house, the pipe from the boundary to your stopcock may well be original.
How Severn Trent's Lead Replacement Scheme works (Severn Trent):
Severn Trent says replacing a supply pipe normally costs £1,000 to £3,000. We give you a fixed price for your part before you apply.
Safety note: many older homes use the metal water pipe as their electrical earth. When a lead or iron pipe is swapped for plastic, have an electrician check your earthing straight after the work.
Part of Handsworth sits in the Lozells and Soho Hill Conservation Area, designated on 19 July 1979 and covering 34.44 hectares (Wikipedia). Birmingham City Council explains that conservation areas protect the character of historic streets, and that areas with an Article 4 direction need permission even for minor alterations (Birmingham City Council).
For plumbing, that mostly affects anything visible from the street, such as a new soil pipe or waste pipe on the front of the house. Inside the home, repairs and new bathrooms are usually straightforward. If your work changes the outside of a house in the conservation area, check with Birmingham City Council's planning team first. We will route new pipework discreetly wherever we can.
Handsworth grew fast in Victorian times. Its Council House on Soho Road was completed in 1879 (Wikipedia), and Handsworth Park opened in 1888 as Victoria Park (Birmingham City Council). Handsworth Wood, by contrast, was mostly developed with private housing between the wars and up to the 1950s (Wikipedia).
For most Handsworth homes, Severn Trent supplies the water and runs the sewers, so it is responsible for the pipes up to your boundary. You are responsible for everything inside it.
If your blocked drain also serves your neighbours, Severn Trent should clear it free of charge, so we check this first on every Handsworth drain call.
If you are metered and a leak on your supply pipe is repaired promptly, Severn Trent may give an allowance for the lost water; leave it unrepaired and it can charge for the extra water, and you lose the allowance (Severn Trent Code of Practice). Claims are made on Severn Trent's leakage claim form after the repair (Severn Trent). Ask us for an itemised invoice with the repair date.
The Midlands averages 40 to 60 days of air frost a year (Met Office), so lag loft and cellar pipes, drain outside taps, fix drips and keep the heating on low in empty properties between tenancies.
Under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, some jobs must be reported to Severn Trent before work starts, including a bath over 230 litres, a bidet with an upward spray and a pump drawing more than 12 litres a minute (legislation.gov.uk). We check these rules before quoting.
We work across Handsworth's B20 and B21 postcodes, including Soho Road, Handsworth Park, Handsworth Wood, Lozells, Birchfield, Holyhead, Soho Hill, Villa Road and Hamstead Road. If you searched for a plumber near me anywhere from Soho House to The Hawthorns, an engineer is on site within 60 minutes for emergencies.
Our team also covers every town around Handsworth. Just west we are the local plumber in West Bromwich, and to the south-west the plumber in Smethwick and plumber in Oldbury. To the north, customers book us as their plumber in Perry Barr and plumber in Great Barr. To the north-west, we are the plumber in Wednesbury and plumber in Tipton, and further west the plumber in Rowley Regis and plumber in Cradley Heath.
See every town we serve on our areas we cover page.
We always quote a fixed price before starting. As a guide, UK plumbers charge around £40 to £80 an hour for standard weekday work (HaMuch, 2026), and emergency call-outs average £100 to £120 (Checkatrade).
Parts are charged at cost. Prices exclude VAT where applicable.
Want an exact price for your job? Call +44 7701 369047 or request a free, fixed quote. No obligation.
Handsworth prices follow UK averages: around £40 to £80 an hour for weekday work and £100 to £120 for an emergency call-out. GS Plumbing And Heating fixes the price before starting, which helps landlords budget for repairs between tenancies. Call +44 7701 369047 for a free quote.
Yes. GS Plumbing And Heating runs a 24/7 emergency plumber service across B20 and B21 for burst pipes, major leaks and flooding. We answer emergency calls instantly, and an engineer is on site within 60 minutes. While you wait, turn off your stopcock, normally under the kitchen sink.
If the property is in the Handsworth ward, yes, unless an exemption applies. Birmingham City Council's selective licensing scheme started on 5 June 2023, covers 25 wards and costs £700 per licence for up to five years. Handsworth Wood is not covered, so check the council's map for your address.
Yes. GS Plumbing And Heating gives landlords dated photos and an itemised invoice after every job, showing what was found and fixed. It gives you a clear repair history for each property. We do not give legal advice on licence conditions, but we keep the plumbing in good working order.
It might, especially in a Victorian or Edwardian house. Check the pipe just before your stopcock: lead is dull grey, soft, and shows shiny silver when gently scraped with a coin. Handsworth's soft water makes replacing lead more worthwhile. Contact Severn Trent before any work to use its Lead Replacement Scheme.
Usually not for work inside the home. If the job changes the outside of a house in the Lozells and Soho Hill Conservation Area, such as a new soil pipe on the front, check with Birmingham City Council's planning team first. GS Plumbing And Heating routes new pipework discreetly wherever possible.
Severn Trent Water. For most Handsworth homes it supplies the water and runs the sewers, and since 1 October 2011 it has owned drains shared by two or more homes and lateral drains outside your boundary. Only a private drain serving just your home is your cost. GS Plumbing And Heating checks which drain it is before quoting.
No. GS Plumbing And Heating is not Gas Safe registered, so boilers and gas appliances, including landlords' annual gas safety checks, need a Gas Safe registered engineer. In Handsworth we repair the rest of the heating circuit: radiators, valves and leaking water pipes.
We cover all of Handsworth, including Soho Road, Handsworth Park, Handsworth Wood, Lozells, Birchfield, Holyhead and Soho Hill. We also serve West Bromwich, Smethwick, Oldbury, Tipton, Wednesbury, Great Barr, Rowley Regis, Perry Barr and Cradley Heath. For emergencies in B20 or B21, an engineer is on site within 60 minutes.
Turn off the stopcock straight away, usually under the kitchen sink, then open the cold taps to drain the pipes. Switch off electrics near the leak and move valuables. If it is a rental, tell your landlord or agent. Then call GS Plumbing And Heating on +44 7701 369047 for a 24/7 emergency repair.
Don't let a small leak turn into a ceiling repair. Call GS Plumbing And Heating now on +44 7701 369047. We answer instantly and are with you within 60 minutes, day or night. Planning ahead instead? Request a free, fixed quote and we will get back to you with a clear price.
GS Plumbing And Heating · 4 Telford Close, West Bromwich, B71 2NB · +44 7701 369047