Plumbing & Electrical
Light Plumbing & Electrical in Burbank, CA
The jobs too small for a plumber's minimum and too fiddly to enjoy on a Sunday. Faucets, toilets, disposals, outlets, switches, fans and fixtures — done properly, inside the limits of California's non-permit exemption.
- Non-permit, like-for-like replacements on existing plumbing and circuits
- No four-hour minimum and no emergency-rate games
- You'll be told clearly when a job needs a licensed plumber or electrician
- Old-house specialist — 1920s–1960s Burbank plumbing holds surprises
The gap this fills
A licensed plumber in Los Angeles has a minimum charge that reflects a licensed plumber's overhead — often $150–$250 before anything happens, sometimes with a multi-hour minimum. That's correct for a repipe or a sewer line. It's an absurd way to buy a new kitchen faucet.
Meanwhile, replacing a faucet, a disposal, a toilet, a light fixture, an outlet or a ceiling fan on existing plumbing and existing circuits is explicitly permitted work for an unlicensed person in California, as long as the job stays under $1,000 all in, needs no permit, and is done without employees. That's the space I work in, on purpose, and it covers a genuinely useful amount of what goes wrong in a house.
Light plumbing
Kitchen
- Faucet replacement — including the pull-down and touchless models that come with instructions written for a different sink
- Garbage disposal replacement, jam clearing and leak repair
- Sink basket strainers, P-traps, tailpieces and drain assemblies
- Dishwasher supply and drain connections, air gaps
- Refrigerator water lines and saddle-valve replacement (those old saddle valves are a leak waiting to happen)
- Instant-hot and filtered-water dispensers, under-sink filter systems
Bathroom
- Running toilets — flappers, fill valves, flush valves, chains and handles
- Toilet replacement, re-setting a rocking toilet, new wax rings
- Faucet, shower head, hand shower and tub spout replacement
- Shower and tub valve cartridge replacement (the fix for a dripping shower)
- Pop-up drain assemblies and slow drains
- Angle stops, supply lines, toilet seats, towel bars and grab bars
- Re-caulking tubs, showers and vanities
Laundry & general
- Washing machine hoses — the rubber ones fail and flood laundry rooms; braided stainless costs $20 and doesn't
- Hose bibs and outdoor spigots
- Water hammer arrestors for banging pipes
- Minor leak diagnosis under sinks and behind appliances
Light electrical
- Outlet and switch replacement on existing circuits
- GFCI outlet installation in kitchens, baths, garages and exteriors — a genuine safety upgrade in older homes and a common Burbank need
- Dimmers, timers, motion switches and smart switches (with a neutral-wire check before you buy)
- Ceiling fan installation and replacement, including balancing a wobbling fan
- Light fixture replacement: flush mounts, pendants, vanity lights, chandeliers, under-cabinet lighting
- Recessed light trim and bulb-module replacement
- Exterior fixtures, motion lights and photocell replacement
- Doorbell transformers, chimes and smart doorbell wiring
- Smoke and CO detector replacement — California requires 10-year sealed-battery units for replacements
- Ceiling fan brace-box upgrades so a fan is mounted to something rated for it
- Troubleshooting a dead outlet, a tripping breaker or a switch that stopped working
Electrical: new circuits, panel or subpanel work, breaker replacement, service upgrades, aluminum wiring remediation, EV charger circuits, anything inside the main panel. Those require a licensed C-10 electrician and a permit.
Plumbing: repiping, sewer and main line work, gas lines and gas appliance connections, water heater replacement, slab leaks, in-wall valve body replacement, and anything requiring a permit. Those require a licensed C-36 plumber.
These aren't arbitrary limits. They're where an unlicensed repair becomes a fire, a flood or an insurance claim your carrier can deny. When your job is on the wrong side of that line, you'll hear it on the phone before I drive out, along with names of licensed people I'd use in my own house.
Old Burbank houses: what actually goes wrong
A large share of Burbank's housing stock dates from the 1920s through the 1960s, and there are patterns.
- Original angle stops. The shutoff valves under sinks and toilets in a 1950s house are often the originals. They seize, and when they finally get turned, they weep. If I'm swapping a faucet in an older house, I'll usually recommend replacing the stops in the same visit — it's $130–$240 and it prevents the classic scenario where a future emergency can't be shut off.
- Galvanized supply lines. Pre-1960 homes often still have some galvanized steel piping, which corrodes internally and chokes flow. If your water pressure is bad everywhere at once, that's frequently why, and it's a licensed repipe — but I can confirm it for you for free before you call anyone.
- Two-prong outlets and no ground. Extremely common in older Burbank homes. There are code-compliant ways to handle this (GFCI protection with correct labeling) that don't require rewiring the house, and there are wrong ways that just put a three-prong outlet on an ungrounded circuit. I do it the right way.
- Light fixtures on undersized boxes. A ceiling fan hung on a box rated for a light fixture is a genuine hazard. It gets a brace box, every time.
- Cloth-insulated wiring. Found in the oldest homes; brittle insulation cracks when disturbed. If I open a box and find it, you'll be told honestly what it means rather than having a new switch quietly screwed onto crumbling wire.
Light plumbing & electrical pricing
Flat prices, agreed before work begins. All jobs kept inside the §7048 non-permit exemption.
| Service | Typical price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen or bath faucet replacement | $140 – $260 | Includes new supply lines |
| Toilet repair (running, weak flush, leak) | $110 – $210 | Flapper, fill valve, flush valve, wax ring |
| Toilet replacement | $220 – $380 | Removal, new wax ring, set, level, seal |
| Garbage disposal replacement | $180 – $330 | Includes a 3/4 HP unit |
| P-trap / drain line under sink | $120 – $220 | Leaks, corroded traps, disposal connections |
| Angle stop / shutoff valve replacement | $130 – $240 | Overdue on almost every pre-1970 Burbank house |
| Outlet or switch replacement | $95 – $170 | Existing circuit, like-for-like |
| Dimmer or smart switch install | $110 – $190 | Including neutral-wire check first |
| Ceiling fan installation | $150 – $280 | Existing box; brace-box upgrade extra |
| Light fixture replacement | $120 – $230 | Flush mounts, pendants, vanity bars, chandeliers extra |
| Smoke / CO detector replacement | $85 – $180 | Hardwired and battery, per unit |
How a job actually goes
- 1
Tell me what's wrong
Call, text a photo, or fill in the form. Photos of the model plate or the problem area cut the guesswork enormously.
- 2
Get a real price range
You get a range before I drive out, not after. If it's a job that needs a licensed contractor, I'll tell you that on the phone instead of wasting your time.
- 3
I show up in the window
You get a text when I'm on the way. Shoe covers, drop cloths, and the work area left cleaner than I found it.
- 4
Pay when it works
Flat price agreed up front. Card, Zelle, cash or check. Parts I install carry the manufacturer warranty and my labor is guaranteed for 90 days.
Questions people actually ask
Can an unlicensed handyman legally do plumbing and electrical work in California?
Yes, within defined limits. California Business & Professions Code §7048 — as amended by AB 2622 effective January 1, 2025 — exempts work where the total contract price for labor and materials is under $1,000, no building permit is required, and the person doesn't hire employees for the job. Replacing a faucet, toilet, disposal, outlet, switch, fixture or ceiling fan on existing plumbing and existing circuits fits comfortably inside that. New circuits, panel work, gas lines, repiping and water heaters do not.
How much does it cost to install a faucet?
$140–$260 including new braided supply lines, if the shutoff valves under the sink still work. If those valves are seized or leaking — very common in pre-1970 Burbank homes — replacing them adds $130–$240 and is worth doing while everything is already apart.
My toilet runs constantly. Is that expensive?
Almost never. It's usually a $12 flapper or a $20 fill valve, and the repair runs $110–$210 including the parts and the visit. It's also wasting a startling amount of water — a badly running toilet can push through hundreds of gallons a day, which shows up on an LADWP or Burbank Water and Power bill fast.
Can you install a ceiling fan where there's only a light?
Usually yes, if there's an accessible attic or the existing box can be swapped for a fan-rated brace box. A standard light fixture box is not rated to carry a fan's weight and vibration, and this is a real failure mode, not a technicality. The brace-box upgrade adds about $60–$110 to the job. If the location needs a new circuit or a new switch leg, that crosses into licensed electrician territory.
Can you install a smart switch or dimmer?
Yes, with one thing to check first: most smart switches require a neutral wire at the switch box, and many pre-1980 Burbank homes don't have one. Send me a photo inside the switch box (breaker off) and I'll tell you before you buy which models will work in your house. There are good no-neutral options if that's your situation.
Do you do emergency calls for leaks?
For small leaks I do — a failed supply line, a leaking angle stop, an overflowing toilet, a dripping P-trap. For an active flood, a burst pipe, a slab leak or anything where you can't stop the water, shut off the main and call a licensed plumber; that is the right answer and I'll say so rather than drive out and waste your time.
Will you install fixtures I bought myself?
Yes, always. Bring me the faucet, fan, chandelier or disposal you picked and I'll install it. If it's the wrong size or spec for your setup, you'll hear that before it's opened and while it's still returnable.
Why do you keep mentioning the $1,000 limit?
Because it's the law and most people advertising handyman work in California don't mention it at all. Staying inside the exemption protects you as much as me: work done outside it by an unlicensed person can void insurance coverage and leaves you with no recourse through the CSLB. When your job is bigger than the exemption, you deserve a licensed contractor, and I'd rather refer you than take a job I shouldn't.
What neighbors say
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“Our Samsung fridge stopped cooling on a Friday. Armen came out the same afternoon, found a failed evaporator fan, and had it running before dinner. He showed me the old part and explained exactly what happened. No upsell, no drama.”
“Three-story townhouse with Wi-Fi that died on the top floor. He ran a hardwired access point instead of selling me another extender, and now I get full speed in every room. He labeled every cable in the closet too.”
“Four cameras around the house plus a doorbell, all on my phone. He walked the property with me first and moved two camera positions based on where our packages actually get dropped. Clean cable runs, nothing hanging.”
Light Plumbing & Electrical across Burbank and 25 miles
Based in Burbank, on the road every day across the east Valley, the Verdugos and the west San Gabriel Valley.