Mark Johnson & Sons Plumbing — FAQs
Frequently Asked
Questions.
Answers to the questions North Louisiana homeowners ask us every week — from emergency response to equipment lifespans, warranties, permits, and pricing.
Can't find what you're looking for? Call (318) 319-0220 or use our contact form — real people answer, day or night.
General Service
General Service Questions
Our dispatch office is staffed Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm, and a licensed plumber is always on-call 24/7 for emergencies. Every call is answered by a real person — no answering machines, no overseas call centers. Whether it's a burst pipe at 2am or a sewer backup on a Sunday morning, someone picks up.
We cover 20+ cities across North Louisiana — Lincoln, Ouachita, Caddo, and Bossier parishes. From Ruston out to Monroe, West Monroe, Shreveport, and Bossier City, we dispatch crews with same-day availability in most cities. If you're not sure whether we serve your ZIP code, call (318) 319-0220 and we'll confirm.
We dispatch based on the type of plumbing work, plumber availability, and proximity to your home. For recurring customers, we'll note your preferred plumber in our system and route them to you when possible. Every plumber on our roster is W-2, background-checked, and Louisiana-licensed — not a subcontractor.
For true emergencies — burst pipes, sewer backups, gas leaks, water heater failures — we target on-site response within 60 to 90 minutes across Ruston and surrounding areas. Response times for outlying service areas can run 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic and crew location. We communicate ETAs in real time.
We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover), debit, ACH/check, and offer financing through our partners for larger projects. Payment is collected on completion — never before — and we provide itemized invoices with flat-rate pricing noted upfront before any work begins.
Yes. All labor comes with a 1-year workmanship warranty standard, and parts carry the manufacturer's warranty (typically 5 to 10 years depending on the product). Major installs like water heaters, repipes, and sewer line replacements carry extended warranties, often up to 10 years on parts and 2 years on labor.
Plumbing
Plumbing FAQs
First, shut off your main water valve — usually located where the main line enters your home, often near the water heater or in a utility room. Then call us at (318) 319-0220. While you wait, move valuables away from the affected area and start mopping up standing water to limit damage. A burst pipe is a true emergency — we dispatch 24/7.
Hard water is tough on water heaters. A standard tank-style water heater that might last 10 to 12 years in a soft-water region often only makes it 8 to 10 years where the water is harder. Tankless units last longer — 15 to 20 years with proper maintenance. Annual flushing to remove sediment is the single biggest factor in extending water heater life.
Hard water carries dissolved minerals well above the 60 ppm threshold for "soft" water. Hard water leaves scale deposits on fixtures, reduces soap lather, dries skin and hair, and shortens the life of appliances like water heaters and dishwashers. A whole-home water softener is the most effective fix. We also install reverse osmosis systems for drinking water.
Every 18 to 24 months for most homes, more frequently if you have older cast iron or clay sewer lines, trees near your lateral, or a history of backups. A professional cleaning with a motorized snake or hydro jet clears buildup before it becomes a blockage. We also offer preventive maintenance plans that include annual drain cleaning.
If you've had repeated backups, slow drains across multiple fixtures, sewer gas odors, or if you're buying an older home (pre-1980s), a camera inspection is worth the $200–$300 it costs. We feed a high-def camera through your sewer line and record the footage so you can see exactly what's going on — cracks, bellies, root intrusion, offsets, or full collapses.
A repipe replaces the galvanized, polybutylene, or failing copper piping in your home with modern PEX or copper. Typical projects run 2 to 5 days, require drywall repair in select spots, and cost $4,000 to $12,000 depending on home size and material choice. We provide a detailed written quote after an on-site assessment and handle all permits.
Most residential sewer lateral replacements run 1 to 3 days start to finish — excavation, pipe replacement, backfill, and tamping. Trenchless methods often wrap in a single day. Restoration (concrete, sod, sprinkler repair) can add another day or two. We pull permits ahead of time so the actual work isn't delayed once we break ground.
Available Around the Clock
Emergency?
We answer 24/7.
Burst pipe, water heater out, sewer backup? Real plumbers pick up — no answering machines. Mark Johnson & Sons Plumbing serves North Louisiana any time, day or night.
LA Master Plumbing #1874 · Backflow Cert #28131 · Master Natural Gas Fitter #LMNGF9062 · State Contractors #35794
