How the shortlist was put together
A list like this is only useful if you can see the rules behind it, so here they are in the order we weighed them.
- A license you can check. Every plumbing contractor in California needs a C-36 license from the Contractors State License Board. Where we have a company’s license number, it appears next to the name, and for the others you should look it up before you book.
- Independent recognition. Each company below was listed as a Top Pick on Expertise.com, or has a long record serving Whittier, when we checked in September 2026.
- Local work. We favored companies with a real base in Whittier and the cities next door over big brands that cover all of Los Angeles.
- Clear specialties. Water heaters, sewer lines and hydro jetting are different trades within plumbing, so we note what each company is known for.
- Straight pricing. Ask each company how it quotes, because you should expect a written price before work starts.
We haven’t hired these companies ourselves, so we can’t speak to the quality of any individual job. Read their recent reviews and ask plenty of questions before you commit to anything.
The shortlist
The companies are listed alphabetically, and each link below goes to the company’s own website.
All Service Plumbing
Listed as an Expertise.com Top Pick for both Whittier and neighboring Lakewood when we checked.
License number: look it up at cslb.ca.gov before booking · allserviceplumbers.com
CJ's Plumbing & Rooter Services
Listed as an Expertise.com Top Pick for Whittier and also appears in the local Yellowpages listings.
License number: look it up at cslb.ca.gov before booking · cjsplumbingnrooter.com
Drain Fast Inc.
Listed as an Expertise.com Top Pick for Whittier, and for Costa Mesa further south in Orange County.
License number: look it up at cslb.ca.gov before booking · drainfastinc.com
Elite Plumbing & Hydrojetting
Listed as an Expertise.com Top Pick for Whittier, with hydro jetting named as a specialty in the business name.
License number: look it up at cslb.ca.gov before booking · eliteplumbingandhydrojetting.net
Haendiges Plumbing
A long-established Whittier plumbing company that runs its own website rather than relying on directory pages.
License number: look it up at cslb.ca.gov before booking · since1937.com
Mitch Clemmons Plumbing
Listed as an Expertise.com Top Pick in three nearby markets when we checked: Whittier, Lakewood and Fullerton.
License number: look it up at cslb.ca.gov before booking · mitchclemmonsplumbing.com
The Water Heater Warehouse
Listed as the lead Expertise.com Top Pick for Whittier, and also for Santa Ana, Anaheim and Fullerton, with a water heater focus.
CSLB license 1041460 · thewaterheaterwarehouse.com
How to check a plumber’s license in California
Short answer: go to cslb.ca.gov, choose “Check a License,” and search by the license number or the business name, which takes about a minute.
California’s Business and Professions Code requires contractors to include their license number in their advertising and their contracts. If a plumber won’t give you the number when you ask, you can treat that as your answer.
When you look a license up, check these three details before you agree to anything:
- The status says active, rather than expired or suspended
- The classification includes C-36, which is the plumbing license
- The business name matches the company you’re actually talking to
Two more rules protect you on bigger jobs such as a repipe or a sewer replacement. Home improvement work generally needs a written contract. And under CSLB rules, the down payment can’t be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less.
Questions to ask before anyone starts
- What’s the total price, and what exactly isn’t included in it?
- Will you pull the permit, and who schedules the city inspection?
- What’s the warranty on the work, and will you put it in writing?
- If you find something unexpected, how will you price the extra work?