Kern County Bakersfield Plumber
Bakersfield is the one place on our list where we don't lead with hard water. Cal Water's numbers here are soft to moderate, so the work is about permits, old lines and the plumbing on your side of the meter.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. No after-hours emergency service.
Sources: Cal Water, Bakersfield 2025 Water Quality Report; USGS Water Science School, Hardness of Water. Checked October 17, 2026.
What We Do Here
Services In Bakersfield
- Water Heater ReplacementGas and electric tanks, strapped and vented to code.
- Main Water Line ReplacementOld galvanized and leaking supply lines, replaced.
- Drain Line CleaningHomes and commercial buildings, cleared to the cause.
- Gas Leak DetectionFound by test, not by guessing. Leave first if you smell gas.
Everything else we do in Bakersfield
Plumbing In Bakersfield
Cal Water serves Bakersfield from three sources: local wells, Kern River water filtered through membranes, and water bought from the Kern County Water Agency. Its wells average 105 mg/L of hardness, moderately hard, and its river water about 49, which is soft. Next to the Santa Clarita Valley, that's easy on a water heater.
Cal Water's Bakersfield wells run from 52 to 380 mg/L, so hardness varies a lot by address and by source, and a softener isn't the automatic answer. What does come up: the City of Bakersfield requires a permit to install a water heater, and plumbing on the house side of the meter is the owner's to repair.
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A Permit For Every Water Heater
The City of Bakersfield says a permit fee and special permit are required for several kinds of residential work, and lists installing a hot water heater among them.
Source: City of Bakersfield, Building Information Guides. Checked October 17, 2026.
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Where Cal Water Stops
Cal Water says it's responsible for repairs within its distribution system, and property owners are responsible for repairs to plumbing on their side of the water meter.
Source: Cal Water, Who Is Responsible For Making Repairs. Checked October 17, 2026.
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Three Kinds Of Water In One System
Cal Water blends groundwater from its Bakersfield wells, Kern River surface water treated by membrane filtration, and treated water from the Kern County Water Agency.
Source: Cal Water, Bakersfield 2025 Water Quality Report. Checked October 17, 2026.
Softto moderate
Easier Water Than Most Of SoCal
Cal Water's own scale calls water soft under 75 ppm and moderately hard from 75 to 150. Its Bakersfield wells average 105 and its Kern River water 49. That puts most Bakersfield taps between soft and moderate, a long way from the 20-plus grains of the Santa Clarita Valley's groundwater.
Source: Cal Water, Bakersfield 2025 Water Quality Report. Checked October 17, 2026.
Straight Answers
Bakersfield Questions
Do I need a water softener in Bakersfield?
It depends on the address. Cal Water's Bakersfield wells range from 52 to 380 mg/L, soft at one end and very hard at the other, and average 105, about 6.1 grains. If scale is a real problem at your house, we'll look at your water before recommending anything.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Bakersfield?
Inside city limits, yes. The City lists installing a hot water heater among the residential jobs that need a permit fee and special permit.
Call The Plumber
Something leaking, backing up or not heating?
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. No after-hours emergency service.