More than half of Clarkston's housing was built before 1980, much of it in the 1970s, so a dripping or erratic shower here often has an older valve with worn stems or a tired cartridge. A plumber can rebuild or replace it, and Clarkston requires a permit for fixture work that alters piping. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Clarkston.
Clarkston homes and water
Clarkston is a small inner-ring DeKalb city just outside I-285, long a refugee-resettlement hub. Its housing is largely 1970s and 1980s apartments and homes. Census survey figures put the median year built at 1979, with about 53% of units from before 1980 and roughly 31% built in the 1970s alone. Valves of that age are often two-handle compression types or early single-lever designs.
The city's water and sewer are managed by DeKalb County. DeKalb owns the service line from the main through the meter, and the owner is responsible from there to the home's plumbing. Sewage backups on a property go to DeKalb County Water and Sewer, not the city.
Clarkston requires permits for new plumbing and for fixture work involving piping alterations, through its SagesGov portal. A cartridge or stem swap usually doesn't alter piping; replacing a valve body may. In an apartment or rental, the property owner or manager is usually the one who arranges the repair.
Because so much of Clarkston's housing went up in the 1970s, plumbers here know the valve families of that decade well. Rebuild kits for the common ones are still around, and the plumber can usually tell within minutes whether a rebuild will hold.
What to do right now
- Find the unit or house shutoff and close it if water keeps running.
- Renters: report the problem to the property manager in writing so there's a record.
- Put a towel under the spout to catch drips and note how fast it fills a cup.
- Check the unit below, if there is one, for a ceiling stain.
- Photograph the handles and plate for the plumber or manager.
- Keep the tub clear so the trim can be reached.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Separate hot and cold knobs that never fully seal | Washers flattened and seats grooved |
| One lever that drips no matter where it rests | Cartridge O-rings gone hard |
| Neighbors' water use changes your shower temperature | Shared supply and no balancing in the valve |
| Escutcheon plate loose or water behind it | Gasket failure letting spray into the wall |
| Thin spray from the head only | Mineral flakes in the head or valve screens |
What affects the cost
- Who arranges it: in rentals, the owner or manager usually books and pays for the work.
- Building layout: apartments with stacked baths may need access from a neighboring unit.
- Matching 1970s hardware: some stems and cartridges from that decade are hard to source.
- Piping changes: moving from a rebuild to a new body brings Clarkston's permit into play.
- Finish repair: older ceramic tile can crack when removed, so patching may be part of the job.
Shower Valve Repair questions in Clarkston
Can an old two-handle or three-handle shower valve be rebuilt?
Do I need a permit to replace a shower valve here?
Is an anti-scald or thermostatic valve worth the upgrade?
What if the leak turns out to be in the yard line, not the shower?
More plumbing services in Clarkston
Shower Valve Repair nearby
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