Plumbers in Doraville, GA

Doraville in brief

Incorporated in 1871, Doraville grew around a General Motors assembly plant that has since closed. Today it is a small, very diverse DeKalb city on Buford Highway, home to a large Asian community, many Latin American residents and many immigrant-owned businesses, with the Doraville MARTA station at its center. It is about 13 miles from downtown Atlanta and had 10,623 residents in 2020.

Older homes, predictable problems

About 60% of Doraville homes were built before 1980, and the median year is 1975. Many of those houses still have original galvanized or early copper supply lines, cast iron drain lines and older sewer laterals. Signs that the original pipe is wearing out include discolored water when a tap first opens, falling pressure throughout the house, a damp spot in the yard that never dries, and drains that back up again soon after being cleared. A plumber can tell you whether a spot repair makes sense or whether a section should be replaced.

DeKalb County water and sewer

The city does not operate a water department; its utilities page sends residents to DeKalb County Watershed Management. DeKalb treats Chattahoochee River water at its Scott Candler plant and runs the county sewer system, including the Pole Bridge and Snapfinger treatment plants. DeKalb's water quality report has the annual results, and its "Check your line" tool shows what your service line is recorded as.

DeKalb is responsible for the service line from the main through the meter, which usually sits in a pit near the street. From the meter into the house is the owner's responsibility. For a break on the county side, call DeKalb's 24-hour emergency repair line, 770-270-6243.

DeKalb also requires a backflow assembly on single-family irrigation systems, installed on the customer side of the meter by a Georgia plumbing contractor and tested every year by a certified tester.

The Doraville permit process

Plumbing work goes on the city's Trade Permit Application for mechanical, electrical and plumbing, submitted online through Cloudpermit. Every permit needs a notarized affidavit from the homeowner or property owner, and payment by phone is not accepted. Planning + Community Development is at 2421 Van Fleet Circle, Suite 200 ((770) 451-8745).

Gas and calling

Doraville has no gas system of its own; Atlanta Gas Light owns the pipes. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 and AGL at 877.427.4321 from a distance. For plumbing, call this page's number and explain the problem. You will be connected with an independent plumber who works in Doraville, and you set cost and timing with them.