Every drain in the house is slow
Drain lines & cleanouts →It could be the house line or the septic system. We clear the line and run a camera so you know before anybody digs.
Plumber in Malibu · Los Angeles County
Plumber in Malibu
5.0 on Google (20 reviews) CSLB Lic. #339618 Family shop since 1977
More of our jobs are in Malibu than in any other zip code. Point Dume, the Colony, Malibu Road, Serra Retreat and up past Zuma to Trancas.
Dan picks up when he can and calls back the same day. You get the price before we start. Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.
- Los Angeles County
- 90265
- About thirty minutes
- City of Malibu Building Safety. Malibou Lake and Cornell go through LA County.
“Dan showed up right on time for our appointment. Much better service and pricing. We will definitely use Dan's Plumbing in the future.”
“Dan is smart and good at figuring things out. He will stay on it until it's right and he knows his stuff.”
“Dan is consistent. Professional, on time, only does what is needed, experienced, easy to work with, clean, and smart.”
Why it happens
What Malibu is plumbed with
Most of Malibu isn't on a city sewer. The city counts about six thousand septic systems, and public sewer only reaches a few areas like the Civic Center. So a slow drain here can be the house line or the system it runs to. We clear the house side and put a camera down so you know which.
Houses on the sand have their own list. Sump basins fill with sand and seaweed, and anything below grade has to be pumped up. The water's hard too. The county district that serves Malibu reported about 234 parts per million from one of its two supplies in 2025, and that scales up a tankless heater fast.
Fires keep rebuilding parts of town. Woolsey took 488 houses in 2018, and the Palisades rebuilds are just getting their permits now. A rebuild or a big remodel means a City of Malibu plumbing permit and a seismic gas shutoff valve, which the city also wants when a house sells.
Streets and pockets we work in: Point Dume, the streets above Zuma, Broad Beach and Trancas, Malibu Colony, Malibu Road, Serra Retreat, Sweetwater Mesa.
Most weeks
What people in Malibu call about
The pump under the house won't stop, or won't start
We clean out the basin, find out why it failed, and replace the pump and check valve if it's done.
Lukewarm showers or a code on the tankless
Tankless descaling →Hard water scales the heat exchanger. A descale and a clean filter fix most of it in one visit.
Selling the house or starting a remodel
Seismic gas shutoff valves →Malibu requires one at sale and on remodels over $10,000. It goes on at the meter with a bracket.
More of our jobs are in Malibu than in any other zip code.
Work in Malibu
Recent jobs
A sump basin full of seaweed and sand
Under a deck by the beach. We dug the seaweed and sand out of the basin, put in a sewage ejector pump with a new check valve, ran the discharge to the high point so it drains toward the beach, and sealed off the old gravity inlet so sand can't wash back in.
Drain cleaning →Two Noritz tankless heaters descaled
Forty minutes of descaling solution through each heater and the inlet filters cleaned. Same visit, we rebuilt the pop-up drains in the master sinks and tightened a loose spout.
Tankless →Area drains packed with roots and dirt
We snaked the patio area drains in both directions and pulled out the roots, then cleaned the four drain basins along the driveway before the rain.
Drain cleaning →From the blog
Job stories from Malibu
More from Malibu
- A loose toilet, reset on new bolts. Fixtures
- A running toilet, fixed in the tank. Fixtures
- Drip irrigation for a Malibu front yard. Irrigation
- Roots in a guest bath drain. Drain maintenance
- Fourteen drip lines for new plants. Irrigation
- Drip lines and a timer for two gardens. Irrigation
- A quiet Bosch for a Malibu kitchen. Appliances
- A new pump, and a lid to keep the sand out. Sump pumps
- Roots out of the drains. Three tubs checked. Drain maintenance
- Feet of sand in a sump basin. Sump pumps
- Roots in the line to the leach pit. Drains & sewers
- Water lines in. Fixtures connected. Remodel plumbing
- Error code 90, fixed at the vent. Water heaters
- A pinhole leak in a gas line. Gas lines
- A little more protection when nobody’s home. Leak protection
- The plumbing behind a new bathroom. Remodel plumbing
- Two tankless heaters. One maintenance visit. Water heaters
Before we start
Local notes
Permits, water and access in Malibu.
- City of Malibu Building Safety. Malibou Lake and Cornell go through LA County.
- LA County Waterworks District 29. Hard water, treated with chloramines.
- Septic for most of the city. Sewer in a few areas, including the Civic Center.
- Seismic shutoff required at sale and on remodels over $10,000.
What people say
“They explain what needs to be done to fix the problem, are willing to do the work asap and take care in keeping the work area clean and unmarred.”
“If you're looking for a plumber who actually knows what they're doing look no further than Dan's plumbing. We use them on all of our projects”
“Dan's plumbing were fantastic, they installed the AWTOS water sensor our Insurance company sent us, fixed some clogged exterior drains that were blocked, and installed a new trash disposal unit...all for a very competitive price. Thanks guys, we're glad we called you!”
Common questions
Things people in Malibu ask
Do you come all the way out to Malibu?
Yes. More of our jobs are in Malibu than in any other zip code, from Point Dume to the Colony and Trancas. It's about half an hour from the shop.
My house is on septic. Can you still clear the drains?
Yes, up to the tank. We clear the lines in and around the house and camera them. Pumping or fixing the tank and leach field is septic work, and we'll tell you which side the problem's on.
Do I need a seismic gas shutoff valve in Malibu?
The city requires one when a house sells, on new buildings and on remodels over $10,000. We put it on at the meter and handle the permit.
Why is my tankless running lukewarm?
Usually scale. Malibu's water is hard, and it builds up in the heat exchanger. A descale and a clean inlet filter fix most of it.
How does pricing work?
You get the price before we start. Repairs are our time plus parts, and bigger jobs get a written bid. Nobody here works on commission.
By the job
What we do in Malibu, job by job
Drain cleaning in Malibu
Drain cleaning in Malibu starts with a question most towns don't have: is it the house line or the septic?
Tankless water heaters in Malibu
Malibu's water is hard. The county district that serves the city reported about 234 parts per million from one of its supplies in 2025, so tankless heaters here scale up and start running lukewarm or throwing codes. A descale with the isolation valves and a clean inlet filter fixes most of it. In September 2026 we descaled two Noritz units on one Malibu property.
Gas line installation & repair in Malibu
Malibu requires a seismic gas shutoff valve when a house sells, on new buildings and on remodels over $10,000, so most of our gas work here starts at the meter.
Next door
Also working in
Tell Dan what it’s doing.
Most problems get sorted out on a short call. About thirty minutes from the shop. Leaking right now? Shut off the main, then call.
Or send the details and Dan will call you back. Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.