01Homes in Brooklyn and their plumbing
| Building type | Where you'll often find it | Typical plumbing concerns |
|---|---|---|
| Brownstones & rowhouses | Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights | Cast-iron stacks, house traps, lead service lines, repiping. Guide |
| Frame two- & three-family houses | Bushwick, Greenpoint, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Borough Park | Shared building drain, one water heater per unit, frozen pipes, storm backups |
| Prewar apartment buildings | Flatbush, Crown Heights, Ocean Parkway corridor, Bay Ridge | Shared stacks, riser leaks, central hot water |
| Low-lying houses | Canarsie, Sheepshead Bay, Flatlands, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach | Basement flooding, sewer backups, coastal storms |
| New high-rise & condo | Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfront | Booster pumps, in-unit leaks, condo responsibility splits |
02Common plumbing problems
- Main sewer line clogs at house traps and in old laterals, often with roots from street trees
- Storm-related backups in low-lying areas
- Galvanized supply pipe causing low pressure and rusty water
- Kitchen stack clogs in apartment buildings
- Frozen pipes in rear extensions and along exterior walls
03Licensing & permits
- Who can do the work
- NYC Licensed Master Plumbers, or people working under one. How to check a license
- Permits
- NYC Department of Buildings, filed in DOB NOW: Build. Permits explained
- Gas piping
- Buildings other than one- and two-family homes need periodic gas piping inspections under Local Law 152
- Service lines
- Owners maintain the water service line and building sewer up to the city mains; DEP maintains the mains
04Water, sewer & gas
- Water & sewer
- NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Report sewer backups from the city main and street flooding to 311
- Gas
- National Grid
- Lead service lines
- DEP publishes a building-by-building service line map
Providers vary by street and town. Your bill shows which one serves your address. Smell gas? Leave and call 911 or your gas utility from outside.
05Neighborhoods
- Williamsburg
- Greenpoint
- Bushwick
- Bedford-Stuyvesant
- Crown Heights
- Park Slope
- Brooklyn Heights
- DUMBO
- Boerum Hill
- Carroll Gardens
- Cobble Hill
- Bay Ridge
- Bensonhurst
- Flatbush
- Flatlands
- Sunset Park
- Borough Park
- Sheepshead Bay
- Canarsie
- Prospect Heights
- Red Hook
- Downtown Brooklyn
- East New York
06Brooklyn plumbing FAQ
Who is responsible for the sewer line under my Brooklyn sidewalk?
Generally the property owner, from the building to the city main. DEP maintains the main in the street.
Why does my basement flood in heavy rain when my neighbor's doesn't?
Elevation, the depth of your lowest drain, the condition of your building sewer and whether a backwater valve is installed all matter. See sewer backup.
07Nearby areas
Sources & review
Last reviewed . General information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules change and individual buildings differ.