Quick Comparison
| Firm | Founded / Tenure & Credentials | Services & Specialties | Geographic Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Economy Plumbers | 1939 (87 years); current Master Plumber David Howard Senior (43+ years experience) plus son David Howard Jr.; multi-generation Howard family operation | LA LMP 214, LA LMNGF 8026, Orleans Plumbing #40, Jefferson Plumbing #408, BBB Accredited | Washington Avenue base in New Orleans (70125); New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Marrero, Chalmette, Terrytown |
| Earl's Plumbing & Heating | 1949 (Earl Luminais, WWII veteran from Reserve, LA, founder; wife Myrtle co-founder); family-owned | LA Master Plumber, BBB Accredited | West Napoleon Avenue base in Metairie (70001); New Orleans Metro |
| Al Bourgeois Plumbing & Heating | 1966 (Al Bourgeois 1925-1997, WWII veteran, Delgado Trade School graduate); three-generation Bourgeois family | LA Master Plumber, BBB Accredited | New Orleans Metro service base; Greater New Orleans |
| Pete's Plumbing & Heating, Inc. | 55+ years of family-owned operation; "My 5 Sons LLC" structure signaling multi-generation succession | LA State Master Plumber #397, BBB Accredited | N Carrollton Avenue base in New Orleans (70119); New Orleans Metro |
1. National Economy Plumbers / New Orleans (Howard family; unrelated to the Memphis firm of the same name)
- Address: 7204 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70125
- Phone: (504) 322-3950
- Founder: Original 1939 founding; current operating leadership Master Plumber David Howard Senior (43+ years industry experience); son David Howard Jr. assists in day-to-day operations; multi-generation Howard family operation
- Operating Since: 1939 (87 years; one of the longest-tenured plumbing operations in New Orleans)
- License: Louisiana Master Plumbers License LA LMP 214; Master Natural Gas Fitters License LA LMNGF 8026; Orleans Plumbing #40 / Gas #03LGA11246; Jefferson Plumbing #408 / Gas #761; BBB Accredited
- Service area: New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Marrero, Chalmette, Terrytown, Gretna, Westwego, Avondale, Harahan, River Ridge, Old Jefferson
- Website: nationaleconomyplumber.com
87-Year Operating Tenure Plus Multi-Generation Howard Family Leadership
National Economy Plumbers has served New Orleans since 1939. Master Plumber David Howard Senior leads the firm with 43+ years of industry experience. His son David Howard Jr. assists in day-to-day operations, grounding multi-generation Howard family involvement. The 87-year operating tenure ranks NEP among the longest-tenured New Orleans-area plumbing operations. The firm operates 24 hours daily, Monday through Sunday.
Washington Avenue New Orleans Base and Multi-Parish Service
The 7204 Washington Avenue headquarters sits in central New Orleans. The position extends dispatch reach across both Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish. The dual-parish licensing (Orleans Plumbing #40, Jefferson Plumbing #408, plus matching Gas Fitter credentials in each parish) covers the bi-parish nature of the New Orleans Metro market. Service extends across the West Bank (Marrero, Terrytown, Westwego, Gretna) plus St. Bernard Parish (Chalmette).
LA LMP 214 and LMNGF 8026 Multi-License Stack
NEP holds Louisiana Master Plumbers License LA LMP 214 plus Master Natural Gas Fitters License LA LMNGF 8026. The Louisiana State Plumbing Board administers Master Plumber and Natural Gas Fitter credentialing through sequentially numbered records. Lower-numbered licenses such as LMP 214 reflect older-issuance heritage from the state’s licensing program origin. The dual master plumber and natural gas fitter credentialing supports plumbing-and-gas integrated service across the New Orleans Metro market.
2. Earl’s Plumbing & Heating, LLC
- Address: 5107 West Napoleon Avenue, Metairie, LA 70001
- Phone: (504) 888-3505
- Founder: Earl Luminais (Sergeant, WWII veteran from Reserve, Louisiana; founded 1949 with wife Myrtle); family-owned operation
- Operating Since: 1949 (77 years of New Orleans Metro service)
- License: Louisiana Master Plumber; BBB Accredited
- Service area: Metairie, New Orleans, Kenner, Harahan, River Ridge, Old Jefferson, Elmwood, East Jefferson, Greater New Orleans
- Website: earlsplumbingandheating.com
Earl Luminais Founding Plus 77 Years of Family Operation
Sergeant Earl Luminais came home from World War II in 1949. Earl, originally from Reserve, Louisiana, started Earl’s Plumbing with his wife Myrtle. The firm operated from a small base northwest of New Orleans on what is now West Napoleon Avenue. The 77-year tenure spans the post-war Metairie suburban expansion through the contemporary Greater New Orleans residential market.
West Napoleon Avenue Metairie Operating Base
The 5107 West Napoleon Avenue headquarters sits in Metairie, the unincorporated Jefferson Parish community immediately west of New Orleans. West Napoleon Avenue serves as the major east-west arterial through Metairie. The position brings dispatch within across East Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish. Service extends through Kenner, Harahan, River Ridge, Old Jefferson, and Elmwood.
LA Master Plumber Compliance and Hydro Tunneling Specialty
Earl’s Plumbing operates under Louisiana State Plumbing Board Master Plumber credentialing. The contemporary service mix covers plumbing repair, drain cleaning, and hydro tunneling for trenchless pipe replacement. Hydro tunneling specialty is operationally meaningful in New Orleans because the high water table plus expansive-clay soil substrate makes traditional trench excavation challenging. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification through BBB Greater New Orleans.
3. Al Bourgeois Plumbing & Heating
- Address: 5612 Crawford Street, New Orleans, LA 70123
- Phone: (504) 894-1117
- Founder: Al Bourgeois (1925-1997; WWII veteran; Delgado Trade School plumbing graduate; founded 1966); third-generation Bourgeois family operation; three current third-generation members work as residential and commercial plumbers
- Operating Since: 1966 (60 years); three Bourgeois family generations
- License: Louisiana Master Plumber; BBB Accredited
- Service area: New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Marrero, Chalmette, Gretna, Westwego, Harahan, River Ridge, Greater New Orleans
- Website: bourgeoisplumbing.com
Al Bourgeois Founding Plus Three-Generation Bourgeois Family Lineage
Al Bourgeois founded the firm in 1966. Al lived from 1925 to 1997 and served in World War II before training in plumbing at Delgado Trade School in New Orleans. He obtained his Louisiana plumbing license and started the operation. The company has always remained family-owned and operated. Three members of the third generation now work as qualified residential and commercial plumbers in New Orleans.
60-Year Family Operating Continuity
The Bourgeois family operating structure has remained intact across 60 years of New Orleans Metro service. Three-generation succession means trade-knowledge has transmitted directly across founder, second generation, and third generation. The family-owned positioning sets apart Al Bourgeois Plumbing from the consolidator pattern that has reshaped portions of the New Orleans home-services market.
LA Master Plumber Compliance and Residential-and-Commercial Service Mix
Al Bourgeois Plumbing & Heating operates under Louisiana Master Plumber credentialing through the State Plumbing Board. Service mix covers residential and commercial plumbing repair, water heater service, drain cleaning, and the broader plumbing-trade scope. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification through BBB Greater New Orleans.
4. Pete’s Plumbing & Heating, Inc. / My 5 Sons LLC
- Address: 606 North Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119
- Phone: (504) 482-2222
- Founder: Pete family lineage (founded 55+ years ago); “My 5 Sons LLC” structural designation signals multi-generation father-to-sons succession; family-owned and operated
- Operating Since: 55+ years of family-owned operation (founded approximately early 1970s)
- License: Louisiana State Master Plumber #397; BBB Accredited
- Service area: New Orleans (Mid-City, Carrollton, Uptown, Garden District, French Quarter, Marigny, Bywater, Treme, Esplanade Ridge, Lakeview), Metairie, Kenner, Greater New Orleans
- Website: petesmasterplumbing.com
Pete Family Plus My 5 Sons Multi-Generation Operating Structure
Pete’s Plumbing & Heating has served the New Orleans metro area for more than 55 years. The “My 5 Sons LLC” structural designation signals deliberate father-to-sons succession across the Pete family operating lineage. Five sons working in the firm represents an unusual depth of family-trade transmission. The 55+ year operating tenure spans the post-1970 New Orleans residential expansion through the post-Katrina rebuild era through the contemporary period.
North Carrollton Avenue Mid-City Base
The 606 North Carrollton Avenue headquarters sits in Mid-City New Orleans near City Park. The position opens rapid dispatch coverage across the central New Orleans neighborhoods (Carrollton, Mid-City, Uptown, Garden District) plus the historic French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny. Pre-Katrina housing across these neighborhoods carries substantial pre-1900 plumbing infrastructure requiring specialized service context.
LA Master Plumber #397 Compliance
Pete’s Plumbing holds Louisiana State Master Plumber License #397 through the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. The lower three-digit license number sits among the older-issuance range of the LSP master plumber registry. Active credentialing across the firm’s 55+ year operating history supports a verifiable multi-decade compliance record. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification.
Reference Notes
Louisiana plumbing licensing runs through the Louisiana State Plumbing Board (LSP). LSP issues Master Plumber (LMP) and Master Natural Gas Fitter (LMNGF) credentials through sequentially numbered records. Verification runs through lspb.lsp.org. Orleans Parish administers parish-level plumbing credentialing through the New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits. Jefferson Parish administers separate credentialing through Jefferson Parish Inspection and Code Enforcement. The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) handles water-and-sewer service connections plus annual backflow-prevention testing for Orleans Parish. Jefferson Parish Water and Sewer handles the same scope across the Metairie-Kenner-West Bank corridor.
New Orleans residential housing reflects 300+ years of construction. The French Quarter (Vieux Carre) supports pre-1800 colonial-era housing. The Garden District, Uptown, and Carrollton filled out with antebellum and Reconstruction-era housing 1830-1880. Faubourg Marigny, Bywater, and the Treme carry late-19th-century shotgun-house and Creole-cottage residential stock. Mid-City and Lakeview filled out with early-20th-century housing 1900-1940. Postwar tract construction built out East New Orleans, Gentilly, Algiers, Metairie, and Kenner through 1945-1970. Hurricane Katrina (August 2005) reshaped the housing-stock condition profile through substantial post-storm rebuild and renovation across the affected neighborhoods. Sub-sea-level elevation in much of New Orleans plus high water table create unique plumbing challenges. Expansive-clay-soil substrate adds foundation-related stress. Annual hurricane-flood exposure shapes recurring service categories: cast-iron drain replacement in pre-1950 stock, sewer-line repair under high-water-table conditions, and post-storm restoration plumbing.
The four firms profiled cover four positions on the New Orleans market arc. National Economy Plumbers leads tenure with 87 years of operation since 1939 plus current Master Plumber David Howard Senior (43+ years experience) and son David Howard Jr. The firm holds LA LMP 214, LMNGF 8026, plus dual Orleans-and-Jefferson parish credentialing. Earl’s Plumbing & Heating follows with Earl Luminais’s 1949 founding (WWII veteran from Reserve, LA, with wife Myrtle co-founder), supporting 77 years of family operation from a Metairie West Napoleon Avenue base. Al Bourgeois Plumbing & Heating brings 60 years of three-generation Bourgeois family operation since Al Bourgeois’s 1966 founding (1925-1997, WWII veteran, Delgado Trade School plumbing graduate). Three current third-generation Bourgeois family members work as qualified residential and commercial plumbers. Pete’s Plumbing & Heating runs 55+ years of family-owned operation from a North Carrollton Avenue Mid-City base. The “My 5 Sons LLC” structural designation signals father-to-sons multi-generation succession plus LA Master Plumber #397 credentialing.
Verification paths run through lspb.lsp.org, BBB Greater New Orleans listings, the PHCC of Louisiana directory, the New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits contractor records, and Jefferson Parish Inspection and Code Enforcement records. Pre-1900 French Quarter and Garden District housing tilts toward National Economy Plumbers’ 87-year multi-parish depth. Post-WWII Metairie residential service fits Earl’s Plumbing. Three-generation Bourgeois family service fits Al Bourgeois. Mid-City and Carrollton service plus father-to-five-sons family operation fits Pete’s Plumbing.
Selection Methodology
Selection follows four criteria. First, continuous family ownership or founder-operator continuity outside the national rollup pattern. Second, verifiable Louisiana Master Plumber license cross-checked via the Louisiana State Plumbing Board public lookup. Third, BBB Accreditation or equivalent third-party rating. Fourth, minimum 10-year continuous operating tenure with documented New Orleans service coverage. Firms acquired by national franchise networks (Authority Brands’ Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Neighborly’s Mr. Rooter, Service Experts, Roto-Rooter, Wrench Group, Redwood Services, Master Trades Group, ARS) are excluded. Notable exclusion: Gallo Mechanical (founded 1945) was acquired by a Dallas private equity firm and therefore falls outside the independent locally-owned operator criterion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a New Orleans plumber’s license?
Use the Louisiana State Plumbing Board public licensee database at lspb.lsp.org. Search by license number or business name. Confirm active status, classification, bonding, and insurance before authorizing work.
What credentials should a New Orleans plumber hold?
At minimum: Louisiana Master Plumber credential plus general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Specialty work (gas line, backflow prevention, fire sprinkler, sewer lateral) requires additional credential layers. Master Natural Gas Fitter is a separate Louisiana credential beyond Master Plumber.
How can I tell if a New Orleans plumber is locally owned versus a national rollup?
Check ownership disclosures and acquisition history. National franchise brands typically operate under parent-company branding. Search the firm name plus “acquired” or “parent company” to surface ownership structure. The four firms in this directory all run as independent locally-owned operators.
When should I call an emergency plumber in New Orleans?
Burst pipes, sewer backups, gas leaks, no-water events, water heater failures, and hurricane-flood-related water-damage events all justify after-hours dispatch. The post-storm restoration plumbing demand pattern is a recurring New Orleans-specific category. Each firm in this directory offers either 24/7 emergency service or structured after-hours response.
Editorial Note
Compiled by the editorial team. Firm details cross-verified through state license databases, BBB business profiles, and firm-published websites where available. License numbers should be re-verified through the Louisiana State Plumbing Board public lookup before authorizing work. Information current as of the date below; firm details may change without notice. Last updated: 2026-05-10.