Top 4 Plumbers in Fresno, CA - Plumbing Index US

Quick Comparison

Firm	Founded / Tenure & Credentials	Services & Specialties	Geographic Focus
Allbritten	1932 ("The Barefoot Plumber" origin); locally owned and independent	CA CSLB License (C-36 Plumbing), NATE certified technicians, BBB Accredited	Fresno headquarters; Central Valley homes and businesses
Fresno Plumbing & Heating	1945; Kumpe family acquired 1978 (Andrew, Wilma + sons Gary, Larry, Dean); incorporated 1981; current ownership Larry Kumpe (President) and Dean Kumpe (Secretary Treasurer)	CSLB License #424352, DIR #1000000516, BBB Accredited	Fresno headquarters; valley and coastal regions
Johnson Plumbing	1960; entering fourth-generation family ownership	CA CSLB License #423194 (C-36 Plumbing, C-34 Pipeline)	Yosemite Parkway base in Merced (95341); Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Atwater, Modesto, Turlock, Merced; 50+ Central California cities
Art Douglas Plumbing	1971 (Art Douglas, founder); current General Manager Doug Biggerstaff; family-owned operating structure	CSLB License #699348 (C-36 Plumbing, C-20 HVAC), BBB Accredited	E Clinton Avenue base in Fresno (93727); Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Central Valley

1. Allbritten

Address: 2842 N Business Park Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727
Phone: (559) 226-1971
Founder: “The Barefoot Plumber” (founded 1932); locally owned independent operating structure across 94-year history
Operating Since: 1932. 94 years; one of the oldest continuously operating Central Valley plumbing and mechanical contractors
License: California CSLB License (C-36 Plumbing classification, plus electrical and mechanical credentialing for the multi-trade service portfolio); NATE certified HVAC technicians; BBB Accredited
Service area: Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Sanger, Selma, Reedley, Kingsburg, Fowler, Parlier, Kerman, Easton, Friant, Squaw Valley, Tollhouse, Auberry, Prather, Shaver Lake, North Fork, Coarsegold, Oakhurst. Central Valley and adjacent foothill communities
Website: allbritten.com

94-Year Operating Tenure Spanning Central Valley Plumbing Trade History

Allbritten traces its origins to 1932, when “The Barefoot Plumber” founded the operation in Fresno during the depths of the Great Depression era. Across the 94-year operating history, Allbritten has provided continuous plumbing and mechanical service across the Central Valley, with the firm now offering integrated plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and home service work. The “Since 1932” positioning reflects continuous Central Valley operating presence across approximately a century, and the firm’s accumulated trade knowledge depth covers the entire arc of Fresno’s residential and commercial plumbing infrastructure evolution from the pre war agricultural economy era through the post-war suburban buildout cycles into the contemporary metropolitan region.

Locally Owned Independent Versus National Chain Pattern

Allbritten’s positioning explicitly sets apart the firm from national chains, with the company describing itself as “not a chain, your neighbors, a locally owned team that treats every home like family.” The locally owned independent operating structure has remained intact across the 94-year operating history, distinguishing the firm from acquired and rebranded operators in the Central Valley plumbing market. The Central Valley plumbing trade has experienced consolidation pressure from regional and national aggregators (Authority Brands’ Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise system, Mr. Rooter Plumbing as part of Neighborly’s franchise network, and various private equity rollups have acquired California home services brands across recent decades), and Allbritten’s continuous independent positioning provides a verifiable multi-decade non chain alternative for Central Valley residential customers.

Multi Trade Integrated Service Portfolio (Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC)

Allbritten operates an integrated plumbing electrical HVAC service portfolio, distinguishing the firm from plumbing only operators in the Fresno market. California regulates each trade through separate CSLB classification credentialing: C-36 covers plumbing, C-10 covers electrical, and C-20 covers HVAC mechanical. The triple trade integrated service portfolio supports residential customers who would otherwise need to coordinate three separate contractors for whole home renovation, mechanical system replacement, or new construction projects. NATE certification for HVAC technicians (North American Technician Excellence, the industry standard HVAC technician certification body) provides additional credential depth for the mechanical trade service line.

Central Valley Climate and Fresno Plumbing Service Mix

Fresno’s San Joaquin Valley climate (low elevation valley floor, hot dry summers with regular triple digit afternoon temperatures, mild winters with occasional Tule fog and rare freezes, low annual rainfall concentrated in winter months) generates a plumbing service mix profile that combines arid climate hard water service work with agricultural region irrigation related plumbing infrastructure work. The Central Valley aquifer water supply produces hard water scale buildup affecting water heaters, fixtures, and supply lines. Air conditioning loads run heavily across the long summer cooling season, creating water heater and HVAC service demand cycles that align with the climate calendar. Allbritten’s 94-year accumulated experience across these climate and service mix conditions provides depth of trade context for the Fresno environment that newer operators have not yet accumulated.

2. Fresno Plumbing & Heating

Address: Fresno, CA
Phone: (559) 294-0200 (office); (559) 292-4065 (service); (559) 294-0300 (fax)
Founder: Original 1945 founders (predecessor ownership); Kumpe family acquired 1978 (Andrew Kumpe and Wilma Kumpe with sons Gary, Larry, and Dean); incorporated 1981; current ownership Larry Kumpe (President) and Dean Kumpe (Secretary Treasurer)
Operating Since: 1945 (over 80 years); Kumpe family ownership since 1978 (48 years). With multi generation Kumpe family construction and plumbing trade lineage extending earlier. Andrew Kumpe was a buyer for a major construction company in Los Angeles, and sons Gary, Larry, and Dean worked for their father until 1967 before entering the plumbing industry
License: California CSLB License #424352; California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Public Works Contractor #1000000516; BBB Accredited
Service area: Fresno County, Madera County, Tulare County, Kings County, Merced County, Mariposa County, Stanislaus County, Monterey County, San Benito County, Santa Cruz County. valley and coastal regions; 227 employee staffing supports the broad geographic footprint
Website: fresnoplumbinginc.com

81-Year Operating Tenure and Kumpe Family Acquisition

Fresno Plumbing & Heating Inc. was established in 1945, providing over 80 years of continuous Fresno area plumbing and heating service. In 1978, the Kumpe family acquired the firm, with Andrew Kumpe and Wilma Kumpe buying the business alongside their sons Gary, Larry, and Dean Kumpe. The family formally incorporated the business in 1981, transitioning the operating structure to Kumpe family corporate ownership. Andrew Kumpe brought a construction industry background (he had served as a buyer for a major Los Angeles construction company), and his sons Gary, Larry, and Dean had worked for their father until 1967 before independently entering the plumbing industry. This pre existing construction trade family lineage provided the Kumpes with operating context depth at the 1978 acquisition.

Larry and Dean Kumpe Current Ownership Structure

Current ownership of Fresno Plumbing & Heating Inc. is held by Larry Kumpe as President and Dean Kumpe as Secretary Treasurer, both second generation Kumpe family principals (sons of original 1978 acquirers Andrew and Wilma Kumpe). The 48-year continuous Kumpe family ownership tenure since the 1978 acquisition combined with the multi generation Kumpe construction and plumbing trade family background provides operating context depth across nearly half a century of Kumpe family operating leadership. Fresno Plumbing & Heating has grown to a 227 employee staff under Kumpe family ownership, supporting the broad valley and coastal dispatch reach that the firm now covers.

CSLB License #424352 and Public Works Compliance

California regulates contractors through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) under Business and Professions Code Division 3, Chapter 9, with classification based contractor licensing across A (general engineering), B (general building), and C classification specialty trades (including C-36 Plumbing). CSLB licensing requires bonding, insurance, qualifying individual examination passage, and continuing compliance renewal cycles, and the CSLB public licensee database (cslb.ca.gov) is the standard pre-engagement diligence verification step California residential and commercial customers use. Fresno Plumbing & Heating’s CSLB License #424352 plus California DIR Public Works Contractor Registration #1000000516 supports public works contracting on California prevailing wage projects (DIR registration is required for any contractor working on public works projects under California Labor Code Section 1771.1, and the active DIR registration enables Fresno Plumbing & Heating to bid and execute public works mechanical contracts).

Valley and Coastal Service Geography

The 227 employee operating scale supports a coverage area that extends substantially beyond Fresno County alone, covering the broader San Joaquin Valley (Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Merced, Mariposa, Stanislaus counties) and extending west into the Central Coast (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz counties). This valley and coastal coverage geography is enabled by the firm’s operating scale and lets Fresno Plumbing & Heating serve commercial and institutional customers with multi county California portfolios under a unified contractor relationship.

3. Johnson Plumbing

Address: 2190 Yosemite Parkway, Merced, CA 95341
Phone: (209) 723-4032
Founder: Johnson family (founded 1960); entering fourth generation of family ownership
Operating Since: 1960 (66 years); four Johnson family generations
License: California CSLB License #423194 (C-36 Plumbing classification, C-34 Pipeline classification); BBB Accredited
Service area: Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Atwater, Modesto, Turlock, Merced. 50+ Central California cities including Sanger, Selma, Reedley, Kingsburg, Kerman, Madera Ranchos, Friant, Riverdale, Caruthers, Easton, Mendota, Firebaugh, Dinuba, Visalia, Tulare, Hanford, Lemoore
Website: johnsonplumbinginc.com

Four-Generation Johnson Family Plumbing Lineage

Johnson Plumbing has operated as a family-owned plumbing firm since 1960, providing 66 years of continuous Central California service under continuous Johnson family ownership. The firm is now entering its fourth generation as a family-owned plumbing company, reflecting multi generation trade knowledge transmission across the Johnson family across more than six decades. Four-generation continuity is uncommon in the residential plumbing trade nationally, and the Johnson family operating structure has remained intact without sale to a regional consolidator or national rollup. The firm’s Yosemite Parkway base in Merced supports a service geography extending across the broader San Joaquin Valley including the Fresno Clovis Madera corridor and the northern valley communities of Modesto, Turlock, and Atwater.

Merced Operating Base and Central California Service Footprint

The 2190 Yosemite Parkway headquarters in Merced (zip 95341) sits in the central San Joaquin Valley, providing dispatch positioning that supports service across the 50+ Central California cities the firm covers. Merced is the seat of Merced County and the home of UC Merced (the University of California system’s newest campus, established 2005), and the city has experienced substantial population growth across the past two decades tied partially to the UC Merced expansion. The service grid extends south through Madera and Fresno counties, north through Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, and west into the smaller agricultural community towns that define the central San Joaquin Valley residential and small commercial market.

Dual CSLB Classification (C-36 Plumbing, C-34 Pipeline)

Johnson Plumbing holds California CSLB License #423194 with dual classification under C-36 Plumbing (the standard residential and commercial plumbing classification) and C-34 Pipeline (the pipeline construction classification covering main line water and sewer pipeline work). The C-34 Pipeline classification is operationally significant because it permits the firm to perform municipal utility scale water main and sewer main work that pure C-36 Plumbing contractors cannot legally execute, expanding the firm’s potential project scope to include public works pipeline projects, large diameter sewer lateral work, and municipal water utility coordination work. The dual classification supports the broader 50+ city working radius.

4. Art Douglas Plumbing

Address: 5855 East Clinton Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727
Phone: (559) 291-7230 (Fresno); (559) 661-1060 (Madera); (866) 411-6200 (toll free)
Founder: Art Douglas (founded 1971); current General Manager Doug Biggerstaff; family-owned operating structure
Operating Since: 1971 (55 years); founder name continuity under family-owned operating structure with continuing Art Douglas branding
License: California CSLB License #699348 (C-36 Plumbing classification, C-20 HVAC classification); BBB Accredited
Service area: Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Tarpey Village, Pinedale, Old Fig Garden, Bullard, Sunnyside, Sierra Sky Park, Lake Millerton corridor, Friant, Sanger, Reedley, Selma, Kingsburg
Website: artdouglasplumbing.com

55-Year Operating Tenure Under Art Douglas Founder Name

Art Douglas Plumbing was founded in 1971 by Art Douglas, and the firm has continued as a family-owned residential and commercial plumbing operation across 55 years of Fresno area presence. The Art Douglas name has secured the firm’s branding across the operating history, and current General Manager Doug Biggerstaff leads the contemporary operating leadership. The 5855 East Clinton Avenue headquarters in Fresno (zip 93727) sits in central Fresno, providing dispatch positioning that supports service across the Fresno Clovis Madera corridor and the surrounding Central Valley communities.

Dual C-36 Plumbing and C-20 HVAC Classification

Art Douglas Plumbing operates under California CSLB License #699348 with dual classification under C-36 Plumbing and C-20 HVAC. The dual plumbing and HVAC classification supports residential customers requiring water heater service plus furnace or AC service under a unified contractor relationship, and the HVAC classification provides the regulatory authority for mechanical equipment installation, service, and replacement work. The firm’s stated service mix orientation prioritizes plumbing as the primary focus with select HVAC services for existing customers, reflecting the operating mix configuration that residential customers benefit from when their primary plumbing contractor can also handle related mechanical equipment work.

Fresno Clovis Madera Operating Geography

The Clinton Avenue Fresno headquarters and Madera office support a service map covering the Fresno Clovis Madera triangle that comprises the core Fresno metro residential and small commercial market. Fresno is California’s fifth largest city and the principal metropolitan area of the San Joaquin Valley, Clovis is the immediate northeastern suburb (with substantial post 1990 master-planned residential development), and Madera is the seat of Madera County immediately north of Fresno. The contemporary suburban housing stock that dominates this geography (with substantial 1980s and newer single family and townhome construction) generates a plumbing service mix oriented toward water heater service, drain cleaning, fixture installation, repipe work, and the standard residential plumbing categories that contemporary suburban housing requires.

Reference Notes

Fresno’s residential plumbing market reflects three Central Valley operating realities that shape competitive positioning. The first is San Joaquin Valley climate and Fresno-specific plumbing service mix: Fresno’s Central Valley climate (low elevation valley floor, hot dry summers with regular triple digit afternoon temperatures across June-September, mild winters with Tule fog episodes and occasional rare freezes, low annual rainfall concentrated in November-March, agricultural region irrigation infrastructure adjacent to residential properties) generates a plumbing service mix profile combining arid climate hard water service work with agricultural region considerations. Hard water supply chemistry sourced from the Central Valley aquifer plus surface water deliveries from Friant Dam and the broader Central Valley Project produces scale buildup affecting water heaters, fixtures, supply lines, and recirculating pumps. Air conditioning loads run heavily across the long summer cooling season, and water heater service demand cycles align with the climate calendar. Pool plumbing service is recurring residential demand because in-ground swimming pools are common across Fresno Clovis Madera single-family housing as a heat management amenity. The second structural condition is licensing depth: California regulates contractors through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) under Business and Professions Code Division 3, Chapter 9, with classification based contractor licensing across A (general engineering), B (general building), and C classification specialty trades; CSLB licensing requires bonding, insurance, qualifying individual examination passage, and continuing compliance renewal cycles, and the CSLB public licensee database (cslb.ca.gov) is the standard pre-engagement diligence verification step California residential and commercial customers use (master plumber licensing through California’s plumbing trade regulatory framework requires examination passage, journeyman experience hours, and continuing education renewal. California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Public Works Contractor Registration is required for any contractor working on public works projects under California Labor Code Section 1771.1. The third structural condition is national rollup activity: the Central Valley plumbing trade has experienced consolidation pressure from regional and national aggregators (Authority Brands’ Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise system, Mr. Rooter Plumbing as part of Neighborly’s franchise network, and various private equity rollups have acquired California home services brands across recent decades), and the four Fresno firms profiled here all run as locally owned independent operators outside the franchise consolidator pattern. With multigeneration family ownership (Allbritten 1932 across the multi-decade Central Valley operating history; Fresno Plumbing & Heating 1945 with Kumpe family ownership since 1978 across two Kumpe generations plus pre existing Kumpe construction and plumbing trade lineage; Johnson Plumbing 1960 entering fourth generation Johnson family ownership; Art Douglas Plumbing 1971 founder name continuity).

Tenure profiles across the four firms vary across approximately a 40-year span, and the ranking aligns with both formal corporate founding dates and family trade lineage continuity. Allbritten leads on the longest tenure dimension by a substantial margin, with a 1932 founding under “The Barefoot Plumber” and 94-year continuous Central Valley operating presence; the firm’s locally owned independent positioning explicitly separates from national chains, and the multi-trade integrated service portfolio (plumbing, electrical, HVAC with NATE certified technicians) materially exceeds the typical single trade configuration of Fresno area plumbing operators. Fresno Plumbing & Heating follows on the second longest tenure dimension. With a 1945 founding under predecessor ownership, Kumpe family acquisition in 1978 (Andrew, Wilma, sons Gary, Larry, and Dean), 1981 incorporation, and current ownership under Larry Kumpe as President and Dean Kumpe as Secretary Treasurer; the 81-year operating tenure plus 48-year continuous Kumpe family ownership combined with the 227 employee operating scale, valley and coastal dispatch reach, and DIR Public Works Contractor Registration #1000000516 supports both residential and large commercial mechanical contracting across nine California counties. Johnson Plumbing’s four-generation family ownership lineage since 1960 (entering the fourth generation under the Johnson family) and dual CSLB classification under C-36 Plumbing plus C-34 Pipeline root a Yosemite Parkway base in Merced supporting a 50+ city Central California coverage area. Art Douglas Plumbing’s 55-year founder name continuity since Art Douglas’s 1971 founding (current General Manager Doug Biggerstaff, family-owned operating structure) and dual CSLB C-36 Plumbing plus C-20 HVAC classification support a Fresno Clovis Madera triangle service geography. The credential portfolios scale with operating depth: Allbritten’s multi-trade NATE certified configuration, Fresno Plumbing & Heating’s CSLB #424352 plus DIR Public Works Contractor authority, Johnson’s dual classification CSLB #423194 (C-36 plus C-34), and Art Douglas’s dual classification CSLB #699348 (C-36 plus C-20) together provide the four firm comparison framework that Fresno area residential customers use to select between long tenured independent local operators outside the has absorbed multiple Central Valley brands across the past two decades..

Selection Methodology

Selection follows four criteria. First, continuous family ownership or founder-operator continuity outside the national rollup pattern. Second, verifiable CSLB C-36 Plumbing Contractor license cross-checked via the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) public lookup. Third, BBB Accreditation or equivalent third-party rating. Fourth, minimum 10-year continuous operating tenure with documented Fresno, CA 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I verify a Fresno, CA plumber’s license?

Use the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) public licensee database at cslb.ca.gov. Search by license number or business name. Confirm active status, classification, bonding, and insurance before authorizing work.

What credentials should a Fresno, CA plumber hold?

At minimum: CSLB C-36 Plumbing Contractor credential plus general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Specialty work (gas line, backflow prevention, fire sprinkler, sewer lateral) requires additional credential layers.

How can I tell if a Fresno, CA 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 Fresno?

Burst pipes, sewer backups, gas leaks, no water events, and water heater failures justify after-hours dispatch. 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 California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) public lookup before authorizing work. Information current as of the date below; firm details may change without notice. Last updated: 2026-05-10.