15 min read

Top 4 Plumbers in Washington, DC

Quick Comparison

Firm Founded / Tenure & Credentials Services & Specialties Geographic Focus
Stevens Plumbing (DH Stevens) Continuous operation since 1900 (125 years), among the longest-tenured continuously operating Washington DC plumbing practices; founded by David Henry Stevens in Washington D.C.; Stevens family ownership maintained through Dean W. Stevens passing in April 2009; 2009 ownership transition to longtime employees Michael Calomeris and Richard Nashwinter Jr. (purchased the business from the Stevens estate); operating mission "to be the premier plumbing service provider in Washington D.C and the Maryland suburbs" Residential and commercial plumbing services across Washington D.C and the Maryland suburban area Washington D.C. service base; Washington DC and Maryland suburban area
Fry Plumbing, Heating & AC Corp. Continuous operation since 1948 (77 years), veteran-owned and operated; Washington D.C. License #603 (one of the lowest-numbered active DC plumbing license credentials, consistent with founding-era 1948 issuance heritage); Northern Virginia License #2701 02 4849A; Maryland License #14696-01; tri-jurisdictional DC-MD-VA service reach; Angie's List Best Contractor; Angie's List Super Service Award; CBE certified; EPA certified; Certified Master Plumber; Licensed Green Plumber; Registered Journeyman Plumber; PHCC member Plumbing (emergency, commercial, general repairs, toilet/faucet repair, bathroom/kitchen plumbing), HVAC (installation, maintenance, water heater, furnace, boiler, air conditioner, heat pumps), leak detection, drain and sewer cleaning Northeast DC HQ (327 L Street Northeast, Washington, DC 20002); Washington DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia
Magnolia Companies (Magnolia Plumbing, Heating & Cooling) Continuous family operation since 1950 (75 years), four generations of Magnolia family ownership; Joseph Magnolia Jr. became the youngest master plumber in the Washington Metropolitan area in 1970; family-owned and operated for four generations; one of Washington DC's most versatile plumbing and mechanical contractors Plumbing, heating, cooling, mechanical contracting; residential and commercial work Washington DC area; Maryland, Virginia, surrounding areas
National Water Service Continuous operation since 1979 (46 years), family-owned and operated business currently in third generation; current operating leadership David Rycke (President), John McDade (Vice President / General Manager), Matt Kopp (Vice President / Director of Operations) and Heather McDade (Vice President of Sales); Master Plumber License MP 73569; Maryland Licenses PI015 and WCI138; Virginia License #2705168407; tri-jurisdictional MD-DC-VA service reach Water treatment, well pump services, plumbing services, residential and commercial work Woodbine MD HQ (2878 Daisy Road, Woodbine, MD 21797); Maryland (Montgomery, Howard, Carroll, Frederick, Anne Arundel, Baltimore Counties), Washington D.C., Northern Virginia (Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William Counties)

1. Stevens Plumbing (DH Stevens)

  • Address: 1351 Quincy Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
  • Phone: (202) 882-4500
  • Founder: David Henry Stevens (1900)
  • Stevens Family Operating Period: 1900-2009 (109 years of continuous Stevens family ownership)
  • 2009 Ownership Transition: Michael Calomeris and Richard Nashwinter Jr. (longtime employees who purchased the business from the Stevens estate after Dean W. Stevens’s passing in April 2009)
  • Operating Since: 1900 (125 years of continuous operation under the Stevens name; among the longest-tenured continuously operating Washington DC plumbing practices)
  • Service area: Washington D.C and Maryland suburban area
  • Website: dhstevens.com

Continuous Operation Since 1900 With Stevens Family Heritage and 2009 Employee Succession

Stevens Plumbing has operated continuously since 1900, framing 125 years of Washington DC plumbing service from the founder David Henry Stevens through the contemporary period. The 125-year operating coverage spans the full Washington DC building stock evolution from the early-twentieth-century downtown commercial-and-residential development through the 1920s-1940s prewar luxury residential corridor expansion across Georgetown and Cleveland Park. The 1940s-1960s postwar suburban tract expansion across the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. The 1970s-1980s urban-renewal era. The 1990s-2000s federal-government-driven population growth, the 2008-2012 housing-market reset, and the contemporary federal-and-tech-driven Washington DC luxury-renovation cycle. The Stevens family maintained continuous ownership for 109 years (1900-2009) until Dean W. Stevens passed away in April 2009. The 2009 ownership transition brought longtime employees Michael Calomeris and Richard Nashwinter Jr. into ownership through a purchase from the Stevens estate, rooting continuity-by-employee-succession beyond the immediate Stevens family lineage.

Continuity-By-Employee-Succession Operating Model Plus 1900 Founding-Era Tenure

The Calomeris-and-Nashwinter Jr. 2009 ownership transition reflects a continuity-by-long-tenure-employee day-to-day setup rather than a typical generational family succession or PE rollup acquisition. Both Michael Calomeris and Richard Nashwinter Jr. were longtime employees of Stevens Plumbing before purchasing the business from the Stevens estate, supporting the institutional-knowledge transfer through individuals who had worked within the firm during the Stevens family operating period. The 2009-onward operating period preserves the founder’s original mission (“to be the premier plumbing service provider in Washington D.C and the Maryland suburbs”) while operating under continuous Stevens-name brand identity. The combined 125-year continuous Stevens-name operation (with the Stevens family operating across 1900-2009 plus the longtime-employee continuation across 2009-2025) produces an working history that few Washington DC plumbing operations match.

Washington DC Plus Maryland Suburbs Service Footprint

Stevens Plumbing operates with daily-dispatch reach across Washington D.C and the Maryland suburban area. The firm’s published coverage area covers Washington DC proper plus the immediate Maryland suburbs (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Rockville, Wheaton, Hyattsville, Takoma Park) where the federal-government-driven mid-twentieth-century suburban expansion produced the bulk of contemporary Maryland-side residential building stock. The 125-year continuous service span combined with the long-tenure employee working framework frames institutional knowledge across the diverse Washington DC and Maryland-suburban building eras. The (202) 882-4500 contact phone supports both scheduled-service and emergency-response work across the broader DC-and-Maryland-suburb service market.

2. Fry Plumbing, Heating & AC Corp.

  • Address: 327 L Street Northeast, Washington, DC 20002
  • Phone: (202) 543-4884
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM (closed Saturday-Sunday)
  • Operating Since: 1948 (77 years of continuous service)
  • Operating Status: Veteran-owned and operated
  • Washington D.C. License: #603. one of the lowest-numbered active DC plumbing license credentials, consistent with founding-era 1948 issuance heritage
  • Northern Virginia License: #2701 02 4849A
  • Maryland License: #14696-01
  • Credentials: Angie’s List Best Contractor; Angie’s List Super Service Award; CBE certified; EPA certified; Certified Master Plumber; Licensed Green Plumber; Registered Journeyman Plumber; Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association Member; Lead Safe EPA; BPI certification
  • Service area: Washington DC. Maryland, Northern Virginia
  • Website: fryplumbing.com

Continuous Veteran-Owned Operation Since 1948 With DC License #603

Fry Plumbing, Heating & AC Corp. has operated continuously since 1948, grounding 77 years of Washington DC service as a veteran-owned and operated business. The 77-year operating coverage spans the post-World-War-II Washington DC suburban expansion through the 1950s-1970s federal-government-driven population peak, the 1970s-1980s urban-renewal era, the 1990s-2000s federal-and-defense-contractor-driven Northern Virginia and Maryland-suburb growth, and the contemporary federal-and-tech-driven Washington DC luxury-renovation cycle. The 327 L Street Northeast DC headquarters places the firm geographically inside the Northeast Washington DC corridor (NoMa neighborhood near Union Station). The veteran-owned business profile reflects the founding-era post-WWII operating heritage that the 1948 founding date roots.

Three-License Tri-Jurisdiction Stack Plus Founding-Era DC License #603

Fry Plumbing operates under an notably deep tri-jurisdictional license stack: Washington D.C. License #603 (the particularly low DC license number reflects founding-era 1948 issuance heritage and places Fry among the lowest-numbered active DC plumbing license holders), Northern Virginia License #2701 02 4849A, and Maryland License #14696-01. The three-jurisdiction license profile reflects the firm’s tri-state operating reach across Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, the three regulatory jurisdictions that define the Washington DC metropolitan plumbing service market. Beyond the underlying license stack, Fry holds multiple credentials: Certified Master Plumber, Licensed Green Plumber, Registered Journeyman Plumber, EPA certified, CBE certified, Lead Safe EPA, BPI certification, plus Angie’s List Best Contractor and Angie’s List Super Service Award recognition. The combined 77-year operating tenure, founding-era DC License #603, three-jurisdiction license stack, and multi-credential professional profile produce a credential-and-tenure stack that few Washington DC plumbing operations reach across all four dimensions.

Northeast DC Headquarters Plus DC-MD-VA Service Reach

Fry Plumbing operates from 327 L Street Northeast in the NoMa (North of Massachusetts Avenue) neighborhood of Northeast Washington DC (ZIP 20002), with the central DC headquarters position supporting daily-dispatch reach across Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The Maryland service area covers the immediate suburbs (Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Hyattsville, College Park, Rockville). The Northern Virginia service area covers Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, plus the broader Northern Virginia tech-and-defense corridor (Tysons Corner, Reston, McLean). The tri-jurisdictional DC-MD-VA reach distinguishes Fry from single-jurisdiction Washington DC plumbing competitors, with the breadth supporting both inner-DC renovation work and the Maryland-and-Virginia suburb service market through one operating dispatch model.

3. Magnolia Companies (Magnolia Plumbing, Heating & Cooling)

  • Operating Since: 1950 (75 years of continuous family operation across four generations of the Magnolia family)
  • Founder Lineage Notable Detail: Joseph Magnolia Jr. became the youngest master plumber in the Washington Metropolitan area in 1970
  • Operating Status: Family-owned and operated for four generations
  • Operating Profile: “One of Washington DC’s most versatile plumbing and mechanical contractors”
  • Service area: Washington DC area. Maryland, Virginia, surrounding areas
  • Website: magnoliacompanies.com

Continuous Magnolia Family Operation Since 1950 Across Four Generations

Magnolia Companies has operated continuously since 1950 under the Magnolia family, setting 75 years of Washington DC plumbing-and-mechanical service across four generations of family ownership. The 75-year operating coverage spans the post-1950 Washington DC suburban expansion through the 1960s-1970s federal-government-driven population peak, the 1980s-1990s suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia residential growth, the post-2008 maintenance era, and the contemporary federal-and-tech-driven luxury-renovation cycle. Joseph Magnolia Jr. became the youngest master plumber in the Washington Metropolitan area in 1970, grounding the firm’s distinctive credential profile within the broader DC plumbing trade. The four-generation Magnolia family operating succession across 75 years preserves the family-trade institutional knowledge across the diverse Washington DC building stock evolution.

Joseph Magnolia Jr. Founding-Era Master Plumber Credential

Joseph Magnolia Jr.’s 1970 master plumber credential as the youngest master plumber in the Washington Metropolitan area supports a distinctive founding-era credential profile that few Washington DC plumbing operations match. The unusual credential-distinction-by-age (youngest-in-region master plumber) reflects the firm’s emphasis on early-career master-trade credential pursuit within the Magnolia family operating succession. The four-generation Magnolia family lineage suggests the founding-era operating period began with Joseph Magnolia Sr. (or earlier) before transferring through Joseph Magnolia Jr. into subsequent generations of Magnolia family operating leadership. The published “one of Washington DC’s most versatile plumbing and mechanical contractors” operating positioning establishes the firm’s broader-mechanical-contracting profile beyond residential plumbing service work.

Washington DC Plus Maryland-Virginia Service Reach

Magnolia Companies operates as a Washington DC area plumbing-and-mechanical contractor with daily-dispatch reach across Maryland, Virginia, and surrounding areas. The published service grid covers the broader Washington Metropolitan Area (WMA) including Washington DC proper, the immediate Maryland suburbs (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Rockville, Hyattsville), and Northern Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County). The plumbing-and-mechanical-contracting category breadth distinguishes Magnolia from typical residential-only plumbing competitors, with the mechanical-contracting capability supporting commercial-grade plumbing work alongside residential service. The four-generation Magnolia family business model preserves the family-trade continuity across the broader Washington Metropolitan Area service market.

4. National Water Service

  • Address: 2878 Daisy Road, Woodbine, MD 21797
  • Phone: (301) 854-1333
  • Operating Since: 1979. 46 years of continuous family operation; currently in third generation of family ownership
  • President: David Rycke
  • Vice President / General Manager: John McDade
  • Vice President / Director of Operations: Matt Kopp
  • Vice President of Sales: Heather McDade
  • Master Plumber License: MP 73569
  • Maryland Licenses: PI015 and WCI138
  • Virginia License: 2705168407
  • Service area: Maryland (Montgomery, Howard, Carroll, Frederick, Anne Arundel, Baltimore Counties); Washington D.C.; Northern Virginia (Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William Counties)
  • Operating Specialty: Water treatment plus well pump services plus general plumbing
  • Website: nationalwaterservice.com

Family Operation Since 1979 With Third-Generation Operating Leadership

National Water Service has operated continuously since 1979, framing 46 years of Mid-Atlantic regional water-treatment-and-plumbing service. The contemporary operating leadership team spans four named family-and-experienced-team members across the Rycke, McDade, and Kopp family-and-management lineage: David Rycke as President, John McDade as Vice President and General Manager, Matt Kopp as Vice President and Director of Operations, and Heather McDade as Vice President of Sales. The published “third-generation family-owned” operating positioning grounds the family-trade continuity profile across the firm’s 46-year continuous operating tenure. The Woodbine Maryland headquarters at 2878 Daisy Road places the firm geographically inside the central Maryland corridor (Howard County) with daily-dispatch reach across the broader Mid-Atlantic regional service area.

Master Plumber License #MP 73569 Plus Maryland-and-Virginia License Stack

National Water Service operates under Master Plumber License MP 73569 plus Maryland Licenses PI015 and WCI138 plus Virginia License #2705168407. The four-jurisdiction license stack supports cross-state service work across the Maryland-DC-Virginia regional operating footprint. The water-treatment-and-well-pump specialty firm profile distinguishes National Water Service from generalist plumbing competitors, with the specialty positioning addressing the suburban-and-rural Maryland-and-Virginia residential profile where well-water systems and water-treatment requirements drive substantial residential service-call demand. The published Mid-Atlantic regional service area covers six Maryland counties (Montgomery, Howard, Carroll, Frederick, Anne Arundel, Baltimore) plus Washington DC plus three Northern Virginia counties (Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William).

Water Treatment Plus Well Pump Plus General Plumbing Integrated Operating Profile

National Water Service distinguishes itself from typical Washington DC plumbing competitors through the integrated water-treatment-plus-well-pump-plus-general-plumbing operating stance. The water-treatment specialty addresses the mid-Atlantic-area water-mineralization profile where regional source-water blends produce moderate-to-high mineral content across portions of the residential distribution system, particularly across the well-water-dependent rural Maryland and Northern Virginia submarkets. The well-pump specialty addresses the rural-and-exurban residential property profile where municipal-water-distribution does not reach, requiring private-well water-delivery infrastructure. The combined 46-year continuous operating tenure, third-generation family operating succession, four-jurisdiction license stack, and water-treatment-plus-well-pump-plus-plumbing integrated specialty profile distinguish National Water Service within the broader Washington DC metropolitan plumbing market.

Reference Notes

The Washington DC plumbing market operates within a tri-jurisdictional regulatory environment that distinguishes the city from most other major United States plumbing markets. The District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) administers DC plumbing and gasfitting licensing through individually numbered Master Plumber, Plumbing Contractor, and Journeyman credentials. Maryland administers plumbing licensing through the Maryland State Board of Plumbing under the Maryland Department of Labor (DLLR). Virginia administers plumbing licensing through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) Board for Contractors. Plumbers operating across all three jurisdictions (the regional norm given Washington DC’s compact geographic footprint and dense interstate-commerce service area) must hold credentials from all three state-and-DC regulatory boards. The DC Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) administers water-and-wastewater service connections within Washington DC city limits, with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) administering water-and-sewer for Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties Maryland and the Loudoun Water plus Fairfax Water plus Prince William County Service Authority administering Northern Virginia water utilities. The Washington DC building stock spans nearly two centuries of construction history, from the early-nineteenth-century federal-period downtown construction. Washington DC founded as the federal capital 1790. With major building eras tied to federal-government expansion. through the 1880s-1930s streetcar-suburb residential expansion across Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle. Mount Pleasant and Petworth. The 1920s-1940s prewar luxury residential development across Georgetown. Cleveland Park. Wesley Heights and Foxhall. The postwar 1940s-1960s federal-government-driven population peak with suburban Maryland and Virginia residential expansion. The 1970s-1980s urban-renewal cycle, the 1990s-2000s federal-government-and-defense-contractor-driven Northern Virginia tech-corridor growth (Tysons Corner, Reston, Arlington), and the contemporary federal-and-tech-driven luxury-renovation cycle plus the broader DC-MD-VA suburban service market.

The four firms profiled cover the Washington DC family-plumbing tenure span from a 125-year operation founded by David Henry Stevens with continuity preserved through 2009 employee succession (Stevens Plumbing 1900 founding by David Henry Stevens, Stevens family ownership through Dean W. Stevens until April 2009, longtime-employee succession to Michael Calomeris and Richard Nashwinter Jr. who purchased the business from the Stevens estate, “premier plumbing service provider in Washington D.C and the Maryland suburbs” operating mission), through a 77-year veteran-owned operation with founding-era DC License #603 (Fry Plumbing, Heating & AC Corp. 1948 founding, veteran-owned and operated, three-jurisdiction license stack covering DC #603 plus Northern VA #2701 02 4849A plus MD #14696-01. Northeast DC NoMa-corridor 327 L Street headquarters. Angie’s List Best Contractor plus Super Service Award plus EPA plus CBE plus Master Plumber plus Green Plumber plus Journeyman plus PHCC multi-credential stack. DC-MD-VA tri-jurisdictional service reach), into a 75-year four-generation Magnolia family operation with Joseph Magnolia Jr.’s distinctive 1970 youngest-master-plumber-in-DC-metro credential (Magnolia Companies 1950 founding by the Magnolia family, four-generation family ownership, Joseph Magnolia Jr. became youngest master plumber in Washington Metropolitan area 1970, “one of Washington DC’s most versatile plumbing and mechanical contractors” published positioning, Washington DC plus Maryland plus Virginia service area) and a 46-year third-generation operation with water-treatment-and-well-pump specialty (National Water Service 1979 founding. Third-generation family ownership currently led by David Rycke as President plus John McDade as VP/General Manager plus Matt Kopp as VP/Director of Operations plus Heather McDade as VP of Sales (master plumber License MP 73569 plus MD PI015 and WCI138 plus VA 2705168407 four-jurisdiction stack, Woodbine Maryland headquarters rooting central Maryland corridor, ten-county Maryland-DC-Northern-Virginia regional service area, water-treatment-plus-well-pump-plus-general-plumbing integrated specialty profile).

Stevens Plumbing secures the longest combined operating posture through the 125-year continuous Stevens-name operating tenure, the founder David Henry Stevens 1900 establishment, and the continuity-by-employee-succession model that preserved the firm’s operating identity through the 2009 transition from the Stevens estate to longtime employees Michael Calomeris and Richard Nashwinter Jr. Fry Plumbing carries the founding-era credential profile through the 77-year continuous veteran-owned operation, the remarkably low DC License #603 number reflecting 1948 founding-era issuance heritage, and the three-jurisdiction tri-state DC-MD-VA license stack. Magnolia Companies offers the four-generation Magnolia family operating tenure through the 75-year continuous family operation plus Joseph Magnolia Jr.’s distinctive 1970 youngest-master-plumber-in-region credential. National Water Service builds the present-era water-treatment-and-well-pump specialty segment with the third-generation Rycke-McDade-Kopp family operating leadership and the four-jurisdiction MD-DC-VA license stack. Verification routes for plumbing contractor credentials in the Washington DC tri-jurisdictional metropolitan market run through the District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) plumbing license lookup. The Maryland State Board of Plumbing license database. The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) Board for Contractors database. The BBB business-profile listings, the PHCC of Metro Washington directory, and the firm’s own service-record disclosures. Continuous decades-long operation matters in Washington DC for the federal-government-and-building-era reasons documented above, with the early-twentieth-century downtown federal-period plus the 1880s-1930s streetcar-suburb residential plus the 1920s-1940s prewar Georgetown-and-Cleveland-Park luxury plus the postwar 1940s-1960s federal-government-driven peak each requiring institutional knowledge that 125 years of continuous Stevens Plumbing name operation and 77 years of continuous Fry Plumbing operation uniquely support.

Selection Methodology

Selection follows four criteria. First, continuous family ownership or founder-operator continuity outside the national rollup pattern. Second, verifiable DC Master Plumber license cross-checked via the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) Plumbing Board public lookup. Third, BBB Accreditation or equivalent third-party rating. Fourth, minimum 10-year continuous operating tenure with documented Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC plumber’s license?

Use the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) Plumbing Board public licensee database at dlcp.dc.gov. Search by license number or business name. Confirm active status, classification, bonding, and insurance before authorizing work.

What credentials should a Washington, DC plumber hold?

At minimum: DC 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.

How can I tell if a Washington, DC 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 Washington DC?

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 DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) 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.