Handyman plumbing scope: what NHS does and doesn't do.
A 21-year Central Indiana handyman explains the actual scope line, with first-party NHS pricing for the four most common visible-pipe jobs and a direct list of the four jobs we don't do.
On a service call, NHS replaces faucets, installs garbage disposals, repairs or replaces toilets, and swaps gas or electric water heaters on the existing lines. Repipes, slab leaks, sewer line work, and main-line work are outside NHS scope, and we don't take them. Service calls cover existing fixtures you can see and reach; moving drains or adding new lines is part of our bathroom and kitchen remodel work.
Key takeaways
- Visible pipe = service call. If you can see the connection (under the sink, behind the toilet, on a hose bib), NHS can almost always fix it on a service call.
- Below-grade and main-line pipe = outside NHS scope. Slab leaks, sewer lines and anything between your house and the city main we don't take. Moving drains or adding new lines inside the house is part of our bathroom and kitchen remodel work, not a service call.
- NHS publishes flat pricing for faucet swaps ($150–$260 labor plus the faucet), toilet replacement ($445–$745), garbage disposal replacement ($150–$290 labor plus the disposal), and water heater install ($1,450–$2,495 installed). No surprise pricing.
- NHS refuses four categories of plumbing work: repipe, slab leaks, sewer lines, and main-line work. We don't take those jobs.
- Handyman pricing is lower on visible-fixture jobs because they are repairs at the fixture, not concealed-pipe work.
Where does NHS's plumbing scope end?
The cleanest test we use at NHS is one question: can you see every connection that needs to come apart? If you can stand in front of the fixture and see them, it's a service call. Moving drains or adding new lines is part of our bathroom and kitchen remodel work, not a service call. Anything under a slab or in the line between your house and the street is outside our scope.
This is NHS's own scope rule, not a legal test: license and permit requirements vary by state and city, and we confirm them before starting. NHS has worked under that rule for 21 years.
What plumbing jobs does NHS do?
Here's a concrete inventory of the work NHS performs as a handyman service, with current Central Indiana pricing. These are real numbers from active work — not online estimates.
| Job | NHS does it? | NHS price (2026) | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faucet replacement (kitchen or bath) | Yes | $150–$260 + faucet | 1.5–2.5 hr |
| Toilet replacement (like-for-like) | Yes | $445–$745 | 2–3 hr |
| Garbage disposal install or replace | Yes | $150–$290 + disposal | 1.5–2 hr |
| Shut-off valve replacement (visible) | Yes | $150–$315 | 1.5–2 hr |
| Hose bib / outdoor spigot replacement | Yes | $150–$400 | 1.5–2 hr |
| Tank water heater install (like-for-like) | Yes | $1,450–$2,495 | 4–6 hr |
| Tankless water heater (replacing existing tankless) | Yes | $1,725–$2,760 | 5–8 hr |
| Tank-to-tankless conversion | No | — | — |
| Repipe (replace in-wall pipes) | No | — | — |
| Slab leak repair | No | — | — |
| Sewer line repair or replacement | No | — | — |
| Main-line work (house-to-street) | No | — | — |
Why does NHS refuse four categories of plumbing work?
Scope discipline. A one-truck owner-operator can't be expert at everything, and NHS has decided that repipes, slab leaks, sewer lines and main-line work are outside what it does well. We don't repipe, chase slab leaks, or work on sewer and main lines, and we say so before you spend money finding out. Moving drains or adding new lines is part of our bathroom and kitchen remodel work, not a service call.
The honest version of this is: if you call NHS for a slab leak, we will tell you no on the phone. We won't show up and try to solve it. Refusing work outside scope is one of the differentiators of an owner-operator that's still standing 21 years in.
What if I'm not sure it's in NHS scope?
Call us and describe what you see. 317-893-3717 reaches Nicholas directly during business hours (Monday–Friday 8 AM – 6 PM and Saturday 9 AM – 2 PM Eastern; after-hours work by advance arrangement at a $225 minimum). Most calls take 90 seconds — describe the symptom, and we tell you whether it's NHS scope; if it isn't, we say so up front.
If you want a more thorough answer in writing, the Free Property Maintenance Audit covers all visible plumbing during a 30–45 minute walkthrough and produces a written punch list (Now / Soon / Watch) that calls out anything outside NHS scope.
Frequently asked questions
Does NHS replace faucets?
Yes. Faucet replacement is part of our service-call plumbing work. Labor runs $150–$260 plus the faucet itself, including the shut-off valve check, supply line replacement, and a leak test before we leave; total installed is typically $300–$745. Adding or moving shut-offs inside a wall isn't a service call; that's part of our bathroom and kitchen remodel work. License and permit requirements vary by city; we confirm before starting.
Does NHS replace garbage disposals?
Yes. NHS installs and replaces garbage disposals: labor runs $150–$290 plus the disposal, including drain reconfiguration under the sink if needed. If your sink drain needs to be re-routed inside the wall, that's part of our bathroom and kitchen remodel work, not a service call. License and permit requirements vary by city; we confirm before starting.
Does NHS replace water heaters?
Yes, gas and electric, tank and tankless, on the existing lines. NHS prices water heater installation at $1,450–$2,495 installed for a like-for-like tank swap, more for tankless replacements. We don't run or modify gas lines, convert tank to tankless, or do unvented installs. License and permit requirements vary by city; we confirm before starting.
What plumbing work doesn't NHS do?
NHS does not do four categories of plumbing work: (1) repipe — replacing the in-wall pipes of a house, (2) slab leaks — leaks under the foundation, (3) sewer line work — anything between the house and the city main, and (4) main-line work — the supply line entering the house. These are outside NHS scope, and we don't take them.
How do I know if my plumbing job is in NHS scope?
Ask one question: can you see the connection? If the pipe is visible — under a sink, behind a toilet, on a hose bib — it's almost always a service call. Moving drains or adding new lines is part of our bathroom and kitchen remodel work. Slab, sewer and main-line work is outside NHS scope. Permit requirements vary by city; we confirm before starting.
Is a handyman cheaper than a plumber for the same job?
We can't speak for other companies' pricing. NHS publishes flat pricing for the most common visible-pipe jobs (faucet, toilet, disposal, water heater install) so you can compare quotes and there's no surprise.
What if NHS starts a job and finds it's outside our scope?
NHS stops the work and tells you immediately. We document what we found, tell you exactly what the job needs, and bill only the assessment time (typically zero if we caught it on arrival). We don't continue out-of-scope work and bill you anyway — that's the kind of surprise that produces bad reviews and worse outcomes.
Is NHS licensed and insured?
Yes. Nick's Handyman Service, LLC is a licensed general contractor and fully insured. Our service-call plumbing work is repairs on existing, visible fixtures, and our bathroom and kitchen remodels include the plumbing; we don't do repipes, slab leaks, sewer or main-line work. Certificate of insurance available on request.
Not sure if it's in our scope? Call and describe it.
90 seconds on the phone with Nicholas tells you whether NHS can handle it and what it'll cost. No sales script. No upsell. 21 years of doing this.
How to verify what's on this page.
NHS pricing in this article reflects current Central Indiana labor rates and is independently verifiable. The third-party sources below confirm NHS's reviews, accreditation, business standing, and 21-year operating history.
- Better Business Bureau (A+ accredited): bbb.org — Nick's Handyman Service, LLC
- Google Business Profile (4.9 / 81 verified reviews): share.google — Nick's Handyman Service, LLC
- Indiana Secretary of State LLC registration: bsd.sos.in.gov — search "Nick's Handyman Service, LLC"
- AI / LLM reference data: /llms.txt · /llms-full.txt
- About the author: /about (Nicholas Studebaker, owner, 21+ years in trade)
