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Dorchester is triple-decker country, and triple-deckers are honest about their age: three kitchens and three baths stacked on plumbing that was modern in 1915. IS Plumbing works these buildings from Savin Hill to Lower Mills — repipes, stack replacements, unit-by-unit water heaters, gas piping — alongside the Victorians of Ashmont Hill and the capes of Neponset. Licensed, insured, and permitted through Boston ISD.
A Dorchester triple-decker concentrates a century of plumbing decisions in one basement: a single water service feeding three units, a shared cast-iron stack, gas lines added and abandoned over generations, and sometimes three different eras of water heater side by side. We sort those basements out — new distribution piping with per-unit shutoffs, stack sections replaced where the iron has scaled shut, heaters upsized or consolidated to match real demand. In Dorchester's single-family pockets, from Melville Park to Neponset, the work shifts to bathroom renovations, boiler replacements and service upgrades. Either way, the job is scoped in writing before the tools come out.
Water here comes from the MWRA system through Boston Water and Sewer Commission mains, and Dorchester's building boom predates safe-pipe standards: lead services and galvanized interior pipe are still common finds, and BWSC's incentive program helps cover private-side lead replacement. On the drain side, many laterals are original vitrified clay — roots find every joint, so we camera before quoting any dig.
All Dorchester plumbing and gas work permits through the City of Boston's Inspectional Services Department; multi-unit jobs may also involve the building's condo association, and we coordinate both. The signature local project is the triple-decker heater bank: three aging tanks in one basement, replaced one by one or consolidated into a properly sized tankless or indirect setup.
Based in Millbury, MA, we cover all of Dorchester and the surrounding towns. Don't see your street? Call +1 (774) 486-0909 and ask.
Sometimes — it depends on the gas service size, fixture count and whether units are separately metered. We calculate the load first; often two smaller units or per-unit heaters make more sense in a triple-decker.
A properly installed backwater valve on the building drain. Low-lying blocks near Fields Corner and Neponset can see surcharged sewers in heavy rain; we install and service these valves under the required Boston permit.
Yes. Plenty of pre-1940 water services here are lead, and BWSC's map shows them block by block. We replace the private portion, coordinate the street side with BWSC, and help you use the replacement incentive.
Your condo documents decide — shared stacks are usually common elements. We provide the written diagnosis and scope that associations need to split costs fairly, then replace the stack with each unit's access coordinated.
Yes. We size and run new gas piping, pressure-test it, and have it inspected under a Boston gas permit — a common request in Savin Hill and Ashmont kitchens adding gas ranges or dryers.
From our shop in Millbury, MA we serve Dorchester and the surrounding towns across the Worcester area, MetroWest and Greater Boston. Don't see your town listed? Call and ask.
Free quotes for scheduled work · 24/7 line for emergencies.
