Inside your flat
Pipes and drains after your own valve, plus fixtures and appliances, are normally the flat owner's responsibility.
Plumbing · Apartments, houses and small offices
A plumber in Tbilisi for old blocks, new builds and rented flats
A plumber from DAVITIANI handles leaks, blocked drains, electric water heaters, toilets, taps and pipe replacement in flats, houses and small offices across Tbilisi. The price is set once we have a short description and a few photos, and it depends on the job, access and parts involved. To book, call, text or send a WhatsApp message in English, and we will arrange a visit time that suits you.
- Leaks, drains, heaters, toilets and taps
- Coordination in English by phone, text or WhatsApp
- Price agreed from photos, before work starts
- Tbilisi and the surrounding area
Start here
What a plumber in Tbilisi takes care of
Most calls fall into five groups, and each group has its own page with more detail. Use the table to find the one that matches what you are seeing at home.
| What you notice | What it usually means | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Water spraying, pooling or dripping through the ceiling | A burst pipe, failed hose or broken fitting that needs isolating right away | Emergency plumber |
| A damp patch, mold, or a meter turning while every tap is closed | A hidden leak inside a wall, under a floor or in the flat above | Water leak detection |
| A slow sink, blocked toilet, sewer smell or gurgling noise | A partial or full blockage in your branch pipe or in the shared riser | Drain cleaning |
| No hot water, a dripping relief valve or a new tank to hang | An electric water heater that needs fitting, replacing or servicing | Water heater installation |
| A dripping tap, a cistern that never stops or a loose toilet | Worn cartridges, washers, fill valves or fixings | Toilet and tap repair |
| Rusty pipes, weak pressure or a bathroom refit you are planning | Pipe replacement or rerouting, usually planned rather than urgent | Covered on this page, below |
If your problem does not fit neatly into one row, describe it in your own words. Plenty of jobs overlap: a blocked drain can cause a leak, and a failing heater can flood a bathroom floor. Whoever answers will ask a few short questions and suggest the right kind of visit.
Besides apartments, we also take on private houses on the edge of the city and small commercial spaces such as offices, cafes and shops, where one broken restroom or kitchen sink can stop the working day.
Soviet-era blocks
Old steel pipes in Soviet apartment blocks
A large share of Tbilisi housing went up between the 1960s and the 1980s, in districts such as Saburtalo, Gldani, Isani, Didube and Dighomi. Many of those blocks still run on their original galvanized steel water pipes. Over the decades, rust builds up inside, the bore narrows and the threads at every joint grow thin.
- Brown or orange water for a few seconds after the supply comes back on
- Weak flow at one tap while the others in the flat seem fine
- Green or white crust around joints and old valves
- A valve that refuses to turn, or turns without actually closing
Old steel does not like being disturbed. A joint that has held for forty years can snap the moment someone unscrews the tap attached to it. A careful plumber therefore checks the pipe before touching it and may suggest replacing a short run back to a sound section, usually with polypropylene or metal-plastic pipe. That can turn a small job into a slightly bigger one, and you should hear about it before work starts rather than halfway through.
Older houses and new builds
In Sololaki, Mtatsminda and Old Tbilisi, older houses often have pipes from several eras joined together, sometimes running through walls shared with the next property. New-build blocks are a different story. A black frame flat comes with no internal plumbing at all, so every pipe, drain and connection is a fresh installation. A white frame flat usually has basic supply and waste points, but the fixtures and final connections are still up to the owner.
Shared pipes
Shared risers and the building administrator
The pipes that run vertically through a building, called risers, belong to everyone living on that stack.
Each flat branches off a shared cold water riser and a shared sewer stack. The valve for a riser is often in the basement or at the foot of the stairwell, and closing it cuts water to every flat on that line. That is why riser work normally needs the building administrator or the residents' association to agree a time and warn the neighbors.
On the shared stack
The vertical supply and sewer pipes, and valves that serve several flats, are usually a matter for the whole building.
The joint in between
Where your branch meets the riser is a grey zone. Photos showing exactly where the fault sits help settle who pays.
If our plumber finds that the fault lies in a shared pipe, you will be told plainly, with photos you can forward to the administrator or your landlord.
Rented flats
If you rent, the landlord comes first
Foreign tenants often ask whether they should simply fix things themselves and deduct the cost. Leases in Tbilisi vary a great deal, and who pays for what is whatever you and your landlord agreed, so read the contract and send a message before any work that can wait.
- 1
Photograph the problem
Take clear photos and, if it helps, a short video of the drip, stain or blockage. Dated messages make a simple record for later.
- 2
Tell the landlord
Send those photos to your landlord or the agency that manages the flat and ask how they would like it handled.
- 3
Agree who pays
Settle who covers the visit and the parts before the plumber arrives, especially if the cause is ageing pipework rather than anything you did.
- 4
Keep the paperwork
Hold on to receipts for parts and to the message thread. Both make the end-of-lease conversation far easier.
If your landlord prefers to discuss the job in Georgian, we can explain the plan and the price to them by phone. In a real emergency, stop the water first and sort out the paperwork afterwards. Our emergency plumbing guide walks through those first steps.
Save a trip
Group small jobs into one visit
A plumber's time goes partly on the job itself and partly on getting to you, parking, carrying tools up the stairs and setting up. If you have three or four minor issues, list them all at once so they can be handled in a single appointment.
- A kitchen tap that drips overnight
- A cistern that keeps topping itself up
- A washing machine hose that looks cracked
- A shower head that barely sprays
- A sink trap that smells
Send a photo of each item with a one-line note. That tells us how long the appointment will take and lets the plumber give you a complete shopping list in advance. The toilet and tap repair page goes through the most common small fixes in detail.
Materials
Who buys the parts, and why
In Tbilisi it is common for the customer to buy the materials while the plumber brings the labor and tools. Many newcomers find this odd, but it gives you control over the quality and cost of what goes into your home. If you would rather not shop, a different arrangement can be agreed when booking.
How to buy the right parts
- Ask for a written list with sizes. Most household threads are 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch, and the wrong one simply will not fit.
- Photograph the old part next to a tape measure, or take it with you to the shop.
- Buy from the Eliava market, a large hardware store or a specialist plumbing shop, and keep the receipt in case something needs swapping.
- Pick up one or two spare fittings. They cost little and can spare you a second trip.
Where a job can only be fully judged once the old fitting is off, the plumber will explain the options there and then and wait for your go-ahead before continuing.
How it works
How a plumbing visit is arranged
- 1
Describe the problem
Get in touch in English with what you see, your district and two or three photos.
- 2
Get a price
We give a figure based on that information and tell you which parts to have ready.
- 3
Pick a time
Requests are taken from 09:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and from 08:00 to 22:00 on Sunday. Whether a same-day visit is possible is confirmed on the call.
- 4
The visit
The plumber inspects the problem, confirms the plan with you and does the work. Anything unexpected is raised before the plan changes.
- 5
Final check
Before leaving, the plumber runs the water, checks each joint for drips and shows you the finished repair.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do your plumbers speak English?
Communication and coordination with our office can be in English by phone, text or WhatsApp. Because the job is described with photos in advance, very little needs explaining on site, and we can help by phone if a question comes up during the visit.
How is the price worked out?
It depends on the type of work, how easy the pipes are to reach and the time involved. We quote after seeing your description and photos. Parts are usually separate and bought by you unless agreed otherwise.
Can you come to a house outside the city?
Yes, we cover Tbilisi and the surrounding area. Mention the exact location when you get in touch so that travel can be factored in.
What if the pipe inside my wall has rusted through?
Then a section usually has to be replaced, which can mean opening tiles or plaster. The plumber shows you the extent first, and you decide whether to go ahead.
Water from my neighbor is coming into my flat. Can you help?
Yes. Our leak detection page explains how the source is traced and who is usually responsible when it starts in another flat.
Can you connect a washing machine or dishwasher?
Connecting an appliance to the water supply and drain is a routine plumbing job. Have the hoses that came with the machine ready, and make sure a suitable socket is nearby, since electrical work is a separate trade.
Do I need to be at home during the visit?
Someone should be there to open the door and agree the plan. If you are away, a landlord, neighbor or friend can let the plumber in while you follow along by phone or WhatsApp.
Contact
Tell us what needs fixing
A short message and a few photos are enough for us to quote and plan the visit.
Send a short description
Describe the problem, your district and floor. You can send photos afterwards by WhatsApp.
Next step
Need a plumber in Tbilisi?
Send a description and photos, and we will come back with a price and a time.