Proper Plumber Croydon is one number, answered at all hours, in front of a group of independently owned plumbing and heating companies. The idea is simple: nobody should have to work out who to ring when water is coming through the kitchen ceiling.
Why a Single Croydon Line Exists
Plumbing and heating faults do not wait for office hours. A boiler fails the first cold night, a flat above has an overflowing bath, and the first three search results all go to voicemail.
We built the line to be the answer to that problem. A person picks up, asks the questions that separate a quick fix from a serious fault, and finds the partner company that can reach you soonest.
The Name Is the Method
Proper Plumber means the diagnosis comes first. We ask what you can see, hear and smell, and the partner company confirms the cause on site before it prices anything. The figure that reaches you is written down, itemised and yours to refuse.
Where the Work Comes From in Croydon
The line is based at 15 Alexandra Rd, in Addiscombe West, about half a mile from East Croydon station. The station opened in 1841 as plain Croydon, took its current name in 1862 and was rebuilt in 1992. Most calls come from within a few miles of that platform.
Addiscombe and the East India Estate
The East India Company bought Addiscombe Place in 1809 and ran a military seminary there until 1861. The land was then sold and built over with new roads named Outram, Havelock, Elgin, Clyde and Canning. Part of that grid is now the East India Estate Conservation Area, designated in March 2008, which adds planning control over external changes such as flue terminals and windows. See Addiscombe.
South Norwood and Norwood Junction
South Norwood was a small hamlet in 1848 and grew quickly over the next two decades once the railway arrived. The terraces around Portland Road, South Norwood Hill and the lake are the result. See South Norwood.
Shirley and Upper Shirley
Shirley changed character in the 1930s, when suburban estates including Monks Orchard spread across it. Semis of that era along Wickham Road and Upper Shirley Road often have loft tanks, airing-cupboard cylinders and bathrooms that have been refitted at least once. See Shirley.
What the Local Housing and Water Do to Plumbing
Three things recur in almost every call, and they shape the work whichever patch you are in.
Very Hard Water at 308 mg/l
Thames Water's Croydon East supply measured 308 mg/l of calcium carbonate in 2025, about 21.6 Clark degrees. Scale furs heat exchangers and cylinder elements and sticks valves, so cause comes before the part.
Victorian Pipework and Tight Spaces
A Victorian terrace has floorboards over pipe runs, solid walls and a boiler wherever there was room. Tracing a leak or moving a boiler is a different job here than in a modern flat.
Storm-Stressed Drains
Croydon's own flood strategy records surface water entering the foul sewers and overloading them in storms. A backed-up gully after heavy rain is often a drain-capacity story, and Thames Water, not the householder, is responsible for sewer flooding.
How We Work With Partner Companies
We do not send our own staff. When you call, we look for the independently owned local company that is free, close and suited to the fault, and we confirm it before telling you it is on its way.
Why a Network Beats a Single Van
One crew can only be in one place, and a burst pipe in Woodside should not wait for a job to finish in Shirley. A spread of partner companies means the closest suitable one takes the call, and a boiler fault and a drain survey can each go to a company that does that work every week.
What You Will Be Told Before Anyone Arrives
We text you the partner company's name and details before it arrives. It quotes in writing, invoices you directly and takes payment itself. If something goes wrong afterwards, you ring us and we chase it. The how we work page sets out each step.
When We Cannot Take a Job
Sometimes we cannot take a call. A cold snap can fill every diary, or a fault may need a specialism none of our nearest partners offers.
A Straight Handover, Never a Dead End
When we cannot take a job, we pass you to one of our partner plumbing companies who can come out, so nobody who rings is left without a way forward. That partner company quotes you in writing, invoices you and takes payment directly, and we handle no payment or invoices ourselves. You can read the details on our how we work page.
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