Service area · Manatee County
Plumbing and A/C service in Manatee County
Ground Up handles plumbing and A/C work across Manatee County, from Bradenton and Palmetto to Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, and Anna Maria Island. County water is a blend of reservoir and well water, permit rules differ for gas and electric water heaters, and coastal homes face flood rules. Call or text 727-732-4357 with your ZIP.
Updated
- 30+ years in the building industry
- 24/7 emergency line, nights, weekends, holidays
- 2 Florida state licenses: Plumbing CFC1431937, A/C CAC1817931
- Tampa Bay Plumbing and A/C, one call for both trades
01 — Local conditions
What's different about Manatee homes
Manatee mixes fast-growing inland communities with older neighborhoods and barrier-island homes. The water, permit, and flood rules here are specific enough to be worth knowing.
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Reservoir plus well water
Manatee County Utilities blends surface water from the Lake Manatee Reservoir with groundwater from seven 1,200-foot-deep Floridan Aquifer wells in eastern Manatee. In 2025 it used an average of 34.13 million gallons a day of surface water and 18.13 million gallons a day of groundwater. The groundwater is lime-softened, which removes a portion of the hardness.
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Gas and electric heaters are treated differently
Manatee County's permit guide lists water heater replacement as permitted plumbing work, with one exemption: an electric-to-electric change-out of the same size in the same location. Gas water heater installs and tankless replacements need a permit. We tell you which applies before we start.
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A/C replacement needs a permit, repairs don't
Replacing or installing a central A/C requires a permit in unincorporated Manatee, and the county offers an express residential A/C change-out permit. Repairing or replacing a coil, compressor, or refrigerant piping by a licensed A/C contractor is on the county's no-permit list.
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Flooding and A/C equipment
The county says flooding here comes mostly from tidal surge along the coast and from rivers and creeks overflowing in heavy rain. In a floodplain, improvements that reach 50% of a building's market value within a one-year period trigger current flood rules. The county notes compliance can be as simple as elevating the A/C condenser. More on Anna Maria Island and other beach communities.
02 — Where we go
Places we serve in Manatee County
We take calls from anywhere in the county, including:
- Bradenton
- Palmetto
- Anna Maria
- Holmes Beach
- Bradenton Beach
- Lakewood Ranch (Manatee side)
- Parrish
- Ellenton
- Myakka City
- Longboat Key (Manatee side)
Manatee is in our primary service area. Arrival times depend on where our crew is that day, so call or text 727-732-4357 with your ZIP to confirm timing. How scheduling works by county.
Permits
Permits in Manatee County
Manatee County's Development Services Department handles building permits for unincorporated Manatee. Its offices are now at 9000 Town Center Parkway in Lakewood Ranch. Homes inside a city may fall under that city's building department instead.
We confirm which office covers your address and whether your water heater or A/C job needs a permit, then pull it and schedule the inspection. As of December 2025, Manatee County Utilities reported no lead service lines identified in its system.
03 — Services
Services Manatee homes ask for most
Water heater swaps (gas and electric) and A/C replacements top the list here, along with the leak and emergency calls that coastal storms bring.
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Water Heater Replacement & Installation
Gas and electric tank water heater replacement in Tampa Bay, sized to your household, installed to code, with the old unit hauled away.
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Tankless Water Heater Installation & Service
Tankless water heater installs, tank-to-tankless conversions, and descaling maintenance for hard-water homes across Tampa Bay.
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Leak Detection & Slab Leak Repair
Finding and fixing hidden water leaks in Tampa Bay homes, including slab leaks under concrete floors, with as little demolition as possible.
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A/C Replacement & New System Installation
New A/C systems for Tampa Bay homes, sized with a load calculation and installed as a matched system by a licensed contractor.
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A/C Maintenance & Tune-Ups
Routine A/C tune-ups for Tampa Bay homes: drain line, coils, filters, and electrical checks before the summer heat sets in.
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Emergency A/C Repair, 24/7
Answered 24/7
24/7 emergency A/C repair across Tampa Bay when your system stops cooling. Call any time, day or night.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Manatee County?
Usually, yes. Manatee County lists water heater replacement as permitted plumbing work. The exception in its permit guide is an electric-to-electric change-out of the same size in the same location. Gas and tankless water heaters need a permit. Homes inside a city may follow that city's rules, so we confirm for your address.
Is Manatee County's water hard?
Manatee County Utilities lime-softens its groundwater, which removes part of the hardness, and blends it with water from the Lake Manatee Reservoir. The utility's 2025 report doesn't publish a single hardness figure, so if scale is building up on fixtures or in your water heater, we can test at the tap.
My home on Anna Maria Island is in a flood zone. Does that change an A/C replacement?
It can. In a floodplain, the county's flood rules may require equipment like the A/C condenser to sit above the flood elevation, and larger improvements can trigger the 50% rule. Island homes may fall under a city building department, so we check the requirements for your address before quoting.
Do you cover Lakewood Ranch and Parrish?
Yes. Manatee County is in our primary service area. Timing depends on where our crew is that day, so call or text 727-732-4357 with your ZIP and we'll tell you honestly when we can be there.
Quote request
Get a quote in Manatee County
Tell us what's going on and how to reach you. A licensed tech (not a call center) gets back to you.
Need help right now? Call 727-732-4357. We answer 24/7.
Want to add photos or pick a time? Use the full contact form.
Plumbing or A/C trouble in Manatee County?
Call or text and tell us what's going on. Not urgent? Send a quote request or pick a time that works for you.
Sources
Local facts on this page come from these public sources, checked October 3, 2026. Rules and reports change, so we confirm details for your address before any job.
- Manatee County Utilities Department, 2025 Water Quality Report
- Manatee County Development Services, What Does and Does Not Require a Permit (updated 6/16/26)
- Manatee County Development Services, Building Division
- Manatee County, Flood information
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, Tables B25034 and B25035 (Year Structure Built), via Census Reporter