A historic downtown with working buildings
Downtown Massillon is the old core of the city. James Duncan recorded the town in 1826, the Ohio and Erie Canal reached it in 1828, and the railroad arrived in 1852, according to the City of Massillon. The downtown area is a locally designated historic district, and the city publishes design guidelines for it that cover eras from the canal period to the present.
This page is for people who work, shop or live here. Many downtown buildings are mixed use, with a business on the ground floor and rooms or apartments above. That mix is why plumbing here is not the same as in a street of single-family homes.
What commercial and mixed-use buildings need
A restaurant needs working floor drains, a hot water supply that keeps up and a plan for grease. A shop needs its restrooms to function for customers. An office above a store needs a line that does not leak into the business below. These are different problems, and we ask about the building before we send anyone.
Tell us the type of business, the age of the building if you know it and whether anyone lives upstairs. See commercial plumbing for how we handle shops and restaurants, and hydro jetting for stubborn lines.
You call
Tell us the address, the type of space and what is happening.
We plan around your hours
We ask when you are open so the work disrupts you as little as possible.
You hear the price
A clear price comes before work starts.
We test and clean up
We confirm the repair works and leave the space ready for customers.
Plumbing problem in a downtown building?
Give us the address and your opening hours, and we plan the work around them.
Common downtown calls
| Call | Why it comes up | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| Floor drain backing up in a kitchen | Grease and debris in a busy line | Drain cleaning |
| Restroom fixture failing | Heavy daily use | Toilet repair |
| Water heater not keeping up | Demand higher than the tank supports | Water heater replacement |
| Leak in a ceiling below an upstairs unit | A supply or drain line above | Leak detection |
| Sewer smell in a basement | A damaged or blocked lateral | Sewer line repair |
A plumber confirms the cause on site.
Flood protection and older infrastructure
The 1913 flood damaged the city, and the levees and viaducts built between 1939 and 1951 were meant to protect the business district. That is documented history. It does not mean any given basement is dry or wet today.
Older downtown buildings may have basements that are used for storage or mechanical equipment. Keep valuables off the floor and know where your floor drain and sump are. If a drain backs up after heavy rain, call us and we will find where the water is coming from.
Permits, registration and historic review
Contractors register with the city Building Department at One James Duncan Plaza, and plumbing follows OAC Chapter 4101:3. Ask the department which downtown jobs need a permit before work begins.
Because the downtown district has design guidelines, changes visible from the street, such as a new vent, may be reviewed. Interior plumbing repairs usually raise fewer questions. If you are unsure, check with the city before you schedule exterior work.
Before we arrive
- Locate the water shutoff for the space and for the building
- Move stock and equipment away from a wet floor
- Tell us the hours you can have someone on site
- Photograph the damage for your records
Downtown Massillon plumbing questions
Yes. See commercial plumbing. Tell us the address and the type of business when you call.
Call and tell us your hours. We book around them when the repair allows, and the line is open 24 hours a day.
No. We are based on Lincoln Way East in Massillon, and we serve downtown from there.
Yes. Tell us who owns the building, because many repairs need the owner's approval.
Call the Aqua Ohio Massillon Division. We handle the pipe from the meter to the building and the plumbing inside it.