Which Tampa plumbers does AI recommend? (Nov 2026 test)
When someone in Tampa asks an AI assistant for an emergency plumber, which companies come up? We asked ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini the same 20 plumbing questions about Tampa and counted every business each answer named: 53 different businesses in 60 answers, and only 9 of them named by all three engines.
How we tested
On November 4, 2026, we ran a dedicated test for this guide (no client business involved): we sent each question below to three AI engines through their official APIs, with web search switched on: ChatGPT (OpenAI gpt-4o-mini with web search), Perplexity (sonar) and Gemini (gemini-3.8-flash with Google Search grounding). 20 questions × 3 engines = 60 answers, all 60 completed. We saved every answer word for word, counted every business each answer named with the same extractor our $79 report uses, merged name variants of the same company, and left out things that are not businesses (headings, places, agencies and license types).
Read this as a snapshot, not a ranking. Each question was asked once. AI answers change by date, wording and location, and the apps you use on your phone can answer differently from the APIs. Being named by an AI is not an endorsement from us, and we have not checked the ratings or claims the AIs repeated.
The 20 questions, exactly as sent (generated from a template, so a few read awkwardly):
- best emergency plumber in Tampa
- best emergency plumber near me in Tampa
- who is the top rated emergency plumber in Tampa
- recommended emergency plumber in Tampa FL
- emergency emergency plumber Tampa 24 hour
- same day emergency plumber in Tampa
- most reliable emergency plumber in Tampa
- affordable emergency plumber Tampa
- emergency plumber with good reviews in Tampa
- which emergency plumber should I call in Tampa
- top 5 emergency plumbers in Tampa
- Tampa emergency plumber open now
- best plumbing company in Tampa
- trusted local emergency plumber Tampa
- emergency plumber for homeowners in Tampa
- who do locals recommend for plumbing in Tampa
- Tampa emergency plumber that comes out tonight
- highest rated Google emergency plumber Tampa
- emergency plumber near downtown Tampa
- compare emergency plumbers in Tampa
Who the AI named for plumbing in Tampa
Businesses named in at least 8 of the 60 answers, with how many of each engine’s 20 answers named them. Names are shown as they appeared in the AI answers, with variants merged.
| Business named | Answers naming it | ChatGPT | Perplexity | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olin Plumbing | 42 of 60 | 9 | 16 | 17 |
| Roto-Rooter | 42 of 60 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| The Clean Plumbers | 26 of 60 | 2 | 5 | 19 |
| Llona Plumbing | 20 of 60 | 8 | 9 | 3 |
| All Hours Plumber | 19 of 60 | 7 | 12 | 0 |
| Dalmatian Plumbing Tampa | 13 of 60 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| McNatt Plumbing | 12 of 60 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| Strowbiz Plumbing | 12 of 60 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Grable Plumbing & Air | 11 of 60 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| ABC Plumbing, Air, Heat & Electric | 10 of 60 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Tampa | 10 of 60 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| EVERYDAYPLUMBER | 9 of 60 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Believe Plumbing | 8 of 60 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Cass Plumbing | 8 of 60 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Sunshine Plumbers of Tampa | 8 of 60 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
What stood out
- Engines named different shortlists. ChatGPT named 36 different businesses, Perplexity 25 and Gemini 19: 53 in total, only 9 of them named by all three, and 35 named by just one engine.
- Two names tied at the top. Olin Plumbing and Roto-Rooter were each named in 42 of 60 answers. Olin was listed first in 19 answers, more than any other business.
- Some names depended on the engine. Dalmatian Plumbing Tampa (13) and Strowbiz Plumbing (12) were named only by ChatGPT. Gemini named The Clean Plumbers in 19 of its 20 answers and McNatt Plumbing in 11; ChatGPT named them in 2 answers and 1 answer.
- Perplexity cited plumbers’ own sites and directories. Its most-cited sources included rotorooter.com (17 of 20 answers), trueplumbers.com (15), plumberstampa.com (14), consumeraffairs.com (11) and thumbtack.com (10). For “who do locals recommend for plumbing in Tampa”, it also cited Reddit.
- Gemini leaned on companies’ own websites. It cited thecleanplumbers.com in 16 of its 20 answers, plumberstampa.com in 13 and mcnattplumbing.com in 9.
- ChatGPT leaned on Google Maps. In all 20 of its answers, ChatGPT linked the businesses it named to Google Maps listings (all 139 of its links).
“Call to confirm they cover your address, current arrival time, and after-hours fees before authorizing work.”
Perplexity, asked “most reliable emergency plumber in Tampa” on Nov 4, 2026
“Call to confirm they can dispatch to your address now and ask about the call-out fee and arrival estimate.”
Perplexity, asked “Tampa emergency plumber open now” on Nov 4, 2026
“Shut Off the Main Valve: Turn off your home's main water shut-off valve (typically located near the street water meter or where the main line enters the home) to stop active flooding.”
Gemini, asked “same day emergency plumber in Tampa” on Nov 4, 2026
How to get your plumbing business named by AI in Tampa
No one can guarantee an AI will recommend you. These steps improve the public signals the answers above relied on.
- Complete your Google Business Profile. ChatGPT linked every business it named to a Google Maps listing. List emergency plumbing, water heaters, drains and leak repair as services, and mark 24/7 hours only if they are true.
- Make your own website answer the question. Gemini and Perplexity both cited plumbers’ own websites heavily. Have clear pages for emergency plumbing in Tampa and the areas you serve.
- Be present where Perplexity looked: ConsumerAffairs, Thumbtack and similar directories, with the same business name, address and phone everywhere.
- Publish the facts the AIs told homeowners to ask about: your service area, arrival times, call-out and after-hours fees, and your Florida plumbing license number.
- Earn reviews that mention the job and the area, such as a burst pipe or water heater repair in a specific Tampa neighborhood.
- Re-check every month. Ask the questions your customers ask and note who is named. Answers change.
Does AI name your business?
Run the free self-check: we ask Perplexity 3 questions your customers ask and show whether it named you, who it named instead and which sites it cited. The free check needs no email. The full $79 AI Visibility Report asks ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini 20 questions each and adds a Visibility Score and 10 fixes.
We improve the public signals AI tools often use. We do not guarantee that ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini will recommend your business.
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