How to quote for plumber jobs
A practical 2026 pricing guide for UK plumbers: how to work out your rate, what to build into every quote, realistic price ranges, and the mistakes that quietly eat your margin.
Skip the maths — build a plumber quote in 60 seconds with QuoteRocket.
Rates, markup and VAT applied automatically. Free trial, no card needed.
How to price plumber work
Price from the bottom up, not from what the last bloke charged. Start with your true hourly cost, add the materials at your real buying price plus a markup, then add the things people forget — travel, waste, parking, certification.
1. Work out your real hourly rate
Take the income you want, add overheads (van, insurance, tools, phone, accountant, pension) and divide by hours you can genuinely bill — around 1,000–1,300 a year once quoting, travel and admin are stripped out. For most plumbers that lands near £60 an hour.
2. Estimate labour honestly
Estimate the hours the job actually takes, including setup, testing and clean-up, then add a contingency for the unknowns you always find once you open things up. Underestimating hours is the single biggest cause of a job losing money.
3. Price materials at cost + markup
Charge what you paid, plus a markup of typically 10–25% to cover collection time, waste, returns and the risk of price rises between quoting and buying. If a supplier price is more than a couple of weeks old, re-check it.
4. Add callout, travel and access
A callout or minimum charge protects you on small jobs. Add mileage beyond your normal radius, plus parking, congestion or permit costs where they apply — these are legitimate costs, and customers accept them when they are itemised.
5. Show VAT clearly
If you are VAT registered, show the net figure, VAT at 20% and the gross total separately. If you are not registered, say so on the quote so nobody assumes there is 20% to come.
What to factor into a plumber quote
- All fittings and consumables (isolation valves, PTFE, solder)
- Labour hours and call-out
- Disposal of old parts
- Gas Safe / WRAS compliance notes if relevant
- What's excluded (tiling, making good, decorating)
Realistic UK price ranges for plumber work
Indicative 2026 figures, excluding VAT. Regional variation is significant — treat these as a sanity check on your own numbers.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £48 – £84 |
| Day rate (7–8 hrs) | £420 – £480 |
| Callout / minimum charge | £60 – £120 |
| Materials markup | 10% – 25% |
| Example job — Combi boiler replacement — like-for-like | ≈ £2,215 |
See the full itemised breakdown on our free plumber quote template, or run your own numbers in the quote calculator.
Common quoting mistakes for plumbers
- Quoting a round number off the top of your head on site, then discovering the materials alone eat most of it.
- Leaving the scope vague. "Bathroom suite installation" means different things to you and the customer — spell out what is and is not included.
- Forgetting the unbillable hours: quoting, collecting materials, travel and waste disposal all have to be paid for by the jobs you do win.
- Not putting an expiry on the quote. Material prices move; 14 or 30 days protects you.
- Taking days to send it. Most customers hire whoever gets a clear, professional quote to them first.
Typical plumber jobs to quote
- Bathroom suite installation
- Boiler swap (combi)
- Leaking radiator repair
- Kitchen tap replacement
Plumber pricing FAQs
How much should a plumber charge per hour?
Most UK plumbers work to an hourly rate of around £48–£84 depending on region, with London and the South East at the top of that range. Work backwards from what you need to earn: target annual income plus overheads, divided by realistically billable hours (usually 1,000–1,300 a year, not 1,800).
What is a typical plumber day rate?
A day rate is normally 7–8 billable hours at your hourly figure, often with a small discount for the certainty of a full day. At £60 an hour that is roughly £420–£480 per day before materials and VAT. Quote day rates only for open-ended work; fixed price wins more jobs where the scope is clear.
How much does a typical plumber job cost?
Our worked example — Combi boiler replacement — like-for-like — comes to about £2,215 before VAT once labour, materials and fees are included. Use it as a sanity check rather than a price list: your materials cost, travel and access all move the number.
Should a plumbing quote include VAT?
If you're VAT-registered, yes — show subtotal, VAT at 20%, and total. If you're not VAT-registered, add a short note saying prices exclude VAT (or that VAT does not apply).
How do I quote when I can't see behind the wall?
Quote for the visible scope and add a clear 'provisional' line for anything hidden — e.g. 'If existing pipework needs replacing, additional labour is charged at £60/hr.' Customers respect honesty more than a low headline number.
Skip the maths — build a plumber quote in 60 seconds with QuoteRocket.
Rates, markup and VAT applied automatically. Free trial, no card needed.