Average Cost to Hire a Plumber in the UK (2024)

The average cost to hire a plumber in the UK is between £31 and £54 per hour, depending on where you’re based. In this article, we’ll cover how much a plumber usually costs by location and tasks required, and give you some tips on how to save.

• How much does a plumber cost?
  • How much does a plumber cost per hour?
• What impacts the price of my hiring a plumber?
  • How can I save money on a plumber?
  • Where can I find a plumber?

How much does a Plumber cost in the UK?

Our research found that plumbers cost £31 to £54 an hour on average, figures which represent the average cost of quotes in the UK’s 20 most highly populated cities. See the figures for your area in the map below to give you an idea of how much you might expect to pay, depending on where you’re based. These costs don’t include any materials, so if you’re having a new tap installed and have asked the plumber to bring one with him then be prepared to cover the cost (and potentially an additional charge, although they usually charge less per hour for shopping than plumbing).

Plumber costs across the UK

The South/South East regions of the UK are the most expensive regions in the UK to call out a plumber (although interestingly Plymouth and Bristol in the South West are some of the cheapest)—which is perhaps unsurprising, given the inflated cost of living down South.

You’ll also find variations in how plumbers charge you for their services. Some, as quoted above, will bill you for the amount of time they spend on a job. You’ll also find some who invoice based on the task you need doing (covered more below) and some who charge a flat rate daily, irrespective of how long they spend with you—keep these things in mind when selecting the plumber you’d like to complete your work.

And finally, before hiring anyone, make sure to check their references/testimonials and ensure they've got appropriate Plumbers insurance so you know you'll be safe if something does go wrong.

How much do Plumbing tasks cost?

For the most part, many of the tasks a plumber can help with aren’t overly time consuming for somebody who knows their stuff, so as long as your work isn’t too complicated we’d estimate you’ll be spending somewhere in the range of £60-£150.

However, do be aware that the full range is between £60-£600. If you need help with a piece of work that’s going to take a lot of man hours, or requires a specific level/area of expertise, then be prepared to pay a little bit extra. Especially intensive tasks like installing a new shower or water softener can be especially expensive, so make sure you’ve budgeted appropriately before undertaking anything complex.

Plumber costs across the UK

What factors impact the price of hiring a Plumber?

Before quoting, good plumbers will ask you a few standard questions so they can get to grips with the work required. This allows them to accurately quote for the work being done, and helps avoid any nasty financial surprises if the work wasn’t sufficiently scoped out beforehand. This could include things such as the task required, if they’re required to bring their own materials and when you’d like them to visit.

After that, the plumber should be able to accurately quote the work required. There’s a few important drivers that will impact the final quote you receive:

You’ll find some plumbing businesses will charge you a callout fee. This is a flat charge designed to cover the cost of travelling out to you (meaning it rarely changes with the duration/complexity of work). It’s typically between £10-£30, but can be more in some cases (especially if you’re in a remote location). It’ll always be included in a final quote, so comparing costs from different businesses shouldn’t be confusing.

You should also be aware that many businesses charge more for work undertaken outside of regular business hours (which are usually 8AM-6PM, but can occasionally be different). This could include any callouts earlier or later in the day, or any work that needs to be completed at the weekend (emergency/weekend callouts), so be conscious of the fact that you may have to pay more for work during less convenient hours of the day (although many businesses advertise an out-of-hours/24hr support service, so if something does go badly wrong you can find help).

Our research also indicated, that while not always the case, you’ll likely find local/regional plumbers cheaper than larger national businesses, and if you’re not under warranty or insured by a business like British Gas it’s almost always more cost effective to look locally.

How can I save money on hiring a Plumber?

While most people would argue that a good plumber is more than worth the investment, there are a few clever ways you can keep your costs as low as possible.

Where can I find a Plumber?

Finding a plumber isn’t too difficult—a quick Google search should return the results you’re looking for. Before doing anything though, make sure to check reviews/testimonials for the business so you can be sure you’re getting a high quality service.

Also, try talking to some of your friends or work colleagues who live locally—they may be able to recommend a plumber they’ve had a good experience with, or warn of any they weren’t as impressed with, valuable insight given the potential costs of the job being done poorly.

Finally, websites such as MyBuilder and trustatrader are an excellent resource to compare reviews, find local businesses and compare multiple quotes quickly and conveniently.

What to consider when hiring a Plumber

There are many factors affecting the cost of calling a plumber out to your home, covered in more detail up above, however before reaching that point there’s a few things you’ll want to consider ahead of hiring someone.