How to price your plumbing services in 2026

UK plumbers typically charge £50 per hour or £325-£375 per day, depending on location, experience, and job complexity. Fixed-rate pricing for common jobs often works better than hourly rates.

Hourly vs fixed-rate pricing

Hourly rates work for unpredictable jobs - emergency callouts, diagnostics, or jobs where the scope is unclear. The UK average is £50/hour outside London (Checkatrade 2026), with London and South East trades typically charging £60-£80/hour. Fixed rates work for standard jobs where you know the time and materials. Examples:

Boiler service: £80-£120 (MyJobQuote 2026)
Radiator replacement: £150-£250
Outside tap installation: £100-£150
Toilet repair: £80-£150
Unblock drain: £100-£200

How to calculate your rate

Your hourly rate needs to cover:

Your target income - e.g., £50,000/year

Billable hours - most plumbers bill 20-25 hours/week (not 40)

Overheads - van, fuel, insurance, tools, phone

Tax and NI - roughly 25-30% of gross

Example calculation:

Target: £50,000/year take-home
Billable hours: 1,000/year (20 hrs × 50 weeks)
Overheads: £10,000/year
Required gross: £60,000 + 30% tax = £78,000
Hourly rate needed: £78/hour

Regional variations

UK tradespeople are expected to increase prices by 9.5% on average in 2026, with 32% planning increases of 11% or more (Jackson Woodturners report 2025).

Location

Hourly Rate

Day Rate

London	£60-£80	£400-£500
South East	£50-£65	£350-£400
Midlands	£45-£55	£300-£350
North	£40-£50	£250-£300
Scotland/Wales	£40-£50	£250-£300

Sources: Checkatrade 2026, Samuel Leeds LinkedIn 2026

When to charge more

Emergency/out-of-hours: 1.5x-2x standard rate
Weekend work: +50% minimum
Complex jobs (underfloor heating, system upgrades): quote fixed but higher
High-value postcodes: adjust for local market rates

Common pricing mistakes

Undercharging to win work. You attract price-sensitive customers who complain and don't refer. Better to charge properly and do fewer, better jobs. Not including travel time. A 30-minute job 20 minutes away is a 1-hour job. Price accordingly. Quoting without seeing the job. Always scope first. "I'll have a look and send you a proper quote" saves you from underpricing. Forgetting materials markup. Add 20-30% to parts costs - covers sourcing, warranty, and your time buying them.

How Qenn helps with pricing

Qenn remembers your standard rates and builds them into quotes automatically. Message "Quote for boiler service at 14 Oakwood Rd" and it drafts the quote with your £95 rate, parts, and markup included. You review and send.

No more guessing. No more undercharging. No more kitchen-table spreadsheets.

Sources: Checkatrade 2026 plumber pricing guide, Electrical Times trade survey 2026 Qenn handles quotes, invoices, and admin through WhatsApp. Try it free for 1 month.