How much does a plumber cost in the UK?

Plumber hourly rates

The plumber hourly rate most guides quote is £40 to £60. Guide A gives an average of £50 an hour. Guide B breaks it down by experience:

Many plumbers charge a minimum of an hour, or roll the first hour into the call-out fee. Ask which before they come out.

Call-out fees

A call-out fee covers getting a plumber to your door to look at the problem. Guide B says call-out fees typically run from £70 to £160, and are most often charged for emergency or out-of-hours visits. Guide A gives an average emergency call-out fee of £110 (range £100 to £120).

Evening, weekend and emergency rates

Emergency work is charged at a higher hourly rate: Guide A gives £75 to £150 an hour, with an average of £100. If the job can wait until a weekday, it will usually cost less.

Plumber day rates

For bigger jobs, such as a bathroom refit or a new heating system, plumbers often quote a day rate. Both guides give £325 to £375 a day (Guide A's average: £350). On a job that fills most of a day, that can work out cheaper than paying by the hour. Ask how many hours on site the day covers.

Plumbing prices for common jobs

What published guides give for everyday jobs. Always get the price for your own job confirmed first.

Bigger jobs are priced separately: see new bathroom costs and new boiler costs.

What changes the price

• Where you live. Guide B notes that rates vary with location.
• When you need them. Emergency and out-of-hours work costs more (see above).
• Parts. A quote may be labour only, with parts added afterwards. Ask.
• Access and complexity. Hard-to-reach pipework, old systems and tiled-over fittings all take longer.
• Gas work. Anything involving gas (boilers, gas hobs) must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer: see Gas Safe vs handyman work.

Is the quote fair? A quick check

• Compare it with the ranges above, and with two or three other quotes for anything over a couple of hundred pounds (do I need three quotes?).
• Ask for labour and parts to be shown separately, and whether VAT is included.
• Ask what happens if the job takes longer than expected, and get the answer in writing (quote vs estimate vs invoice).

For plumbers: setting your hourly rate

If you're a self-employed plumber pricing your own work, the published going rate above (£40 to £60 an hour, £325 to £375 a day) is a benchmark, not a rule. Work out your rate from your costs (van, tools, insurance, and Gas Safe registration if you do gas work), the hours you can actually bill once travel and quoting are taken out, and what plumbers near you charge. Set a minimum charge so short jobs pay.

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Plumber costs: common questions

Sources and date checked

• Guide A: a national UK trade directory's plumber cost guide (updated June 2026): hourly, day, emergency and call-out rates; the job prices marked Guide A.
• Guide B: another national UK trade directory's plumber price guides (hourly rates and call-out fees) (updated 21 August 2026): hourly rates by experience, the day rate, the call-out fee range; the job prices marked Guide B.

All figures checked on 27 September 2026. GotAPal doesn't set or check trades' prices.