What should I charge for plumbing work?

A licensed plumber carries serious overhead before turning a wrench — a stocked service van, bonding and liability insurance, license renewals, and continuing education. Build each job from your labor and parts plus a markup that covers that overhead, and you have the service rate your flat-rate jobs sit on.

Price a job the way contractors actually do it: add up what the job costs you, then add a markup for your overhead and profit. Fill in your numbers — your bid updates as you type.

What this job costs you

Materials & supplies ($) — your cost for everything you'll buy for this job

Other direct costs ($) — fuel, equipment rental, disposal fees, permits

Your labor

Not sure what to charge for your time? Employed plumbers & pipefitters earn a median of about $30.67/hr (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A self-employed labor rate is typically higher — roughly $45–$60/hr (about 1.5–2×) — because it also has to cover self-employment tax, the benefits an employer would otherwise pay, and the hours that cannot be billed.

Hours this job will take

Your hourly labor rate ($) — what your time is worth per hour; e.g. $45–$60

Hired help ($) — paid to a helper or subcontractor; leave blank if solo

Your markup — overhead & profit

This is where your business actually makes money. Industry standard is roughly 20–30% overall for contractors; solo operators often need the higher end to cover insurance, tools, truck, admin time, and slow weeks. Adjust to fit your business.

Markup on your costs (%)

Materials & supplies	$0
Your labor (0 hrs × $0)	$0
Hired help	$0
Other direct costs	$0
Your costs (subtotal)	$0
Markup (30% — overhead & profit)	$0
Bid price	$0

Pricing method and standard percentages from contractor-industry sources (Angi, Buildern, NAHB): overall contractor markup 20–30%, materials markup 7.5–35%, labor markup 25–50%, recommended profit margin 15–25%. A markup is a percentage of your costs; the resulting margin (share of the bid that's profit) is lower — both are shown above. These are general benchmarks, not a guarantee for your market.

What your markup has to cover

The markup in your bid covers the costs no single job shows. For plumbing work, your overhead typically includes the service van payment, fuel, and stock; liability insurance and bonding; license and continuing-education renewals; tools and pipe or camera equipment; permit and dump fees; and phone and scheduling software. None of that appears on one job, but all of it is paid out of the markup added to every job. Published contractor guidance (Angi, NAHB) puts a typical overall markup at 20–30%.

Be realistic about your hours

Drive time, parts runs, quoting, and permit trips mean a solo plumber bills perhaps 28–32 of a 45-hour week. Many charge a service-call fee on top of labor; either way, build your rate on wrench-time hours, not hours away from home.

Plumber pricing FAQs

Should a plumber charge hourly or flat-rate?

Most established plumbers price flat-rate (per job) rather than hourly — it rewards your speed and gives the customer a firm number. Use your hourly labor rate as the engine: estimate the hours a job takes, multiply by your rate, add materials with markup, and present one price.

How much should a plumber mark up parts and fixtures?

Parts are charged at cost plus a markup, and plumbers usually buy below retail through a supply house. The markup covers pickup time, returns, warranty handling, and the cost of stocking the van. Published contractor guidance puts a typical materials markup at 7.5–35%, varying by trade and market (Angi, Buildern, NAHB).

Do I need a license and insurance to work as a plumber?

Nearly every state licenses plumbers, and most jurisdictions require a permit and inspection for anything beyond minor repairs. Liability insurance and a surety bond are typically required to pull permits. Include those annual costs in your expenses so your rate covers them.