What Do Most Plumbers Charge Per Hour?

What Do Most Plumbers Charge Per Hour?

We all know that calling out a plumber can turn into a pretty costly venture but when something goes wrong with the plumbing system in our homes, we need the expertise of these skilled professionals. To avoid any nasty surprises, it is important to arm yourself with the right knowledge and understanding what you’ll pay is as good a place to start as any. So, this will leave you asking what do most plumbers charge per hour?

The UK average to call out a plumber is between £40 and £60 per hour with most plumbers charging £50 an hour. However, there are various factors that will influence this such as where you are in the country, the type of work you need doing and whether or not the call out is an emergency. 

In the case of emergency plumbers, you can expect to pay much more per hour, largely because of the inconvenience of the call out. In most cases, the hourly rate for an emergency plumber is anywhere between £110 and £120 which is double the cost of the usual rate. You’ll also need to keep in mind that a plumber will almost always automatically charge you for one hour before they’ve even arrived so even if the work takes only one hour, you’ll usually be charged for two. This is what is known as a call out fee. 

But these hourly costs need to be added up to determine the overall price of the work. There are some jobs that might take less than an hour whereas others could take a day or more.

What Kind Of Plumbers Make The Most Money?

As with many other types of jobs, there are different kinds of plumbers. What they earn can vary quite significantly so if you’re looking to make the best income from plumbing, it’s certainly worth considering your options. 

A residential plumber would typically only have to deal with small scale plumbing jobs although there is a good amount of variety. However, they do not typically earn as much as commercial plumbers who need a higher level of expertise in order to deal with larger and more complex plumbing systems in places like hospitals, schools and shopping centres. 

However, you also need to consider the working conditions of the plumber. Those that work in more dangerous or hazardous conditions are likely to be paid a higher wage because of the associated risks. 

Finally, the level of experience of the plumber will determine how much money he or she makes. As an apprentice, you will be earning the national minimum wage for apprentices which is currently just £4.81 per hour. Of course, once you finish your training, this wage will increase and when you reach journeyman level, you can expect to earn a more favourable salary. Advancing to become a master plumber will see wages increase even more and according to national averages, you may expect to earn up to £21 per hour at this level. 

Do Plumbers Get Rich?

Since plumbers charge such high fees for their work, it would be easy to assume that these are some of the richest working professionals in the country. But this isn’t strictly true. You must take into account that what you pay your plumber doesn’t go straight into his or her pocket. 

Plumbers have a lot of costs to cover such as travel expenses, including the maintenance of their vehicle, tools, staff, taxes and much more. So while you may pay around £50 per hour of the plumber’s time in a non-emergency case, they may only pocket around £17 of that. 

In fact, the average UK salary of a plumber comes in at less than £30,000 per year. Of course,  this is based on the plumber working for an employer; self-employed plumbers may earn substantially more or less than this depending on how much work they take on. That said, there are some companies in the UK that are paying near to triple figures for the most experienced plumbing experts. 

You’ll earn a comfortable wage working as a plumber but it is unlikely that you will end up being one of the richest people in your circle of friends. 

Can You Become A Millionaire As A Plumber?

One could say that it was possible to become a millionaire from doing any job but most plumbers won’t hit this financial milestone easily. If you’re working for an employer, the chances of becoming a millionaire purely from your annual salary are unlikely. You’d have better luck playing the lottery every week. 

However, if you open your own plumbing business then, in theory, the sky’s the limit. Of course, in order to reach these dizzying financial heights, you’ll need a consistent flow of work and you’ll likely need to have employees so that this can expand even more. It takes hard work and dedication but renowned plumber Charlie Mullins managed this despite leaving school early. He successfully set up his millionaire business Pimlico Plumbing which has earned him an excellent reputation and financial security. 

Related Article: Why Do Plumbers Charge So Much?

Conclusion

Hiring a plumber can be an expensive thing but when water starts pouring through your ceiling or the toilet won’t work, you’ll pay just about whatever it takes to get things put right. Of course, a lot of people think that the hourly rate of hiring a plumber is extremely high but there are some good reasons why it is this way (we’ve got an article with more details here.)

In the UK, you can expect to pay between £40 and £80 per hour to hire a plumber but this rate will go up in the case of an emergency call out. In some cases, it could be double the amount. Moreover, you may also incur a call out fee which is equivalent to one hour’s work so even if the job takes less than an hour, you’ll almost always have to pay for two.