A plumbing price is easier to judge when you know what it covers
A leak beneath the sink might need one new joint. A damp ceiling could mean opening a bath panel, tracing a waste leak and arranging repairs to the plaster afterwards. Tell local plumbers what is happening before comparing the price of a visit with the price of a finished repair.
My Plumbing Prices introduces homeowners to independent plumbing businesses. Submit one free online enquiry and you may receive up to four quotations from plumbers who cover your postcode and take on that work. Responses depend on availability and local coverage; four quotations are not guaranteed. You can decline every quotation.
Small repairs, replacement fittings and urgent call-outs
- Emergency Plumber – Urgent call-outs for burst pipes, uncontrollable leaks, overflowing cisterns, failed stopcocks and loss of water, with the leak made safe first and a permanent repair priced separately.
- Leaking Pipe Repairs – Tracing and repairing weeping joints, pinhole leaks, split pipes and failed compression fittings on copper, plastic and lead supply pipes, including leaks under floors and behind boxing.
- Tap Repair and Replacement – Dripping taps, stiff or loose handles, worn ceramic cartridges and washers, plus new kitchen, basin and bath taps fitted with isolation valves and fresh flexible connectors.
- Toilet Repairs and Installation – Running cisterns, weak or failed flushes, leaks at the pan connector or base, wobbly pans and like-for-like toilet replacement, including close-coupled and back-to-wall suites.
- Shower Plumbing and Repairs – Low pressure, temperature swings, leaking mixer valves, failed shower pumps and tray waste leaks diagnosed and repaired, with replacement mixer valves and pumps fitted where repair is not worthwhile.
- Blocked Sink and Waste Pipe Clearing – Slow and blocked kitchen sinks, basins, baths and shower wastes cleared at the trap or along the waste run, with poor falls, failed traps and leaking waste joints put right.
Related tasks can include adding an isolation valve while a tap is changed, renewing perished flexible connectors, replacing a basin pop-up waste or reconnecting a washing machine. Describe these in the enquiry rather than assuming they are included. Underground drain clearance, full bathroom refits and gas appliance work can need a different specialist.
What happens after an enquiry?
Start with the property postcode, the fitting involved and the symptoms. Suitable businesses may contact you for photographs or to arrange an assessment. A photograph can help identify a tap cartridge or concealed cistern, but it cannot establish the condition of pipework behind a wall.
Ask whether a visit carries a diagnostic or call-out charge, even if you do not accept the eventual repair price. We provide the introduction; the plumber decides the scope, price and appointment. You agree and pay for the work directly with the business you choose.
Help the plumber bring the right parts
Say whether a leak runs constantly or only when a shower, toilet or appliance is used. Note whether the water is turned off, whether your only toilet is usable and whether the pipes are exposed or hidden. For a replacement tap, take a picture of the connections beneath it as well as the fitting above.
If you know your hot water arrangement, include it: a combination boiler, an unvented cylinder and a loft-tank-fed cylinder suit different shower equipment. Do not remove boiler covers or electrical shower covers to identify a fault. The plumber can establish the system during an assessment.
Compare the repair and the disruption
Look for parts, labour, any minimum charge, travel and VAT in each written quotation. A toilet replacement price may cover fitting a customer-supplied suite, while another includes supplying one. Ask who disposes of the old fittings and who refits flooring, tiles or boxing after a hidden leak is repaired.
See our plumbing price guide and enquiry form for indicative ranges based on the six services above. A cheap advertised call-out can become a costly visit if time after the first hour and parts are charged separately.
Choosing a business for your home
Companies joining the network are asked to provide relevant insurance details and references. Before booking, ask the business for current evidence that its insurance covers your job, and check references for similar repairs. An introduction does not guarantee the work. WaterSafe Register lists approved contractors with training in the water fittings rules; it is a useful additional check rather than a licence every domestic plumber must hold.
Plumbing qualifications do not automatically cover gas or electrical work. For gas appliance work, check an engineer’s Gas Safe registration and work categories. Electrical connections and testing for an electric shower need a suitably competent person; Electrical Safety First’s bathroom advice recommends a registered electrician for electrical installation work.
If the leak needs attention now
If water is escaping, close the internal stopcock only if you can reach it safely. Keep away from wet sockets, light fittings and electrical equipment. Isolate electricity only from a dry, safe position; do not touch wet switches or enter standing water to reach the consumer unit. Arrange urgent help directly if the leak cannot be controlled. This website does not monitor emergencies or dispatch plumbers, and an enquiry does not reserve an arrival time.
Describe the fault once
Send your plumbing enquiry with the room, symptoms and access details. Independent plumbers can then discuss what needs investigating and what they would charge before you decide who to book.