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Plumber hourly rate calculator

Your rate has to cover the van, the tools, insurance, and the slow weeks. Most plumbers price off their wage and quietly lose the rest. Type a few numbers and see your real one.

Truck, insurance, tools, phone. Everything that bills you whether you work or not.

What goes into a plumber's real rate

Most plumbers set a price around what they want to earn per hour, then wonder why the year comes in thinner than it should. Your true rate has to carry every cost that shows up whether you are on a job or not: the van, the insurance, the tools, and the hours spent quoting and driving instead of wrenching. This calculator works out the rate that keeps all of that covered, plus a real margin on top.

  • ✓Van, fuel, and tools that wear out
  • ✓Liability and vehicle insurance
  • ✓License and continuing education
  • ✓Unbilled hours: quoting, driving, admin
  • ✓Slow weeks, callbacks, and no-shows

QuoteMate does this on every job, not just once. Answer a few questions on the call and read out a price that protects your margin, with a peer benchmark showing what other plumbers near you charge.

Plumber rate questions

How much should a plumber charge per hour?
There is no single right number. Your rate depends on your overhead, your billable hours, and the margin you want to keep. Most plumbers who price off their wage alone land below their true break-even once you add van, fuel, and tools that wear out and liability and vehicle insurance. The calculator above finds your real number in about a minute.
What should a plumber's hourly rate cover?
Everything that costs you money whether you are on a job or not: van, fuel, and tools that wear out, liability and vehicle insurance, license and continuing education, unbilled hours: quoting, driving, admin, slow weeks, callbacks, and no-shows. If your rate only covers your wage and materials, those costs come straight out of your profit.
How do I know if I am undercharging as a plumber?
Work out your true break-even — your wage plus overhead spread across your billable hours — and compare it to what you charge. If you are at or below break-even, every hour is costing you. The calculator above shows the gap and what you would earn at a proper margin.

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