How to start a plumbing business
A plain checklist: your licence, registering, insurance, a van and tools, pricing calls and finding your first customers — without the income promises.
Who it suits
Plumbing suits licensed plumbers who want to run their own book of customers. The work does not wait for a good day — leaks and blockages come at night and on weekends — so the business rewards whoever answers first and fixes it right.
1.Hold the right licence
Most states and some cities license plumbers, usually through apprentice, journeyman and master levels. Some states require master status to pull permits or run a shop.
Check your state licensing board for what lets you work, and contract, under your own name.
2.Choose your work
Residential service, new construction, commercial, or a niche such as drain and sewer, or water heaters. Each has different tools, hours and buyers.
Service work gets you paid the same day; new construction pays on a schedule set by the builder.
3.Register the business
Pick a structure — sole proprietor or LLC — register the name, get an EIN and open a separate business bank account.
Your city or county may need a general business licence as well as the plumbing licence.
4.Insurance and bonding
General liability covers water damage and property damage on the job. Many states require a contractor bond with the licence. Commercial auto covers the van.
If you hire, workers’ compensation is required in most states.
5.Van, tools and parts
A van set up with the fittings you use most, a drain machine, a press or crimp tool, and the hand tools you already carry. Add a jetter or camera when the work asks for it.
A supply-house account matters: the parts on the van decide how many jobs you finish in one visit.
6.Price your calls
Most service plumbers charge a call-out or diagnostic fee and quote routine work flat-rate from a price book. Exploratory work is often quoted time and materials.
Set an after-hours rate before the first night call, and time your first jobs against your prices.
7.Find your first customers
Claim a free Fixerlane listing so homeowners searching for a plumber nearby can find and message you.
Leave every customer knowing how to reach you next time, and ask for a review once the job is done.
The trade in numbers
510,600 people work as plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in the US.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025
About 42,000 openings for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 projections
111,207 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses with employees (NAICS 238220); 64,871 of them have fewer than five employees.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023
178,663 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses have no employees at all.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics, 2023
Your first customers, free
List your plumbing business on Fixerlane at no cost. Homeowners searching for plumbing in your area can find you and send enquiries, and replying is free. When the work picks up, the tools to quote, schedule and invoice are a 7-day free trial away.
Common questions
- Do I need a licence to start a plumbing business?
- In most states, yes, and some cities add their own. Requirements and the levels between apprentice and master differ by state, so check your state licensing board.
- How much does it cost to start a plumbing business?
- We do not publish a figure. A van, tools, stock, insurance and bonding vary by state and by what you already own. Price each one locally before you commit.
- Should I take emergency calls?
- Emergency work brings new customers, but it costs sleep. Decide your hours and your after-hours rate before you start, and put both on your quotes.
- How do I get my first plumbing customers?
- A free listing where homeowners already search, builders and property managers you know, and a review from every early customer.
- How much do plumbers earn?
- We do not promise earnings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes real pay figures for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.