Plumbing estimate template
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For
Customer name
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing service | 1 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Subtotal | $0.00 |
| Total | $0.00 |
Price both outcomes
Plumbing estimates go wrong in one specific way: something behind a wall is not what you assumed. Every experienced plumber knows this and most estimates still ignore it.
The fix is not a bigger contingency percentage. It is stating the assumption and pricing the alternative:
This estimate assumes the existing supply pipework behind the bathroom wall is sound and reusable. Should replacement be required, additional pipework is charged at $XX per linear foot, carried out only with your approval.
Now the customer has been told, the price is agreed before it is needed, and the conversation you have while standing in an open wall is a formality rather than a negotiation.
Itemise labour and parts
“Bathroom rough-in — $3,400” invites a competitor to undercut it with a number that means something different. Break it out: supply runs, waste runs, fixture sets, valves, permits, inspection, and labour by phase.
Permits on their own line
At cost, or cost plus a stated handling fee. Never inside the labour rate.
Say what make-good means
If the job involves opening walls or floors, state that you patch to a rough finish only, and that plastering, tiling and decorating are excluded. Customers assume otherwise unless told.
Getting it out the same day
Plumbing enquiries are urgent and comparison-shopped. Saved line items for your standard jobs turn a two-hour estimate into a ten-minute one.
QuoteIQ at $29.99/mo is the cheapest way to do that and takes a deposit on acceptance. Jobber at $49/mo produces a better customer-facing document and chases unanswered estimates automatically on its Connect tier. Housecall Pro adds a flat-rate price book from $189/mo so several plumbers estimate the same job identically.
Questions operators actually ask
What should a plumbing estimate include?
The scope by fixture or run, itemised labour and parts, permits and inspection fees, access and make-good limits, and a stated contingency for what you cannot see. Plumbing estimates go wrong on concealed pipework, so the contingency line is not optional.
How do I estimate work I cannot see?
State the assumption and price the alternative. 'Estimate assumes existing copper is sound behind the shower wall. If replacement is required: $X per linear foot, with your approval.' You are not guessing — you are pricing the two outcomes in advance.
Should I estimate flat rate or hourly?
Flat rate for known jobs — a water heater swap, a disposal, a tap. Hourly for diagnostics and anything concealed. Mixing both on one estimate is normal; just label each line so nobody is surprised.
Do I include permits in the estimate?
Yes, as a separate line at cost or cost-plus. Customers accept permit fees they can see and resent ones they discover, and an estimate that omits them looks cheaper than a competitor's until the invoice arrives.
How long should a plumbing estimate be valid?
Thirty days. Copper and fixture prices move, and an estimate accepted three months later is one you will lose money on.