Plumber day rates in London
Greater London · 2026
£405–£650
per day, ex VAT
£51–£81
per hour
+35%
vs UK average
A plumber working in London typically charges £405–£650 a day (£51–£81 an hour), ex VAT — 35% above the UK average of £390 a day. London rates run 30–40% above the national picture. Higher living costs, congestion charging, ULEZ and parking all get passed into quotes, and competition from commercial and high-end residential work pulls experienced trades away from small domestic jobs.
Plumbers' day rates sit at the top end of the trades because so much of the work is reactive — a burst pipe can't wait for a cheaper quote. Established plumbers with good reviews routinely turn work away, which is what holds the range up.
What moves a plumber's rate
- 01Emergency and out-of-hours call-outs, which command a significant premium over planned work
- 02Full bathroom installations versus repair and maintenance days
- 03Parts and materials markup policy — some price trade supply into the rate, some bill it separately
- 04Water Regulations (WRAS) compliance on supply work
London vs everywhere else
| London | £405–£650 |
| South East | £345–£550 |
| East of England | £315–£505 |
| South West | £300–£480 |
| Scotland | £290–£465 |
| West Midlands | £290–£460 |
| North West | £280–£450 |
| East Midlands | £275–£440 |
| Yorkshire | £270–£430 |
| Wales | £265–£425 |
| North East | £255–£410 |
| Northern Ireland | £245–£395 |
Charging £530? Prove it's enough.
The market range is the market's number. Yours depends on your overheads, your tax pot and how many days you actually bill. Run it through the calculator, then send the quote while the number's fresh.
Other trades in London
Plumber rates in London — FAQs
- How much does a plumber charge per day in London?
- A plumber in Greater London typically charges £405–£650 a day, ex VAT — 35% above the UK average of £390 a day. Established tradespeople with strong reviews sit at the top of that range.
- What is the hourly rate for a plumber in London?
- Roughly £51–£81 an hour, based on an eight-hour day. Short jobs and emergency call-outs are usually charged at a higher hourly rate or a fixed call-out fee rather than a pro-rata slice of the day rate.
- Is it cheaper to pay a day rate or a fixed price?
- For a clearly-defined job a fixed price protects you from overruns; for open-ended or diagnostic work a day rate is fairer, ideally with an agreed not-to-exceed cap. Most experienced plumbers quote a fixed price once they have seen the work.
- Do plumbers in London charge VAT on top?
- Only if they are VAT-registered, which is required once turnover passes £90,000 a year — then 20% is added. Many sole traders sit below that and don't charge VAT, so always confirm whether a quote is inclusive or exclusive of VAT.
- How do I know if a plumber's quote is fair in London?
- Compare it against the £405–£650 local day-rate range and get two or three quotes. A written quote is binding, so the price shouldn't change unless you ask for extra work — treat a quote well outside the range, in either direction, as a prompt to ask why.
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Indicative ranges compiled from public cost guides, reviewed July 2026. Ex VAT. A guide, not a quote, and not financial advice.