The jobs people ask about most
A quick reference before the detail. Every job links through to plumbers who offer it.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| General Plumber Call-out | £60–£100 |
| Emergency Plumber Call-out | £100–£160 |
| Tap Repair | £80–£140 |
| Tap Replacement | £140–£260 |
| Blocked Sink Clearance | £70–£150 |
| Blocked Toilet Clearance | £75–£150 |
| Blocked Drain Clearance | £85–£250 |
| Leak Repair | £95–£200 |
| Burst Pipe Repair | £150–£600 |
| Water Leak Detection | £150–£600 |
| Toilet Installation / Replacement | £150–£450 |
| Standard Shower Installation | £350–£600 |
| Radiator Installation / Replacement | £200–£450 |
| Bathroom Installation / Fitting | £4,000–£8,000 |
What moves the price
Two plumbers can quote very differently for the same job, and usually for good reasons. These are the five that matter most.
Where you live
Rates in London and the South East run higher than the national average. Rural jobs can carry a travel charge.
When you need it
Evenings, weekends and bank holidays are charged at emergency rates. A job that can wait until Tuesday morning costs less.
How easy the job is to reach
Pipework under a suspended floor is straightforward. The same pipework under concrete, behind tiling or in a boxed-in riser adds hours and making good.
The parts you choose
The figures here assume standard fittings. Designer taps, stone trays and premium showers add their own cost.
What is found on the day
A repair sometimes reveals a bigger problem — a corroded run of pipe, or a drain that has moved. A good plumber will stop and re-quote rather than carry on.
Call-outs and diagnostics
Most plumbing jobs start here. A call-out covers the visit and the first look at the problem; diagnostics cover finding a fault you cannot see, such as a leak behind a wall. Emergency rates apply outside normal working hours and at weekends.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| General Plumber Call-out | £60–£100 |
| Emergency Plumber Call-out | £100–£160 |
| Plumbing Inspection | £100–£400 |
| Plumbing Safety Inspection | £100–£400 |
| Water Leak Detection | £150–£600 |
| Thermal Imaging Leak Detection | £150–£1,000 |
| Emergency Plumbing Repair | £175–£300 |
| Tracer Gas Leak Detection | £250–£2,000 |
Leaks, burst pipes and pipework
Costs depend far more on access than on the repair itself. A visible leak under a sink is quick work; the same leak under a concrete floor or behind tiling means lifting and making good afterwards. Replacing a full run of mains pipe is the most expensive job in this group.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Pipe Joint & Fitting Repair | £80–£180 |
| Water Pressure Test | £80–£150 |
| Overflow Pipe Repair | £90–£200 |
| Water Hammer Repair | £90–£300 |
| Leak Repair | £95–£200 |
| Pipe Lagging / Pipe Insulation | £100–£300 |
| Internal Stopcock Replacement | £100–£200 |
| Low Water Pressure Repair | £100–£750 |
| Internal Pipe Replacement | £120–£350 |
| Leaking Pipe Repair | £150–£440 |
| Burst Pipe Repair | £150–£600 |
| New Pipework / Pipe Fitting | £150–£500 |
| External Stop Tap Installation / Replacement | £150–£300 |
| Pressure Reducing Valve Replacement | £150–£400 |
| High Water Pressure Repair | £150–£450 |
| Smart Leak Detector / Automatic Shut-off Valve | £150–£750 |
| Water Supply Pipe Repair | £220–£440 |
| Water Main Repair | £330–£1,500 |
| Main Water Pipe Replacement - Short Run | £400–£1,000 |
| Lead Water Pipe Replacement | £500–£1,000 |
| Main Water Pipe Replacement - Full Run | £2,000–£4,000 |
Taps and valves
Repairing a tap is usually cheaper than replacing it, but on older fittings a repair can fail again within months. Prices below cover labour and standard parts — designer taps and boiling-water taps carry their own material cost on top.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Tap Repair | £80–£140 |
| Outside Tap Replacement | £80–£150 |
| New Tap Installation | £120–£250 |
| Outside Tap Installation | £120–£200 |
| Tap Replacement | £140–£260 |
| Kitchen Tap Replacement | £140–£240 |
| Basin Tap Replacement | £140–£220 |
| Thermostatic Mixer Valve Replacement | £150–£350 |
| Bath Tap Replacement | £200–£320 |
| Boiling Water / Quooker Tap Installation | £300–£400 |
Toilets and bidets
A blockage or a running cistern is an hour or two of work. Fitting a new toilet costs more when it is wall-hung or needs a macerator, because both involve building work or extra pipework rather than a straight swap.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Toilet Syphon Replacement | £60–£150 |
| Toilet Fill Valve Replacement | £70–£150 |
| Toilet Flush Mechanism Replacement | £70–£150 |
| Blocked Toilet Clearance | £75–£150 |
| Toilet Repair | £80–£180 |
| Running Toilet Repair | £80–£180 |
| Bidet Spray Installation | £100–£280 |
| Toilet Installation / Replacement | £150–£450 |
| Dual Flush Toilet Installation | £150–£600 |
| Bidet Installation | £200–£700 |
| Wall-Hung Toilet Installation | £300–£800 |
| Bidet Toilet Installation | £400–£1,200 |
| Macerator Toilet Installation | £600–£1,200 |
Sinks and kitchen plumbing
Swapping a trap or waste is a small job. Replacing a sink means allowing for the worktop cut-out and, often, a new tap at the same time. Full kitchen plumbing is priced as a project because it runs alongside the fitting of the units.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Sink Waste / Trap Replacement | £50–£200 |
| Utility Sink Installation | £150–£1,000 |
| New Sink Installation | £250–£600 |
| Bathroom Basin Replacement | £300–£500 |
| Kitchen Sink Replacement | £350–£900 |
| Sink & Tap Installation | £400–£700 |
| Kitchen Plumbing Installation | £500–£1,500 |
Showers, baths and wet rooms
The type of shower drives the price: a straight mixer swap is modest, while electric, power and digital showers each add electrical or pump work. Wet rooms are the largest job here because the floor has to be tanked and re-graded.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Bath / Shower Resealing | £70–£150 |
| Shower Repair | £100–£300 |
| Shower Valve Replacement | £150–£350 |
| Thermostatic Shower Installation | £250–£600 |
| Shower Booster Pump Installation | £250–£500 |
| Standard Shower Installation | £350–£600 |
| Electric Shower Installation | £350–£750 |
| Shower Tray Replacement | £350–£700 |
| Power Shower Installation | £500–£1,000 |
| Digital Shower Installation | £500–£1,500 |
| Bath Installation / Replacement | £500–£1,200 |
| Shower Tray & Enclosure Replacement | £750–£2,100 |
| Bath-to-Shower Conversion | £1,500–£3,500 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | £2,100–£2,500 |
| Wet Room Installation | £5,000–£13,000 |
Drains and drainage
Clearing a blockage is priced per visit. Anything structural — relining, patching, replacing a collapsed run — is priced per metre or per project, and usually needs a camera survey first to know what is actually wrong.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Blocked Sink Clearance | £70–£150 |
| Blocked Bath Clearance | £70–£180 |
| Blocked Shower Drain Clearance | £70–£180 |
| Drain Relining - per metre | £70–£250 |
| Blocked Drain Clearance | £85–£250 |
| Drain Rodding | £85–£150 |
| Drain Cleaning / Maintenance | £100–£250 |
| Air Admittance Valve Replacement | £120–£200 |
| High-Pressure Drain Jetting | £150–£300 |
| CCTV Drain Survey | £150–£400 |
| Drain Pipe Repair | £200–£750 |
| Drain Patch Repair | £200–£450 |
| Soil Stack Repair | £200–£500 |
| Drain Relining - project | £350–£4,000 |
| Soil Stack Replacement | £400–£600 |
| Drain Pipe Replacement - per metre | £450–£900 |
| Collapsed Drain Repair | £500–£4,000 |
| Sewer / Drain Line Repair | £650–£1,500 |
| Soakaway Installation | £750–£2,500 |
| Drainage System Installation | £1,500–£5,500 |
| French Drain Installation | £1,500–£4,500 |
| Drain Relocation | £4,500–£8,500 |
Appliance connections
Quick jobs, provided the supply and waste are already close by. Costs rise when a new water line has to be run to reach the appliance, for example an ice maker on the far side of a kitchen.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Washing Machine Connection | £60–£150 |
| Fridge / Ice Maker Water Line Installation | £60–£120 |
| Dishwasher Installation | £100–£250 |
| Washing Machine Plumbing Installation | £120–£300 |
| Waste Disposal Unit Installation | £150–£350 |
Pumps and water treatment
Pump work is mostly labour and the pump itself. Treatment systems vary widely: a filter under the sink is a small job, while a whole-house system or a greywater installation is a project with significant equipment cost.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Water Pump Repair | £100–£500 |
| Sump Pump Repair | £100–£500 |
| Smart Water Leak Detection System | £100–£1,000 |
| Reverse Osmosis System Installation | £250–£1,500 |
| Water Pump Installation | £300–£800 |
| Sump Pump Installation | £300–£800 |
| Whole House Water Filter Installation | £400–£3,000 |
| Water Softener Installation | £800–£2,000 |
| Domestic Water Treatment System | £800–£3,000 |
| Greywater System Installation | £1,500–£5,000 |
Radiators and heating pipework
This covers the water side of a heating system — radiators, valves, balancing and flushing. It does not cover the boiler itself. Replacing a single valve is quick; running new pipework for extra radiators is priced as a project.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV) Replacement | £50–£150 |
| Radiator Valve Replacement | £50–£150 |
| Radiator Repair | £100–£300 |
| Central Heating System Balancing | £100–£200 |
| Leaking Radiator Repair | £140–£450 |
| Radiator Installation / Replacement | £200–£450 |
| Radiator Relocation | £200–£350 |
| Heated Towel Rail Installation | £300–£800 |
| Power Flushing | £300–£1,000 |
| Central Heating Pipework Installation | £800–£2,500 |
Hot water cylinders and tanks
Repairs and part replacements sit at the lower end. A new unvented cylinder is the most expensive job in this group because it needs a qualified installation and a safety discharge route.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Hot Water Cylinder Thermostat Replacement | £130–£180 |
| Hot Water Cylinder Repair | £150–£500 |
| Immersion Heater Replacement | £200–£300 |
| Circulation Pump Replacement | £200–£500 |
| Cold Water Storage Tank Replacement | £360–£700 |
| Tankless Water Heater Installation | £500–£1,500 |
| Vented Hot Water Cylinder Replacement | £600–£1,200 |
| Unvented Hot Water Cylinder Installation | £900–£3,500 |
Bathroom and whole-house projects
Priced as projects rather than jobs, and quoted after a site visit. The figures below cover the plumbing element. Tiling, plastering, electrics and the fittings themselves are usually separate.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| WC Plumbing Installation | £1,200–£1,800 |
| Ensuite Plumbing Installation | £2,400–£3,000 |
| Bathroom Plumbing Installation | £2,700–£4,000 |
| Bathroom Installation / Fitting | £4,000–£8,000 |
| Bathroom Renovation / Refurbishment | £4,000–£14,000 |
| Full Bathroom Reconfiguration | £6,000–£15,000 |
| Whole House Replumbing | £13,000–£22,000 |
Boilers and gas work
We do not list boiler installations, boiler repairs or any other gas work. In the UK, work on gas appliances must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, so those jobs are outside what you will find here. Everything on this page is plumbing and drainage work.
How to get an exact price
Describe your job and we will pass it to plumbers who cover your area. Requesting a quote is free and commits you to nothing. If you would rather look first, browse profiles and compare the ranges each plumber publishes for their own services.