Plumbing business guide
How to answer "how much do you charge?" on a plumbing call
Answer the price question with what you can stand behind: your service call fee, any flat prices that don't depend on what you find, and a clear promise that they'll get an exact price before work starts. Then move straight to a time slot. The goal isn't to win on price. It's to sound like the shop that has its prices figured out.
"How much do you charge?" is usually the first thing out of a caller's mouth, and most plumbers either dodge it or blurt a guess. Dodging sounds like you're hiding something. Guessing locks you into a number before you've seen the job. There's a middle path, and it works best when you've said it out loud enough times that it comes out the same way every call.
Script 1: the clogged drain caller
This is the easiest one if you have flat drain prices. You can give a real number, with one honest condition.
CallerMy kitchen sink won't drain. How much to snake it?
YouFor a kitchen line we're usually $225, flat, as long as we can get to it through the trap or a cleanout. If it turns out to be the main line, I'll tell you the price before I do anything different.
CallerOkay, that's fair.
YouI can be there between 10 and 12 today, or first thing tomorrow between 8 and 10. Which works better?
Script 2: the water heater shopper
Water heater callers often want a total over the phone. You can't honestly give one without knowing the fuel type, size, venting, location and what your local code will require on the new install.
CallerWhat do you charge to replace a water heater?
YouIt depends on the size, gas or electric, and what it takes to bring the install up to code, so I don't want to guess and be wrong. Is it leaking right now, or just getting old?
CallerIt's leaking a little from the bottom.
YouThen let's get someone out. The visit is $89, and you'll have a written price for the replacement before anything happens. If you go ahead, the $89 comes off. Meanwhile, you can turn the cold valve on top of the tank off to slow it down.
Script 3: the "just ballpark it" caller
Some callers push. They want a number, any number. Hold the line without getting stiff about it.
CallerCome on, just ballpark it for me.
YouI get it, nobody likes a blank check. Here's what I can promise: the visit is $89, and you'll see the exact price before any work starts. If you don't like it, you only pay for the visit. Want me to put you down for this afternoon?
Why these scripts work
- They answer something. Every script gives a real number, whether it's the flat drain price or the visit fee. Callers hang up on vagueness more than on price.
- They name the condition. "As long as we can get to it" and "before anything happens" protect you without sounding like fine print.
- They ask a question back. "Is it leaking right now?" moves the call from shopping to solving. It also tells you whether it's urgent.
- They end with two times. Offering two specific windows makes booking the natural next step. An open "when's good for you?" invites "let me think about it."
What's safe to quote and what isn't
Safe to say on the phone
Your service call or visit fee. Flat prices for work whose scope doesn't change much, like a standard sink line or a toilet auger. Your after-hours fee. What the fee includes and whether it's credited.
Don't quote without seeing it
Water heater replacements, anything behind a wall, slab leaks, sewer work, repipes, and fixture swaps where you don't know what's under the old one. Give the visit fee and the promise instead.
Flat-rate shops have an easier time here, because a price book turns "it depends" into a short list of known prices. The flat rate vs hourly breakdown explains why. If you haven't settled your trip charge yet, start with how to set a plumbing service call fee, since every script above leans on it.
Write your price lines down this week
Take ten minutes and write three sentences: your visit fee and what it includes, your one or two most common flat prices, and your after-hours fee. Tape them near wherever the phone gets answered, and read them word for word for a week. By the end of it you won't need the paper, and every caller will hear the same answer. For more phone and pricing guides, see the plumbing business hub.
Questions owners ask
Should I ever just hang up on a price shopper?
Rarely. Be polite, give your fee and your promise, and let them go if they want to keep calling around. Some come back after the cheapest shop never shows. Hanging up or getting short only guarantees they won't, and they may tell a neighbor about the rude plumber.
What if my spouse or office person answers the phone?
Give them the same lines you use, written out, and tell them it's fine to say they'll have the plumber call back with details. They should never guess at a repair price. A guessed number becomes the price in the caller's head no matter what you find.
Is it okay to quote a price range on the phone?
For work with a known scope, a narrow range can help, like the typical span for a toilet rebuild. Keep ranges tight and tied to what you'll confirm on site. Wide ranges like $200 to $2,000 sound evasive and don't help the caller decide anything.
How do I handle callers who say another plumber quoted less?
Don't argue about someone else's number. Ask whether that quote included the trip, parts and any warranty, then state what yours covers. If they still want the cheaper shop, wish them well. Chasing every lower quote teaches your phone to attract bargain hunters.