Plumbing Estimating Software for Plumbing Contractors

Why plumbing jobs are hard to price

• Fixture counts drive the job. Every toilet, sink, tub and hose bib adds pipe, fittings and labor.
• Work happens in phases. Rough-in, top-out and trim-out are often weeks apart, so billing needs to follow the work.
• Fittings and small parts. Valves, stubs, hangers and fittings are easy to undercount.
• Permits and inspections. Each inspection can mean another trip.

How Trades HQ helps plumbing contractors

• Ready-made plumbing template. Start from a rough-in template with the lines a plumbing bid usually needs.
• Quick Measure for plumbing. Enter your counts and labor rates, preview the lines it creates, and add them to your estimate.
• Labor-rate guidance by state. See typical plumber wages in your state, then set your own rate.
• Deposits and progress billing. Bill a deposit up front and bill each phase as it's done.
• Change orders when the customer adds a fixture or moves a drain.
• Live job profit as labor and materials come in.

A plumbing estimate, step by step

1. Count every fixture and connection on the plans.
2. Price rough-in, top-out and trim-out as separate phases.
3. Add pipe, fittings, valves and hangers for each phase.
4. Estimate your labor hours per phase.
5. Add permits, inspections and any trips between phases.
6. Apply your overhead and profit, and plan when you'll bill each phase.

Example fixture count for one bathroom (illustrative):

Pricing tip: Plan when you'll bill each phase before you start, so cash comes in as the work does. And remember that markup and margin aren't the same number: a 20% margin needs a 25% markup. The Estimating Basics guide walks through the math, and the free markup and margin calculator does it for you.