Plumber: Job Profile and Role

Leaky water pipes and blocked drains are among the most annoying things we can encounter in our four walls. What would we do without a plumber in these situations? Or you, if the job of a plumber is the career you have always wanted to pursue?

In this blog, you will find out if the plumber job is the right career for you. You will find out what it takes to become a plumber and which skills are among those required by your potential employers. You will also learn about the expected annual salaries and your possible career path. Lastly, you will get a glimpse into your typical working day before you get three valuable tips for thriving as a plumber.

Short Summary

• As a plumber, you are tasked with cutting, shaping, and fixing pipes, usually water pipes.
• As a plumber, you are responsible for fixing leaky pipes and finding out where the leak started. The origin of said leak also needs to be fixed by you. 
• As a plumber, you should have strong interpersonal skills and you should also be reliable and reachable, especially in cases of pipe- and drain-related emergencies.

Job description

It is your job as a plumber to offer professional, reliable, and safe plumbing services to your customers. It is also your job to ensure that new water and heating systems are installed according to the latest technologies and safety standards. As a plumber, you are naturally also tasked with fixing burst pipes, unblocking drains, and maintenance of other plumbing-related systems. As a plumber, you should invest time into improving both your qualifications and your competencies. As a plumber, you should furthermore have attention to detail and strong interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Repairs
• Compliance
• Join Fittings
• Fixing Leaks
• Documentation
• Customer Service
• Emergency Response
• Servicing Water Pipes
• Testing and Inspections
• Installation and Maintenance

Different types of Plumbers

• Commercial Plumber
• Emergency Plumber
• Residential Plumber
• Drainage Specialist
• Heating Engineer

Salary

As an experienced full-time plumber in the UK, you can earn an annual salary ranging from ￡34,000 to ￡44,000. Besides your form of employment, your yearly wages are influenced by your employer and the location you work in. Also, note that working self-employed can give you more flexibility – both in your annual salary and your working hours which we will look at now.

Working hours

As a plumber working in the UK, you should be prepared to work between 37 and 40 hours a week. Note that these hours do not only take place in an office but on-site when you fix leaks or unblock drains, for example. Also, keep in mind that you will likely work evenings and weekends as well, depending on your rota and potential plumbing emergencies. If self-employment is an option for you, you will have the biggest influence on your working hours. Here, you can work fewer hours while still earning a good salary (which, of course, depends on your hourly rates and the number of customers).

Employers

Your first port of call when looking for a job as a plumber is plumbing companies which can range from small to medium-sized and large companies. As a plumber, you can also find work in residential homes, construction, the hospitality sector, schools, and the medical sector. In short: as a plumber, you can find jobs in any industry that has water and gas pipes installed which need regular inspections, maintenance, and fixing.

Qualifications

If you want to become a plumber in the UK, most employers will require a certain number of GCSEs. Typically, you can enter a corresponding course or apprenticeship with two to three GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D) or four to five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C). Mandatory subjects tend to be English and maths. Furthermore, we recommend that you look into further certifications and licences which you can earn at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPHE) and/or the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC).

Skills

Before we explore three skills that will benefit you as a plumber, we recommend the following: always check the job posts for the competencies your employers require. Even though our three skills are likely to be among those needed to perform an excellent plumbing job, there may be other competencies you should also have mastered.

For now, we will tell you which skills will make your working life both a lot easier and a lot more fun.

Initiative

As a plumber, you should be able to take initiative. This skill enables you to take charge of (tricky) situations, to be proactive, and to come up with solutions without having to consult your superiors, colleagues, or mentors. This skill also shows your employers that you are not afraid to take charge and that you are prepared to take on responsibility for your actions and decisions.

Teamwork and Working on your Own

Whether you have your own plumbing business or work in a plumbing company: teamwork skills are needed for both entrepreneurial set-ups. You will be working with other plumbers and also with vendors and suppliers of plumbing equipment and tools. It is therefore important that teamwork is a skill you have. It is equally important that you know how to work alone since you will not have your colleagues to help you every time you are called out to a plumbing job.

Attention to Detail

Attention to detail may well be the most important skill you should have as a plumber. This skill helps you to detect even the smallest anomaly in a pipe which then helps you to fix a potential leak. You also need attention to detail when cutting, planning and setting up new pipes, be it water or gas pipes. Attention to detail also speaks of high professionalism and will ultimately help you thrive as a plumber.

Further Skills to Include in Your Plumber CV

Besides the mentioned skills, it can never hurt if you include the following competencies in your CV as well: budget management, the ability to work well under pressure, excellent interpersonal, customer service, and communication skills, and the ability to work effectively and efficiently. These skills can help give you an advantage over the other job applicants.

Career Path

The first step in your career as a plumber in the UK is your education. After this, you tend to start with an entry-level position, for example, as a trainee plumber. With the necessary work experience you gain in this first job, you can advance to more senior roles. It is equally possible to start your own business and be the master plumber, so to speak. We recommend that you choose this option after you have gained some practical work experience at a plumbing company since this gives you a good idea about customers, hourly rates, and the set-up of your plumbing business.

Educational Background

You can become a UK-based plumber by doing an apprenticeship or a college course. It is equally possible to work towards this role or apply directly. In this case, we recommend that you already have some plumbing-related work experience or some of the skills needed to perform an excellent plumbing job.

If you approach your plumbing career through a college course, you can look into a T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction or a Level 2/Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing and Domestic Heating.

If an apprenticeship sounds more like your cup of tea, you can look into completing an advanced apprenticeship in plumbing and domestic heating. Note that this apprenticeship can take up to four years to complete but you will also gain your first practical experience as a plumber.

Entry Level

Doing an advanced apprenticeship usually qualifies as your first entry-level position. You can also become a trainee plumber after you have completed your respective education. Trainee jobs tend to last for about a year – maybe slightly longer – after which you can apply for positions with more responsibility and seniority. 

Continuous Learning

We recommend that you invest time (and money) into gaining further qualifications and licences. You already know that you can find these with the CIPHE and the APHC, but we will look at some licences you can earn with these institutions. Here, you can become a registered plumber (RP), for example. It is also possible to become an associate member (ACIPHE RP), a member (MCIPHE RP), or a fellow (FCIPHE (FP).

If you are looking for helpful licences, you should contact the APHC or City & Guilds. Here, you can earn the following licences: NVQ in plumbing and heating engineering (for Scotland, this would be the SVQ), a gas safe register certification for gas work, renewable energy qualifications, and water regulations qualifications.

A Day in the Life of a Plumber

A day in your life as a plumber is shaped by a myriad of tasks, some of which will involve unblocking drains and fixing pipes. But these two tasks are not the only ones you will perform either daily or regularly. Let’s take a look at three more tasks that are typical for a plumber’s working day.

Installing New Pipes

Besides fixing and maintaining pipework, you also install new pipes, water and heating systems. These tasks might not be on your daily working agenda but will nevertheless occur regularly. Installing a new system furthermore involves planning and shopping which will accompany this particular task of your plumbing job.

Travelling

As a plumber, you will spend a considerable amount of time on the road since you will have to get from one job to the next. Therefore, you should also always check your day’s schedule to find out how much time you will spend travelling. This is important to avoid delays and potentially angry customers. 

Clean-Up

After your last plumbing job of the day, you need to clean up. This involves the tools you have used and the paperwork which needs ordering and filing. Your clean-up of the day can also stretch to checking the next day’s schedule and responding to enquiries and complaints.

Tips for Thriving as a Plumber

We recommend that you should always strive to become better at your job as a plumber. Be it improving your soft skills or earning valuable qualifications and certifications – these are sure ways to thrive in your job. In this section, we will give you three tips that ensure that you will thrive as a plumber:

• Master technology and tools
• Safety measures
• Reliability and availability

Master Technology and Tools

As a plumber, you should stay up-to-date on the latest plumbing technologies and tools. This can involve smart plumbing systems, green plumbing solutions, advancements in heating systems, and water filtration and purification. You should also know your pipe wrench from your pipe cutter or plumbing snake – and know whether there are even better and more efficient versions on the market.

Safety Measures

When you work as a plumber, you also work with hazardous materials, for example, when unblocking drains. Cutting and installing pipes involves dangerous tools, too. Therefore, as a plumber, you should know the relevant safety measures, for example, protective gloves and safety goggles. You should also know all about safety regulations and make sure that you, your colleagues, and your clients adhere to them at all times. This way, you not only thrive as a plumber, but you also make sure that no one gets hurt during a job.

Reliability and Availability

We are fairly certain that you already are a very reliable plumber who shows up for a job when needed and at the scheduled time. Nevertheless, it never hurts to go the extra mile, especially when it comes to evenings and weekends. If you are available almost 24/7, you can stand out from the crowd as the go-to plumber around. Reliability is also important to stay in your (current) job since only a plumber who actually answers the phone and shows up for work is good.

Frequently Asked Questions