Quotes for disconnecting an old dishwasher and installing a new one ranged from £10 in the Midlands to £90 in south-east England. Hourly rates ranged from £9 in Wales to £130 in the South-East.
The lack of standard charges allows some plumbers to rip-off customers who don’t know how much a job should cost.
To combat this we worked out how much you should pay and how long straight forward common plumbing jobs should take.
Which? researchers posed as consumers to call 240 plumbers across the UK. We found the typical rate for plumbers is £30-50 for the first hour and £25-40 for subsequent hours.
Which? editor Malcolm Coles says:
“There is a lack of reliable pricing information for plumbers, so some get away with daylight robbery. We’ve carried out a nationwide survey to show how much you should pay. It’s time people stopped throwing their money down the drain.”
We also found that not all plumbers quote hourly rates; some prefer to give a specific quote for the job. One plumber told us that those who charge by the hour tend to ‘disappear for half an hour to read the paper.’
Consumers should also watch out for call-out charges. One Romford plumber claimed he charged just £30 per hour. Only later did he admit that he charged a £40 call-out fee.
Many plumbers were found to charge more for the first hour, which is effectively loading on a call-out charge.
We found one Cardiff plumber who charged for the first hour at five times the subsequent hourly rate. He claimed to charge just £9 an hour – yet wanted £50 for a one-hour job.
The shortage of plumbers is making the problem worse says the main trade body, The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (IPHE).
It said: ‘An industry where demand outstrips supply leaves open a gap for the cowboys to thrive.’ Top tips for hiring a plumber It’s best to use a member of a trade association, but don’t take the plumber’s word that they’re a member. Double check with the association. Get at least three quotes. Ask for a quote for the whole job as well as the hourly rate, including any first hour or call-out charge. Ask how long the job will take. If one person tells you ten minutes while another says four hours, you’ll know something is wrong. Before hiring a plumber, get a written quote with a fixed price.