What you need to know about becoming a plumber

Why you should think about becoming a plumber

If there’s one type of trade that’s continually in demand, it’s plumbing. Needed in both domestic and commercial roles alike, plumbing is an essential part of any building project.

And that means you’ll never be sort of work or a decent salary.

However, there’s more to becoming a plumber than grabbing a wrench and calling your mate to repair your neighbour’s sink. Plumbing is a highly skilled trade, and training to be a plumber can take time.

But if an interesting career where every day is different is what you’re after, then plumbing might be for you. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what a plumber does in their day-to-day role.

What does a plumber do?

Contrary to popular myths, plumbers don’t only fix damaged toilets and leaky taps – though this is part of the job.

Instead, plumbing is a broad and diverse industry, one that could see you doing any of the following jobs:

• Boiler installation and maintenance
• Industrial plumbing work (civil water systems, sewage treatment plants, commercial pipework, etc…)
• Pipe fitting and maintenance at factories and power plants
• Irrigation systems on farms
• Fire sprinkler systems

However, plumbing is an incredibly diverse and rewarding career. To this day, it is still a demanding industry with changing parameters to consider.

Updating your plumbing knowledge

Plumbing technology is changing at an extremely fast rate. This means plumbers need to understand as much as possible about the latest tech.

Some new developments in the plumbing sector include:

• Sensor-operated hands-free taps
• Boiling water taps
• Smart water systems connected to smartphones
• Recycled water systems
• Electronic flood and leak detectors
• Digital water temperature controls
• Toilet flush sensors

As a result, many plumbers are switching to become tech-savvy. Of course, taps and toilet repairs are an important aspect of plumbing, and many begin work in this area.

However, you can build your knowledge as you operate, letting you specialise for an excellent rate of pay.

How much money can a plumber make?

Due to the continual necessity of plumbing work, and the varied work environment, a good plumber can earn a decent wage.

But here is a look at the average plumbing rates for different career levels:

• Apprentice plumbers – Around £15,936 a year
• Qualified plumbers – In the region of £28,974 a year
• Self-employed plumbers – You could earn around £64,902 (before deductions)

However, we go into a lot more detail about plumber earnings in our article discussing plumber salaries in the UK.

Starting a plumbing apprenticeship

These are common and widely accepted by the plumbing industry. This can be the perfect route in for a new starter. Particularly if you are lucky enough to find a company that will support you with real on the job experience.

Businesses benefit from developing their own talent pipeline, and the apprentices themselves get to earn while they study, so it’s a win-win.

Many schemes also receive government backing to help business owners take on younger tradespeople.

What will an apprentice plumber make?

Something to consider is that an apprentice plumber could potentially take home £15,936 a year while still in education. An apprentice plumber will make at least minimum national wage, and that figure will depend on their age.

Examples provided by Gov.uk:

• An apprentice aged 21 in the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £5.28.
• An apprentice aged 21 who has completed the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £10.18.

(Information accurate as of September 2023)

What services will you offer?

Once in the job, you’ll have lots of choices. You may want to provide an array of traditional services, for example, or perhaps you’ll choose to specialise in a particular area.

• Will you focus on the residential or commercial sector only?
• Or will you expand your services to include both?

Such specialities include draining, piped water systems for bathrooms and radiators, gas fitting and dealing with boiler repairs and installing central heating systems.

Professional trade organisations can often say that plumbers should have a Level 3 qualification and at least 3-5 years of experience before attempting to go it alone. An apprenticeship means you start somewhere.

Once you have finished your course and spent a few years working with experienced professionals, you’ll have the expertise needed to start your own business.

What are the different plumbing qualifications?

Although there is a pervasive idea that most plumbers aren’t qualified, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, there’s a wide variety of plumbing qualifications you can earn.

These can include:

• The City & Guilds Level 2 NVQ
• The Level 2 and Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing and Domestic Heating
• The T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction

Naturally, many plumbers start out as apprentices. They learn ‘on the job’ and, when ready, apply to training centres to undertake a plumbing theory course.

Successful completion of all elements results in an “officially qualified” status.

How long is a plumbing course?

Like all certification courses, the length of time can vary when it comes to earning plumbing qualifications. Some fast track courses can get you trained in as little as 6 weeks.

With other courses and apprenticeships, this could be closer to one or two years.

Upskilling as a plumber

Once you’ve become a fully qualified plumber, it’s only natural that you’ll want to upskill and specialise. You can do that in any of the following ways:

• Learning how to install specialist technology
• Researching how to install and use recently released plumbing tech
• Improving your sales and marketing skills
• Looking at getting further qualifications to bolster your skills

You can also turn to Checkatrade and make use of our learning resources. We have numerous articles discussing the plumbing trade, such as how to grow your plumbing business.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about our sign-up process. And to take advantage of our discounts and marketing services.

Plumber training FAQs

What card do plumbers need?

A Blue JIB CSCS card is awarded to fully qualified plumbers. Students who complete a Level 2 plumbing course can apply for this card.

Can I be a plumber without an NVQ?

To work on a large construction site or for a well-known plumbing company, you’ll need a Level 2 Plumbing NVQ. You can, however, work with a qualified plumber and earn as you learn by taking a fast-track plumbing course.