What a plumbing estimate is for
Plumbing estimates are often written fast, with a customer standing in a wet basement. That is exactly when a clear one matters: what you are replacing, what code now requires that the old setup did not have, and what could go wrong when you open old pipe. Spelling out the expansion tank, the venting and the permit up front heads off the call where the customer asks why the final bill is higher than the number you said out loud.
What to put on a plumbing estimate
- The fixture or equipment going in: size, fuel type and brand.
- Code items the old installation lacked, such as an expansion tank or a pan with a drain.
- Venting, gas or electrical changes, each as its own line.
- The permit, and hauling away the old heater or fixture.
- What happens if old pipe or valves fail when touched.
- Wall or floor openings and who finishes them.
- Deposit, if any, and how long the price holds.
A worked example
A family with no hot water and a leaking 40-gallon gas heater in the garage. The old heater has no expansion tank and the vent connector is rusted. The heater line carries the typical installed price from our plumbing cost estimator; the code items are left for your prices.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water heater, tank (40 to 50 gal) * | 1 | each | $1,290.00 | $1,290.00 |
| Thermal expansion tank | 1 | each | Your price | |
| New vent connector | 1 | each | Your price | |
| Drain pan with line to exterior | 1 | each | Your price | |
| Water heater permit | 1 | each | Your price |
The code items are separate lines, so the customer sees they are required rather than extras you tacked on. If local code does not require one of them in your area, delete the line rather than leave it unpriced.
* Typical price from our free plumbing cost estimator, which lists its sources. Your own costs and market come first.
Line items plumbers use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Service call and diagnosis | each | The trip and the first part of the visit, before any repair is agreed. |
| Water heater, tank, installed | each | Gallons, fuel type and the brand, plus whether the venting changes. |
| Expansion tank | each | Often required with a new heater on a closed system; check local code. |
| Drain cleaning, main line | each | Say where you cleaned from: a cleanout, a pulled toilet or the roof vent. |
| Camera inspection of sewer line | each | Say whether the customer gets the video. |
| Replace toilet fill valve and flapper | each | The common running-toilet fix, priced as one repair. |
| Replace faucet, customer supplied | each | Say who supplied the faucet; it changes who stands behind it. |
| Replace shutoff valve | each | Angle stops under sinks and toilets, or the main shutoff. |
| Repipe with PEX | ft | By the foot, or by fixture if that is how you price it. |
| Garbage disposal, installed | each | Horsepower and whether the old one is hauled away. |
| Sump pump, replaced | each | Include the check valve if you replace it too. |
| Wall or ceiling opening and patch | each | Say whether you patch, or leave it open for a drywall finisher. |
| Permit | each | Water heaters and repipes often need one; pass it through at cost or include it. |
| Plumbing labor | hour | Hourly labor for work you cannot price flat. |
Terms and deposit language for plumbing
- Deposit. Most repair calls take no deposit; the customer pays when the leak is fixed. On repipes, remodel rough-ins and sewer work, a deposit at signing covers the material order and the schedule slot. Check your state's rules on deposits.
- Payment. Repairs are due on completion. Larger jobs split into a deposit, a payment at rough-in or inspection, and the balance at final.
- Warranty. Say how long you stand behind your labor, and that parts carry the manufacturer's warranty. If the customer supplied a fixture, say your warranty covers the install only.
- Old pipe can break when you touch it; say what happens if a valve or fitting fails when you open the system.
- Openings in walls or ceilings are cut where needed and patched rough unless the estimate says finished drywall.
- Drain clearing does not fix a broken pipe; if the camera shows one, the repair is quoted separately.
How to fill it in
- Put in your business details once; this browser keeps them for every template.
- Fill in the customer and the job.
- Change the line items to fit this job and add your prices.
- Set tax, the deposit and the good-until date.
- Print to PDF, download Word or CSV, or send it from Koira.
Free tools for plumbing
- Plumbing cost estimator
- Water heater replacement cost calculator
- Plumbing labor rate calculator
- Pipe volume calculator
The same estimate for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, drywall, electrical, fence, flooring, garage door, general contractor, gutter, handyman, hvac, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, moving, painting, pest control, pool service, pressure washing, remodeling, roofing, septic, snow removal, solar, tree service, waterproofing, window cleaning.
More for plumbers: how plumbers run on Koira.