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Plumbing estimate template for repairs, water heaters and repipes

One page that says what you found, what you'll do and what it takes. Copy it, fill in your details once, and send it before you leave the driveway.

2 min read

The short answer

A good plumbing estimate template names what you found, then lists labor, each part or fixture by name and size, permits and inspection, and hauling away the old equipment, each on its own line. It says what isn't included, what happens if you open a wall and find more, and how long the price holds. One to copy is below.

On this page
  1. A plumbing estimate template you can copy
  2. How to write a plumbing estimate the customer says yes to
  3. Water heater and repipe estimates
  4. Flat rate or time and materials?
  5. Sending it before you leave the driveway

A plumbing estimate template you can copy

Start with the problem in the customer's words, then what you found. A homeowner who called about a slow drain wants to see that you heard them before they read the lines.

Plumbing estimate

From
[Your business name], [phone], [license number if your state needs one]
For
[Customer name], [job address]
Estimate number
[P-214]
Date
[Today]. This price holds for [30 days].
What you called about
[Slow kitchen drain, water heater leaking, low pressure upstairs]
What we found
[Corroded trap, tank rusted through at the base, galvanized lines closing up]
WorkQtyAmount
[Labor: remove and replace, or clear and camera the line][hours][amount]
[Parts by name and size: 1-1/2 in. P-trap, 3/4 in. ball valve][count][amount]
[Fixture or equipment: make, model, size]1[amount]
[Permit and inspection, if your town needs one]1[amount]
[Haul away the old fixture or water heater]1[amount]
Total[total]

Not included: [drywall patching, tile, painting, or anything else you're leaving out].

If we open a wall or floor and find more, we stop, show you photos and price it before we go on.

Warranty: [labor warranty]. Parts and equipment: per the manufacturer.

To go ahead: sign below or reply yes, and we'll set a day. [Deposit terms]

How to write a plumbing estimate the customer says yes to

Most homeowners can't see inside a wall or under a slab. The estimate is the only picture they get of the job, so make it easy to follow.

  • Say what you found first. A cracked supply line or a tank rusted at the base. Attach the photos.
  • Name the parts. The size and type, not just "materials". It answers the call asking what they're paying for.
  • Put the hidden work in writing. What happens if the wall is wet or the line is worse than it looked.
  • Say what's not in it. Patching drywall and tile are the two biggest surprises after a plumbing job.
  • Give it an end date. A price that holds for 30 days gets a decision sooner than one with no date.

Water heater and repipe estimates

Bigger jobs need a few more lines. On a water heater, name the size, fuel type and model, and list the venting, expansion tank, pan and code updates on their own lines so the customer can see why one quote is higher than another. On a repipe, say which lines you're replacing, what pipe you're using, how many days the water will be off, and how you'll patch the walls you open.

Water heater estimate by text

Hi [name], it's [your name] from [shop]. Your water heater is leaking at the base, so it's done. We'd put in a [size] [gas or electric] tank, add the expansion tank your town now asks for, and haul the old one away. [Amount], about [hours] hours, hot water back the same day. The full estimate is attached. Want us on [day]?

Flat rate or time and materials?

Both work on an estimate, as long as the customer can tell which one they're getting. A flat price is easier for a homeowner to say yes to, and it suits jobs you've done a hundred times, like a toilet rebuild or a faucet swap. Time and materials suits jobs where you can't see the problem yet, like a hidden leak. If you use it, give a range of hours and say you'll call before you go past it.

Sending it before you leave the driveway

The plumber who sends the estimate from the driveway usually gets the job. The hard part is typing it up between calls from a voice note and three photos. Get your notes into one place on site, or have them turned into a draft estimate that's waiting for your prices when you get back in the van.

By hand5 steps
  1. Find the notes from the call
  2. Scroll the camera roll for the photos
  3. Type every line into the estimate
  4. Save it as a PDF
  5. Email or text it to the customer

For every call, usually after the last job of the day.

Set up onceWaiting on you

Your notes from 14 Birch Ln are in. Here's the estimate, with your prices left blank.

Plumbing estimate for the Harper home, 14 Birch Ln: remove the leaking 40-gallon gas water heater, install a new one with an expansion tank and drain pan, update the venting, haul the old one away. Three photos attached. Your price on each line.

Notes from the call turned into a draft estimate the same day. You price it and send it.

See the estimates job →
NextEstimates drafted from your site notesSee how the estimates job turns notes and photos into a draft you price.

Questions about plumbing estimates

Something else on your mind? Ask us on the fit call. No pitch, and we'll say if it isn't a fit.

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Write down what the customer called about and what you found, then list labor, each part or fixture by name and size, permits and haul away, each on its own line. Add what's not included, what happens if you find more once a wall is open, and how long the price holds.

Yes, at least the main ones. A customer who can see a new valve, a trap and a supply line on the page understands the price, and you won't get a call asking what "materials" means.

Thirty days is common. Parts prices move, and a clear end date helps the customer decide. Write the date on the estimate, not just the number of days.

Keep your notes and photos in one place on site, so the estimate is mostly filled in before you leave. In a Commonhouse setup, AI drafts the estimate from your site notes and a person on your team adds the prices, checks it and sends it.

Send it before you leave the driveway.

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