Plumbing quote template signed on the spot

What to put on a plumber quotation

Use this plumbing quote template to price fixture swaps, repipes and water heater replacements with every part and hour in view. The sample replaces a 50 gallon tank, adds an expansion tank and shut off valve, and hauls the old heater away. Open it in the free quote maker to edit the lines, or get the same layout as a Word, Excel or PDF file.

A plumber’s quote should let the customer see the fixture or appliance by model, the fittings and valves, the hours, and any code upgrades the job triggers. Code upgrades are the part most often forgotten, and they turn a fair price into an argument once the inspector has been.

1. Fixture or appliance by modelSize, fuel type and model of the heater, toilet or faucet. A 50 gallon gas tank and a 50 gallon electric tank are different prices and different jobs.
2. Fittings, valves and connectorsShut off valves, flex connectors, dielectric unions, PEX or copper fittings. Group them as one set on small jobs, and list them out on repipes.
3. Code upgradesExpansion tank, seismic straps, drip pan, a new relief valve discharge line or venting changes, depending on what your local code asks for when equipment is replaced.
4. Labor as hours or a flat taskHours to remove and install, or a flat price per task from your price book. Say how many plumbers are on site and roughly how long the water will be off.
5. Haul awayRemoving the old heater or fixtures, with any recycling or landfill fee built into the line.
6. PermitHeater replacements and repipes often need a permit. Show the fee and the inspection visit as a line rather than burying them in labor.
7. Access openingsCutting into walls, ceilings or a slab to reach pipes, and whether you patch afterward or leave it for a drywall trade.
8. Warranty termsThe manufacturer warranty on the heater or fixture, and your own workmanship period, for example one year on labor.
9. Validity and paymentA short valid until date on appliance prices, plus when payment is due: on completion for service calls, a deposit on larger remodels.

Sample plumbing quote: 50 gallon water heater replacement

This sample prices a straight swap of a 50 gallon water heater for a homeowner. Materials hold the heater itself and a set covering the expansion tank and valves. Labor covers four hours to remove and install, a flat haul away charge and the permit. No deposit is taken and nothing is optional, so the subtotal before tax is $1,795. Treat the rates as examples to replace with yours.

Edit the Flowright Plumbing quote

5 lines are filled in, from water heater, 50 gallon to permit. Put in your own plumbing rates, then download the PDF.

Open the plumbing sample

How to price plumbing work

Plumbers price by flat rate per task, by the hour plus parts, or per fixture on new work and remodels. Service calls lean toward flat rate because customers want a number before you open anything, while rough in for a bathroom or kitchen remodel is usually counted fixture by fixture.

1. Flat rate per taskA set price for a known job like a heater swap, toilet replacement or disposal install, built from typical hours, parts and margin. The customer gets certainty and you carry the risk if it runs long.
2. Hourly plus partsYour hourly rate, often with a trip fee or one hour minimum, plus parts at cost with markup. Best for leaks, clogs and diagnostics where the problem stays hidden until the access panel comes off.
3. Per fixtureRough in and finish priced per fixture (sink, toilet, tub, shower, hose bib) on remodels and new builds, with separate lines for the water heater, gas piping and main line.
4. Per foot for repipes and sewer linesWhole house repipes and sewer replacements priced by the foot of pipe, plus access holes, patching and any excavation counted on their own lines.

Many plumbers use a sliding parts markup, higher on cheap fittings than on a heater, because sourcing a $9 valve takes as long as a $900 appliance. Test both ends with the markup and margin calculator.

Worked example: quoting a 50 gallon water heater replacement

These steps rebuild the sample above from supplier costs, so you can see where each figure comes from. Every cost and rate is an example.

1. Price the heaterSupplier cost for a 50 gallon gas heater is $816. With a 20% markup that is $979.20, rounded to $980 on the quote.
2. Add the code itemsExpansion tank $58, ball valve $24, water and gas connectors $36: $118 at cost. A 35% markup on small parts makes $159.30, shown as $160.
3. Estimate the hoursDrain and disconnect 1 hr, set and connect the new tank 2 hrs, fill, light and leak test 1 hr: 4 hrs at $115 is $460.
4. Add the fixed chargesHaul away at $75, and the permit fee passed through at $120.
5. Total it$980 + $160 + $460 + $75 + $120 = $1,795 before tax, matching the sample quote.

Venting changes, a switch from gas to a heat pump water heater, or a cramped attic location all add hours. Price the heater at your supplier’s cost on the day you quote, not last month’s.

Plumbing inclusions and exclusions

Plumbing quote mistakes

• Quoting a like for like swap without checking the vent, gas line size and clearances, then finding the new tank is taller or needs a different flue.
• Forgetting the expansion tank or straps the inspector will ask for on a replacement.
• Giving a fixed price for a leak you have not found yet, instead of a diagnostic charge plus hourly.
• Leaving out the trip fee or minimum, so a ten minute fix pays less than the drive.
• Not stating who bought the faucet or toilet, which leaves you covering the warranty on a part you never chose.
• Skipping the shut off window, when tenants or a business need the water back on by a set hour.