How to Hire a Plumber

Why hire a plumber?

A great plumber hire can help your business increase the quality of the work you do for your clients. A plumber can increase the number of clients you can take on, which may increase your revenue.  A great plumber can:

• Provide quick service when needed
• Provide knowledge
• Offer recommendations to clients

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance plumber

Plumbing companies often hire full-time plumbers to handle service calls. This hiring method provides consistent coverage to handle your normal call volume. It’s also a good way to create a consistent experience for your customers. When you hire a full-time plumber, you have control over their training and the policies and procedures they follow. This consistency helps maintain your positive reputation.

Some plumbers work as independent contractors, which means they accept jobs for various companies or clients. You might hire a freelance plumber if you have temporary plumbing needs for your company but don’t need ongoing plumbing services. Independent contractors can work as much or as little as you need them, which is useful if your plumbing needs fluctuate.

What are the ranks of plumbers?

Plumbers start as apprentices and work up to higher levels. As plumbers progress, they have more responsibilities and are able to work on their own without supervision from another plumber. The common ranks of plumbers are:

• Plumber apprentice: Plumbers typically learn on the job through an apprenticeship. This training period usually includes classroom work in addition to hands-on training. A plumbing apprentice learns how to do various plumbing tasks under the guidance of a licensed plumber. 
• Journeyman plumber: Plumbers in this rank have completed all apprenticeship program requirements and meet licensing requirements for the state. A journeyman plumber can go on calls and complete plumbing jobs without supervision.
• Master plumber: A master plumber must meet minimum state requirements for years in the field, exams and training, which can vary by state. They often supervise journeymen and apprentices, and some master plumbers start their own plumbing businesses. Master plumbers often work with code and permit offices for projects and handle plumbing schematics.

Where to find plumbers

To find the right plumber for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Start an apprenticeship program. Hiring fully licensed plumbers for your plumbing business is easiest, but offering an apprenticeship program gives you a supply of new plumbers. It’s your chance to mold them into the type of plumbers you want for your company.
• Hire from related industries. Look at construction workers, maintenance workers and people in similar trades. Workers who are used to manual labor might be a good match for your plumbing apprentice program.
• Participate in plumbing organizations. Be actively involved in plumbing organizations to meet as many plumbers as possible and gain recognition for your plumbing company to attract more candidates.
• Go to plumbing trade shows. Set up a booth or attend plumbing trade shows to meet plumbers there.
• Post your job online. Try posting your plumber job on Indeed to find and attract quality plumber candidates.

What are the ranks of plumbers?

Plumbers start as apprentices and work up to higher levels. As plumbers progress, they have more responsibilities and are able to work on their own without supervision from another plumber. The common ranks of plumbers are:

• Plumber apprentice: Plumbers typically learn on the job through an apprenticeship. This training period usually includes classroom work in addition to hands-on training. A plumbing apprentice learns how to do various plumbing tasks under the guidance of a licensed plumber. 
• Journeyman plumber: Plumbers in this rank have completed all apprenticeship program requirements and meet licensing requirements for the state. A journeyman plumber can go on calls and complete plumbing jobs without supervision.
• Master plumber: A master plumber must meet minimum state requirements for years in the field, exams and training, which can vary by state. They often supervise journeymen and apprentices, and some master plumbers start their own plumbing businesses. Master plumbers often work with code and permit offices for projects and handle plumbing schematics.

Writing a plumber job description

A thoughtful description is important to finding qualified plumber candidates. A plumber job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your plumber job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on plumber jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Plumber
• Plumbing
• Construction
• Hiring immediately
• Journeyman plumber
• Plumbers
• Maintenance
• Master plumber
• Commercial plumber
• Service plumber

Interviewing plumber candidates

Strong candidates for plumber positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Knowledge of plumbing
• How to handle a difficult client
• Use of job software to keep track of work

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of plumber interview questions for examples (with sample answers).