Last Updated on August 12, 2026
Most people only look up plumber prices when water is already coming through the ceiling. That is the worst moment to learn what anything costs, and it is exactly when overpaying happens.
Here are the real 2026 figures, job by job, and the handful of checks that stop a fair price becoming an unfair one.
The mistake: hiring by hourly rate
The hourly rate is the number everyone asks for and the least useful one on the page. A cheaper hourly rate with a slow diagnosis costs more than an expensive hour that fixes the fault first time.
Price the job, not the hour. Every figure below is a typical UK range from published 2026 cost data. London and the South East usually sit at the top of each range or above it. Always get a written quote.
What plumbers charge in 2026
Rates and call-outs
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £40 to £60 (London £65 to £95) |
| Day rate | £325 to £375 |
| Standard call-out fee | £60 to £120, often including the first hour |
| Emergency or out-of-hours call-out | £100 to £120 fee, then £75 to £150 an hour |
Common jobs
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Fix a leak | £77 to £128, around £100 typical |
| Unblock a toilet | £75 to £150 |
| Repair a burst pipe | £50 to £200, around £150 typical, plus the emergency fee out of hours |
| Annual boiler service | £80 to £120 |
| Landlord gas safety certificate (CP12) | £60 to £120 |
| Power flush | £350 to £800 depending on system size |
| Unvented hot water cylinder, supplied and fitted | £900 to £3,500 |
| New boiler, supplied and installed | £2,500 to £4,000 for a like-for-like combi swap |
| Full bathroom installation | £5,500 to £8,000 typical, £14,000 plus for high-end |
Each of the four big-ticket jobs has its own guide: new boiler cost, bathroom installation cost, emergency plumber cost and power flush cost.
Why quotes for the same job vary so much
Three honest reasons and one dishonest one.
The honest ones: access and pipework condition nobody can see until the job starts, the quality of the parts specified, and where you live. A combi swap in Leeds and the same swap in Zone 2 London are different prices for the same boiler.
The dishonest one: the emergency premium applied to non-emergencies. If the water is off and nothing is flooding, you do not need the 2am rate at 2pm. Ask whether the price you have been quoted is the standard rate.
The checks that protect the price
Anyone can trade as a plumber for non-gas work. No licence exists. So the checks are on you, and they take two minutes.
Gas work is different: legally it must be a Gas Safe registered engineer, and you can check the number, not the claim. For an unvented cylinder, the installer needs a current G3 qualification. For everything else, look for WaterSafe approval, CIPHE or APHC membership, and a real company behind the quote. A firm you can find at Companies House is a firm you can hold to its guarantee. Our guide on what to check before you hire a plumber covers all of it.
Or skip the legwork: every plumber in the Whito directory is checked against Companies House where possible, with claimed registrations shown so you can verify them yourself.
The sharp takeaway
Price the job, not the hour. Get the range for your job from the table above, get two or three written quotes, and be suspicious of the far-cheapest one. Check the firm exists before the van arrives. Two minutes of checking is worth more than an hour of haggling.
Figures are typical 2026 UK ranges from published cost data. Prices vary by area and job. Always confirm with a written quote.
