We read 1,056 plumbers' websites. Most don't say what a call-out costs

When a boiler stops on a Sunday, the person searching for a plumber wants three answers: how soon, how much, and can I trust you in my house. We wanted to know how often a plumber's website answers them, so between 25 and 27 August 2026 we read the front pages of 1,056 UK plumbing and heating firms, from general plumbers to boiler and heat pump installers.

What we found

• One in eight (12.5%) showed any price on the front page.
• About two in a hundred (2.2%) said what an hour or a call-out costs, the price an emergency customer most wants to know.
• Almost all (95.0%) gave a phone number, three in four an email address and half a contact form. Online booking (14.8%) and WhatsApp (8.4%) were rare.
• Nine in ten (88.9%) named the areas they cover, the one question most sites do answer.
• About half (52.6%) named Gas Safe. Not every plumber does gas work, but for those who do, it's the one credential a customer can check in seconds on the Gas Safe Register.
• Four in ten (43.6%) mentioned emergency call-outs, and fewer (38.6%) stated any guarantee.

Why it matters

Most work still comes through people who know you. Citizens Advice found that of people who had used a trader in the last 18 months, 36% found them through a referral and 27% used someone they had hired before. But a recommendation gets checked. In a survey for the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering published on 12 October 2026, 55% of homeowners said they rely on online reviews when choosing who to hire, and 44% look for photos of previous work online.

Confidence is low. Citizens Advice also found that 55% of people who arrange home repairs think it's difficult to find a trader they trust to do good-quality work. A front page that says what a visit costs and when you can come is one of the cheapest ways to be the plumber who gets the call.

What the best front pages do

The firms that stood out answered the three questions with numbers and promises, not adjectives. We're not naming them, but here is what they put on the front page:

• fixed prices for everyday jobs, such as a boiler service or a landlord gas safety certificate;
• price ranges where a job varies, such as “Boiler service £90–£140 +VAT”;
• one labour rate by time of day, such as “Visits between 8am and 8pm: £50 for the first hour, £30 for each additional 30 minutes”;
• a stated arrival time or response promise, and their own workmanship guarantee, not just the manufacturer's warranty.

Five things to put on your front page

1. What a visit costs. Your call-out or hourly rate, or the starting price of your most common jobs, and whether it includes VAT.
2. How soon you can come, in plain words: same day, next working day, or a typical wait.
3. Your Gas Safe number, if you do gas work, so a customer can check it.
4. Who comes to the house, and the guarantee on your own work.
5. Two ways to reach you, including one that works outside working hours, like a form or WhatsApp, and say when you reply.

How we measured it

We read the front page of each firm's website, not its other pages, between 25 and 27 August 2026. The set is 1,056 UK plumbing and heating installers: general plumbers plus boiler, gas, heat pump, bathroom and similar specialists. It excludes drainage firms, air conditioning and ventilation, stoves and fireplaces, refrigeration, and hire or manufacturing businesses. A price counts if the front page shows one; an hourly or call-out rate counts if it names a call-out, an hour or a part of an hour.

Journalists and trade bodies are welcome to the figures and the method: chris@themesmith.ai.

What a plumber's website should say, with an example we built, or is Checkatrade worth it?