How to Get More Plumbing Customers in 2026

If you're a plumber wondering where the next job is coming from, you're not alone. Word of mouth kept the phone ringing for years, but the game has changed. Most customers now start with a Google search, and if you're not showing up, someone else is getting the call.

Here are the strategies that actually work for plumbers in 2026 — no fluff, no gimmicks.

1. Get Your Google Business Profile Right

This is the single most important free tool for any local plumber. When someone searches "plumber near me," Google shows a map pack of three businesses. That's your Google Business Profile at work.

To make the most of it:

• Fill in every field — services offered, service area, business hours, photos
• Choose the right primary category — "Plumber" is the obvious one, but add secondary categories like "Water heater installation service" or "Drain cleaning service"
• Post regularly — Google rewards active profiles. Share completed jobs, tips, or offers
• Add photos weekly — Real job photos build trust and signal activity to Google

A complete, active profile massively increases your chances of appearing in that top-three map pack.

2. Collect and Respond to Reviews

Reviews are the single biggest trust signal for potential customers. A plumber with 50 five-star reviews will always win over one with three.

Make it easy for customers to leave a review:

• Send a follow-up text after every job with a direct link to your Google review page
• Ask while you're still on site — "If you're happy with the work, a Google review would really help"
• Respond to every review, good or bad. It shows you care and Google factors response rates into rankings

Don't buy fake reviews or use review swap schemes. Google is getting better at detecting these, and the penalty — losing all your reviews — isn't worth the risk.

3. Build a Proper Website

A Google Business Profile is great, but it has limits. You can't control the layout, you can't showcase your work properly, and you're competing directly with every other plumber in the same listing.

Your own website gives you:

• A professional first impression — when customers Google your name after a recommendation, this is what they find
• SEO for specific services — you can rank for "boiler installation in Manchester" or "emergency plumber Stockport" with dedicated pages
• A place to send ad traffic — running Google Ads without a website means sending customers to your Checkatrade profile where they can compare you with competitors

A hand-coded plumber website built with SEO in mind will outperform any template site. Custom code loads faster, ranks better, and looks more professional than anything Wix or Squarespace can produce.

4. Optimise Your Checkatrade Profile

Most plumbers have a Checkatrade profile but very few optimise it properly. Here's what makes a difference:

• Add a link to your website — profiles with a website link get more clicks
• Upload recent photos — customers scroll through your gallery before making contact
• Respond to every review — shows you're active and professional
• Keep your services list specific — "Boiler installation and repair," "Bathroom fitting," "Emergency call-outs" are better than just "Plumbing"

Checkatrade charges per lead, so make sure your profile is converting as many views as possible into enquiries. A strong profile with a linked website is the combination that works best.

5. Use Local SEO to Your Advantage

Local SEO is about making sure you show up when people in your area search for plumbing services. Beyond your Google Business Profile, there are things you can do on your website:

• Create location pages — if you cover multiple areas, have a page for each ("Plumber in Salford," "Plumber in Stockport")
• Use schema markup — this tells Google exactly what you do and where, in a format it can easily read
• Get listed in local directories — consistent name, address, and phone number across directories like Yell, Thomson Local, and FreeIndex helps Google trust your business information
• Write blog content — posts like "How to prevent frozen pipes in Manchester" target specific local searches and position you as the expert

6. Get Active on Social Media

You don't need to become an influencer. But a simple presence on Facebook and Instagram can generate leads:

• Post before-and-after photos — bathroom renovations and boiler swaps get great engagement
• Share tips — "5 signs your boiler needs replacing" type content gets shared and builds trust
• Join local community groups — when someone posts asking for a plumber recommendation, you want to be the name that comes up

The key is consistency. Even two or three posts a week keeps you visible.

7. Consider Google Ads

If you want leads quickly, Google Ads puts you at the top of search results immediately. For plumbers, this works particularly well because:

• People searching for "emergency plumber" need help now — they'll click the first result
• You can target specific areas so you're not paying for clicks from outside your service area
• The cost per click is high for plumbing searches, but the value of a single job makes it worthwhile

The catch: running ads without a proper website is wasting money. Customers click your ad, land on something unprofessional, and bounce. Your website is the foundation that makes ads work.

8. Ask for Referrals (Systematically)

Word of mouth still works — but you can make it work harder. Instead of hoping customers recommend you:

• Leave business cards after every job
• Offer a small referral incentive — even a £20 discount on their next job encourages word-of-mouth
• Follow up — a text a week after the job asking if everything's working fine keeps you top of mind

The Bottom Line

Getting more plumbing customers isn't about any single strategy — it's about building a system. Google Business Profile, reviews, a proper website, Checkatrade optimisation, and social media all work together.

The plumbers who stay busy year-round are the ones who invest in their online presence. It doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming, but it does have to be done.

If you want a professional plumber website that's built to bring in customers, we can have you online in 7 days. One-time payment, no monthly fees, and built by a developer who understands what plumbers need.

Axel

Full-stack developer specializing in Shopify and Django. Building automated e-commerce solutions.