Free plumbing estimate template

What goes in a plumbing estimate?

Fixtures, and who supplies them

Give the make and model, or say the client supplies it. With a client-supplied fixture, note who handles it if the fixture turns out to be defective.

Code updates

Replacing equipment can mean bringing the install up to current code, like an expansion tank, a drain pan or a new relief line on a water heater, where required. Put each on its own line so it isn't a surprise.

Access and patching

If you open a wall or ceiling to reach pipe, say who patches it and who paints.

Permit and inspection

Many places require a permit for water heaters and new lines. A permit line tells the client the job will be inspected.

What happens if more is found

One sentence saying you'll stop and price anything unexpected before going on.

Writing a plumbing estimate that gets approved

• Test the shut-offs before you quote. A main or fixture shut-off that won't close changes the job.
• Photograph the existing setup: the old unit's label, the venting, the connections. It's your record of what was there before you touched it.
• Use fixed prices for jobs you do often and an hourly rate for diagnosis, and say which each line is.
• Put both warranties on the estimate: the manufacturer's on the equipment and yours on the labor.

Questions

Should a plumbing estimate be flat rate or time and materials?

A plumbing estimate can be either if it says which. Flat rate suits known jobs like a water heater or toilet replacement. Time and materials suits leaks and diagnosis, where the work isn't known until things are opened up. For time and materials, give the hourly rate and the materials markup, if you charge one.

Does replacing a water heater need a permit?

In many places replacing a water heater needs a permit, because of the gas, the venting and the relief valve. Check with the local building department and add the permit as its own line.

Who patches the drywall after a plumbing repair?

Whoever the estimate says. If you leave the opening for someone else, write 'drywall repair and painting not included' in the notes so the client isn't expecting a finished wall.