How To Grow A Plumbing Business – Why Most Plumbing Businesses Struggle to Scale
How to grow a Plumbing Business – Running a plumbing business has its unique challenges. You’re not just a tradesperson—you’re the technician, scheduler, marketer, bookkeeper, and receptionist all rolled into one.
The problem? That model isn’t scalable. If everything relies on you, you’ll always be stuck working in your business, not growing it.
So how do you build a plumbing business that runs smoothly, brings in consistent work, and gives you more time and profit?
Let’s explore that together.
1. Know Your Two Core Customer Types
To grow, you must understand who you’re marketing to:
The emergency customer – burst pipe, blocked drain, no heating. They need help now.
The project planner – new bathroom, boiler replacement, routine maintenance. They take time to compare options.
Each type has different needs, and your marketing should speak to both urgency and trustworthiness.
2. Make Your Brand Look Like the Real Deal
If your van looks like it was last updated in 2003 and your business card is a faded bit of cardboard, we’ve got work to do.
Start with a professional logo that:
Is bold and clean
Shows you’re in the plumbing trade (pipes, taps, etc.)
Matches your signage, website, and online presence
Branding builds trust before you even speak to the customer.
3. Set Up & Optimise Your Google Business Profile
This is one of the most powerful free tools at your disposal.
Make sure your Google profile includes:
Full business description
Accurate hours (including holidays)
Services and service areas
Photos of recent work
Fast replies to all reviews
This helps you show up in “plumber near me” searches and boosts your credibility instantly.
4. Build a Website That Converts
Yes—even if you’re “just a local plumber.” A well-built, mobile-friendly website:
Makes you look more professional
Lets customers find your services, contact info and reviews quickly
Drives leads from Google, Facebook, and referrals
Think of it as your 24/7 online sales rep. No site = lost business.
💡 Need help? LibAbun builds and manages plumbing websites that are optimised to grow your business.
5. Be Active on Facebook & Social Media
Homeowners check your socials before they hire you. If your last post was in 2022, they’ll scroll right past.
What to post:
Before and after photos of jobs
Customer reviews
Short video tips (e.g., “how to check a boiler in winter”)
Offers or availability updates
🕐 Schedule posts between 6–9pm when most people are online.
Not your thing? Our Social Media Liberators handle this for you, so you never have to think about it.
6. Collect Google Reviews Like Your Business Depends on It (Because It Does)
Positive reviews build trust and get you more visibility online. One of the quickest ways how to grow a plumbing business is to get a Google review from as many of your customers as possible. This is good for your reputation with potential customers and even better for SEO Purposes for your ranking on Google.
To build your Google review profile:
Ask every happy customer for a google review (Google is best)
Using your CRM, Text or email them the review link immediately after the job
Respond to every review—even the bad ones—with professionalism
Over 60% of buyers check reviews before contacting you. Don’t ignore this!
7. Use Leaflets to Support Your Digital Efforts
Yes, print still works—especially locally. Print simple, clean flyers showing:
Your logo and brand colours
Services offered
Recent customer testimonials
A discount or incentive
Post them around jobs you’re already doing. Then reinforce it online with social proof.
8. Use an AI Assistant as Your 24/7 Receptionist
Can’t answer every call while you’re under a sink or driving to your next job? That’s normal—but it’s also costing you business.
With an AI Assistant built into your CRM system, you can:
Instantly answer every call, even after-hours
Collect caller details and reason for calling
Automatically book appointments
Get a call recording and transcript for every conversation
Follow up via text or email
It’s like having a receptionist who never takes breaks—and never forgets a lead.
9. Implement a CRM System to Automate Everything
A reliable CRM system takes the chaos out of your day. A CRM system is the best way how to grow a plumbing business because it leverages all your office and support function. A CRM these days will pretty much bring all the support services you need into its operation so you can see and control everything through one platform
Your CRM should help you:
Book and schedule jobs
Send quotes and invoices
Remind customers of upcoming services
Automate review requests
Track your income, quotes, and conversion rates
Our LibAbun CRM is built for plumbers and comes with a CRM Liberator—your own personal assistant to set it all up for you.
10. Become the Leader, Not the Labourer
If you’re still trying to do everything yourself, your business will plateau. At some point, you must shift from tradesperson to business leader.
That means:
Hiring team members or subcontractors
Delegating admin, scheduling, and marketing
Making time to train, lead and grow the business—not just work in it
We coach our clients on how to build systems and teams, so your business can grow even when you’re not on the tools.
Use Virtual Assistants (VAs) to Accelerate Growth
Hiring full-time staff is expensive. That’s why we offer LibAbun Virtual Assistants—a team of business growth specialists who work on:
Customer follow-up
Social media posts
Review collection
Quote preparation
Email marketing
Admin projects
Our VA’s are trained in business growth, not just basic tasks.
12. Get Expert Help & Build a Scalable System
Let’s face it—most plumbers are amazing at their trade but overwhelmed with everything else. You don’t need to figure it all out on your own.
That’s why we created the LibAbun Business Success Platform for Plumbers, which includes:
✅ Your own CRM system + assistant
✅ Website creation and management
✅ Social media campaign management
✅ Complete accounting and bookkeeping services
✅ Access to LibAbun Virtual Assistants
✅ AI Receptionist Integration
✅ Ongoing coaching to build a profitable, systemised business
We guarantee profitable results—or our service is free until you get them.
Ready To Grow Your Plumbing Business?
The best way for you to understand how we can help you, is to actually help you. So we are offering you to book Three Free Business Growth Consultations with us to take you through what and how are the best ways to grow your business.
We show you how to do that so its both affordable for you now and profitable for you within 26 weeks because of our Profit Guarantee.
Lets explore together if and how we can help you build a better business and a greater lifestyle.