What goes in a plumbing estimate
A customer wants to know what they're paying for before you start. A good plumbing estimate spells out:
- The equipment or fixtures, with size, fuel type and warranty, or a note that the customer is supplying them.
- Labor, as a flat price per task or hours at your rate, plus any trip charge.
- Valves and connectors: shutoffs, supply lines, gas flex and drip leg.
- Code items the job needs, like an expansion tank or a drain pan, each on its own line.
- New pipe by the foot, with the material (PEX, copper, PVC).
- Haul-away of the old fixture or heater.
- Permit and payment terms, and what's not included, like drywall and tile repair.
Typli drafts all of this from the notes you'd type in the truck. You check the prices, change anything you like, and send it.
Flat rate or time and materials
Most customers want a firm number before you pick up a wrench. For work you do every week, like swapping a water heater or replacing a toilet, a flat price per task is easier to sell and easier to compare. Build it from your usual hours, your rate, and the parts with your markup.
Time and materials fits when you can't see the problem yet: a slow drain that might be roots, a leak somewhere inside a wall. Put your hourly rate and trip charge on the estimate, give a likely range of hours, and say what happens if you find more. "Up to three hours, and we'll call before going past that" heads off an argument over the bill.
Price remodels by the fixture
On a remodel, price each fixture: the toilet, the vanity, the shower, the tub. Many plumbers split each one into rough-in (supply and drain lines while the walls are open) and finish (setting and connecting the fixture). It matches how the job is inspected.
Moving a fixture is the line customers underestimate. Moving a toilet a couple of feet on a second floor with the ceiling below open is manageable. Moving it on a slab means cutting and trenching concrete, and the price should show that.
If the customer buys the faucet or toilet, the line is labor only. Say whether you warranty parts you didn't supply.
Spell out the code items
A low bid on a water heater swap sometimes leaves out what the inspector looks for: an expansion tank where a pressure-reducing valve or check valve closes the system, a sediment trap on the gas line, a sound vent connection, a drain pan where a leak would cause damage. Give each its own line and a short reason. It explains the gap between your number and the cheaper one. Requirements vary, so check your local code and permit rules.
Tips for estimates that win the job
- Name the equipment. "50-gallon gas, atmospheric vent, 6-year tank warranty" beats "water heater".
- Say what's not included, like drywall and tile repair, or damage the old leak already caused.
- Price the likely surprises. "Replace corroded shutoffs at $95 each if needed" is easier to approve now than mid-job.
- Offer a second option where it fits, like tank or tankless, as a separate estimate.
- Send it the same day. The first clear estimate in the customer's inbox has an edge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the plumbing estimate generator free?
Yes. Drafting is free, with no account needed. To download the PDF or send a link, create a free account; free accounts can save 3 documents a month. Paid plans save unlimited documents, add your logo and remove the Typli footer.
Can I use my own prices?
Yes. Save your hourly rate and price list in your details and every estimate uses them exactly. You can also put prices in your notes ("$145 an hour, $89 trip charge, 50-gallon gas heater $1,450") and the draft uses them. Every line and price can be edited before you send it.
Can I send it to the customer?
Yes. Download a PDF to email or print, or send a link the customer can open on their phone.
Does it work for service calls and small repairs?
Yes. Describe the problem and the fix ("toilet running, replace fill valve and flapper, reset on a new wax ring") and the estimate lists the parts and labor, or a single flat-rate line if that's how you price.