You've done your time. Apprenticeship, a few years working for someone else, maybe a stint subcontracting. Now you're thinking about going out on your own. Good — it's one of the best decisions you'll make, as long as you set it up properly from the start.
There's a fair bit to sort out before you take on your first job as a sole trader. None of it is complicated, but skip any of it and you'll end up scrambling to fix problems later when you should be focused on earning money.
Qualifications You Actually Need
To work as a plumber in the UK, you'll typically need an NVQ Level 2 or Level 3 in Plumbing and Domestic Heating. Level 2 covers the basics — cold water, hot water, sanitation, rainwater. Level 3 adds central heating, which is where the serious money is.
If you want to work on gas appliances — boilers, gas hobs, gas fires — you must be Gas Safe registered. This isn't optional, it's the law. Working on gas without registration is a criminal offence and you can be prosecuted. To get on the Gas Safe Register, you'll need to complete ACS (Accredited Certification Scheme) assessments, which most training centres offer as a week-long course with exams.
Even if you're starting with just general plumbing and not touching gas, getting Gas Safe registered as soon as you can is worth it. Boiler servicing and repairs are steady, well-paid work that keeps the diary full through winter.
Sole Trader or Limited Company?
For most plumbers starting out, sole trader is the way to go. It's simpler, cheaper, and faster to set up. You register with HMRC for Self Assessment, you file a tax return once a year, and that's about it.
A limited company gives you more tax efficiency once you're earning decent money (usually £40,000+ profit), but it comes with more admin — annual accounts, corporation tax returns, Companies House filings. You'll probably want an accountant, which is another cost.
Start as a sole trader. You can always switch to a limited company later when the numbers make sense. To register, go to the HMRC website and sign up for Self Assessment. You'll need to do this before 5 October in your first year of trading, though doing it sooner is better.
Insurance: Don't Skip This
At minimum, you need public liability insurance. This covers you if you accidentally damage a customer's property or someone gets injured because of your work. A burst fitting that floods a kitchen, a ceiling collapse after you've been in the loft — that sort of thing. Most plumbers carry £2 million cover, which costs roughly £150-£300 a year.
You should also seriously consider professional indemnity insurance. This covers claims that your advice or professional services caused a financial loss. If you recommend a boiler and it turns out to be unsuitable, for instance.
If you're using your own vehicle for work, make sure your van insurance covers business use. Standard social and commuting cover won't cut it if you're carrying tools and materials to customer sites. An accident while driving to a job on personal insurance means your claim gets denied and you're liable for everything.
Buying a Van
Your van is your office, your workshop, and your billboard. Don't overspend on it when you're starting out, but don't buy a wreck either. A decent secondhand transit-sized van with under 80,000 miles will cost you £8,000-£15,000. Ford Transit Customs and Vauxhall Vivaros are popular choices — parts are cheap and every garage can work on them.
Fit it out with racking from day one. Proper van racking costs £300-£600 and it'll save you twenty minutes a day not rooting through a pile of fittings on the floor. That's nearly two hours a week — which is billable time you're currently wasting.
Essential Tools to Start
You don't need to buy everything at once. Here's what you genuinely need for day one of a general plumbing business:
The basics: pipe cutters (15mm and 22mm), adjustable spanners, pipe wrenches, basin wrench, PTFE tape, flux, solder, blowtorch, pipe benders (if you're working with copper). Budget about £300-£500 for a solid starter kit.
Power tools: a good SDS drill, a cordless impact driver, a reciprocating saw. Milwaukee, Makita, or DeWalt — pick one brand and stick with it so your batteries are interchangeable. Budget £400-£600.
Specialist bits: a pipe freezing kit, an endoscope camera (cheap ones are £30 on Amazon and they're genuinely useful), a pressure testing kit. These can wait until you need them, but you'll need them within the first few months.
Setting Your Rates
Research what plumbers in your area are charging. Ring a few, check Google, look at Checkatrade profiles. You need to be in the same ballpark — not the cheapest (that's a race to the bottom) and not the most expensive (you haven't built the reputation for that yet).
As a rough guide in 2026, plumbers outside London are typically charging £40-£60 per hour or £250-£350 per day. London and the South East runs higher — £50-£80 per hour, £300-£450 per day. These are labour-only rates, materials on top.
Don't be shy about charging a call-out fee, either. £40-£60 for turning up covers your travel and protects you from time-wasters. If the customer goes ahead with the work, you can absorb it into the job price.
Getting Your First Customers
This is the bit everyone worries about, and it's usually easier than you think. Start with everyone you know. Seriously — post on your personal Facebook that you're now taking on plumbing work. Tell your family, your mates, your neighbours. You'll be surprised how many people have been meaning to get something fixed and just haven't got round to it.
Set up a Google Business Profile immediately. It's free, it takes twenty minutes, and it puts you in front of people searching "plumber near me." Add photos of your work — real photos, not stock images.
Join local Facebook groups and keep an eye out for people asking for recommendations. Reply quickly, be friendly, don't be pushy. Early on, these groups can be a goldmine.
Consider a Checkatrade listing for the first year. Yes, it costs money, but the credibility of verified reviews is worth it when you're an unknown name. Once you've built up your Google reviews and word-of-mouth referrals, you can decide whether to keep it.
Admin That'll Save Your Neck
Get a separate business bank account from day one. Mixing personal and business money is a nightmare at tax time and it's the number one thing accountants tell new sole traders to sort out.
Keep every receipt. Every single one — fuel, materials, tools, insurance, phone bill. These are all allowable expenses that reduce your tax bill. Use an app to photograph them or just chuck them in a box and sort them monthly. Your future self (and your accountant) will thank you.
Track your jobs, quotes, and invoices. This doesn't need to be fancy at the start — even a spreadsheet works. But as you get busier, something purpose-built helps. Some plumbers use AI tools like Gaffer to manage customer messages, quotes, and invoicing through WhatsApp, which keeps everything in one place without needing to learn complicated software.
The First Six Months
Expect the first six months to be lumpy. Some weeks you'll be rushed off your feet, others you'll be wondering where the work is. That's normal. Don't panic and slash your rates — focus on doing excellent work for every customer, ask for reviews, and the momentum will build.
Set aside 25-30% of everything you earn for tax. Put it in a separate savings account and don't touch it. When January comes and HMRC wants their cut, you'll be ready instead of scrambling.
You're going to make mistakes. You'll underquote a job, forget to charge for materials, turn up to a job you've written the wrong address for. It happens to everyone. Learn from it, adjust, and keep going. A year from now, you'll wonder why you didn't go self-employed sooner.