Plumbing
Plumbing Cost Calculator
Cost a plumbing job from burdened labour, materials and the access the work actually requires.
Result
Excludes opening and repairing walls, floors and ceilings, which on a renovation frequently costs more than the plumbing itself.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- Access, since the same repair behind a panel and inside a wall are different jobs.
- Whether the work is exposed or requires opening and making good.
- Material cost, which for copper moves with commodity pricing.
Where this one goes wrong
Quoting without deciding who repairs the wall. Making good is the single most common assumption gap in plumbing work, and the customer almost always assumes it is included.
Questions
About this calculator
Should making good be included?
Decide explicitly and say so on the quote either way. Customers assume a hole cut to reach a pipe will be repaired, and silence on the point is read as inclusion.
How do I price work behind a wall?
Price the access and the repair separately, and say what happens if what is found differs. Concealed work is genuinely uncertain and the quote should reflect that rather than absorb it.
Does material price volatility matter?
For copper repipes, considerably. An expiry date on the quote is what protects you when the material moves between quoting and scheduling.
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How to use this calculator
- Fixtures to install. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 4.
- Labour per fixture ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $320.
- Pipe to run (linear ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 80.
- Cost per linear foot installed ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $14.
- Fixtures and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $2,400.
- Permits and inspection ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $350.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to total estimated cost, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Fixtures to install | 4 |
| Labour per fixture | $320 |
| Pipe to run (linear ft) | 80 |
| Cost per linear foot installed | $14 |
| Fixtures and materials | $2,400 |
| Permits and inspection | $350 |
| Contingency | 10% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Total estimated cost main result | $5,665 |
| Labour | $2,400 |
| All-in cost per fixture | $1,416 |
| Materials and permits | $2,750 |
This job estimates at $5,665, $2,400 labour and $2,750 materials and permits, or $1,416 per fixture.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour per fixture, this is what happens to total estimated cost. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour per fixture ($) | Total estimated cost |
|---|---|
| $160 | $4,961 |
| $240 | $5,313 |
| $320 example above | $5,665 |
| $480 | $6,369 |
| $640 | $7,073 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Fixtures to install
- A number, between 0 and 200, starting at 4.
- Labour per fixture ($)
- A money amount, starting at $320.
- Pipe to run (linear ft)
- A number, between 0 and 10000, starting at 80.
- Cost per linear foot installed ($)
- A money amount, starting at $14.
- Fixtures and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $2,400.
- Permits and inspection ($)
- A money amount, starting at $350.
- Contingency (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 50, starting at 10%.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Total estimated cost | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| All-in cost per fixture | A money figure. |
| Materials and permits | A money figure. |
Before you rely on this number
Pipe sizing, flow and pressure figures depend on the actual fittings, the run, the material and local code. Code requirements vary by jurisdiction and override any general calculation, so check what applies where the work is happening.
Keep going
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