Plumbing industry and marketing statistics (2026)

This page collects 98 plumbing statistics, each linked to the government dataset, filing, survey or study it comes from, with its year and sample. It includes Rank.ai's own data on which plumbers ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity recommend in 5 US cities. Vendor figures, such as Angi and HomeAdvisor cost guides and IBISWorld estimates, are labelled as vendor data.

Market size, businesses and employment

IBISWorld sizes the plumbing industry on its own. Census counts plumbers with HVAC contractors under NAICS 238220, so those rows include heating and air conditioning firms; see our HVAC statistics for that side.

• $208.1 billionin estimated 2026 revenue for the US plumbing industry.IBISWorld, Plumbers in the US2026
• 0.5%estimated revenue growth for US plumbers in 2026, after a 4.9% annual rate over the prior five years.IBISWorld, Plumbers in the US2026
• 129,000plumbing businesses operate in the US, and no company holds more than 5% of the market.IBISWorld, Plumbers in the US2026
• 510,600plumber, pipefitter and steamfitter jobs in 2025.BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters2025
• 7%projected job growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the 3% average for all occupations.BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook2025
• 42,000openings for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are projected each year on average over the decade.BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook2025
• 65%of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters work for plumbing, heating and AC contractors, and 8% are self-employed.BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook2025
• 465,840wage-and-salary plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters were employed in May 2025, and 340,140 of them worked for building equipment contractors.BLS, OEWS Profile 47-2152, May 20252025
• 47,660plumbers work in California, the most of any state, followed by Texas with 44,090.BLS, OEWS Profile 47-2152, May 20252025
• 111,207plumbing, heating and AC contractor establishments employed 1,214,761 people in 2023.US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 2382202023
• 64,871of the 111,207 plumbing, heating and AC contractor establishments had fewer than 5 employees in 2023.US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 2382202023
• $89.5 billionin annual payroll was paid by plumbing, heating and AC contractors in 2023.US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 2382202023
• $297.6 billionin revenue was earned by 112,088 plumbing, heating and AC contractor firms in 2022.US Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census, Construction, NAICS 2382202022
• $899.9 millionin 2025 revenue for Roto-Rooter, about flat from $900.3 million in 2024.Chemed Corporation, Form 10-K for 20252025
• 90%of the US population is served by Roto-Rooter's company-owned branches, independent contractors and franchisees.Chemed Corporation, Form 10-K for 20252025
• $30.8 billionin fiscal 2025 net sales for Ferguson, the largest distributor to water and air trade professionals, with 95% from the US.Ferguson Enterprises, Form 10-K for fiscal 20252025

Rank.ai data: which plumbers AI recommends

We asked ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity for the best plumbers in Austin, Denver, Phoenix, Nashville and Columbus, 3 prompts each, and checked every pick against Google Maps. The sample is 60 answers (4 engines, 3 prompts, 5 cities) with 460 picks and 226 distinct businesses, verified against Google Maps via DataForSEO. Each city got 12 answers. For how each engine behaves more widely, see our ChatGPT statistics and local SEO statistics.

• 9 of 12AI answers for Austin named Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical, the most-named plumber in the city.loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026
• 8 of 12AI answers for Denver named Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup, the most-named plumber in the city.loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026
• 7 of 12AI answers for Nashville named 100 Percent Plumbing, the most-named plumber in the city.loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026
• 7 of 12AI answers for Columbus named The Waterworks, the most-named plumber in the city.loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026
• 6 of 12AI answers for Phoenix named Robins Plumbing, the most-named plumber in the city.loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026
• 1 in 18AI picks had no matching Google Maps listing: 25 of 460. The share was 7.7% for ChatGPT, 6.6% for Gemini, 5.3% for Perplexity and 0% for Claude.loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026
• 12%of AI picks were in the Google Maps top 10 for the same city, and 16 of the 50 Maps top-10 plumbers were named by any engine.loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026
• 151 of 226plumbers were named by one engine only, and 13 were named by all four.loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026
• 4.76 to 4.83stars was the average Google rating of each engine's picks, with median review counts from 713 (ChatGPT) to 1,097 (Claude).loc.ai local AI index, October 20262026

Wages and the labor shortage

BLS publishes plumber pay by state, metro and industry. Contractor surveys show how hard it is to hire.

• $63,800median annual wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, or $30.67 an hour.BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook2025
• $72,170mean annual wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, or $34.70 an hour.BLS, OEWS Profile 47-2152, May 20252025
• $108,420or more is earned by the top 10% of plumbers, while the bottom 10% earn under $44,150.BLS, OEWS Profile 47-2152, May 20252025
• $47.33an hour is the mean plumber wage in Oregon, the highest of any state, followed by Illinois at $44.91 and New Jersey at $44.51.BLS, OEWS Profile 47-2152, highest-paying states2025
• $54.94an hour is the mean plumber wage in San Jose, California, the highest-paying metro area.BLS, OEWS Profile 47-2152, highest-paying metros2025
• $71,660median wage for plumbers in government jobs, compared with $63,010 at plumbing, heating and AC contractors.BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Pay2025
• 4 to 5 yearsis the typical length of a plumbing apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year.BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook2025
• 3.1%of employed plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are women, against 47.1% of all workers.BLS, Current Population Survey Table 112025
• 30.3%of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are Hispanic or Latino.BLS, Current Population Survey Table 112025
• 40.2years is the median age of plumbers, and 115,000 of the 624,000 employed are 55 or older.BLS, Current Population Survey Table 11b2025
• 349,000net new construction workers must be hired in 2026 to meet demand, rising to 456,000 in 2027.Associated Builders and Contractors, news release2026
• 11.1%of US construction workers belonged to a union in 2025, up from 10.3% in 2024.Associated Builders and Contractors, analysis of BLS union data2025
• 60%of residential contractors name labor and overhead as their biggest business risks (ServiceTitan and Thrive Analytics survey, 1,000 contractors).ServiceTitan, 2026 Residential State of the Trades Report release2026
• More than halfof surveyed home builders reported shortages of plumbers, electricians and HVAC technicians in NAHB's February 2024 survey.Home Builders Institute, Construction Labor Market Report, Fall 20252025
• 723,000construction job openings must be filled each year on average, according to NAHB analysis of BLS projections.Home Builders Institute, Construction Labor Market Report, Fall 20252025
• 3.6%of the skilled construction trades workforce is women, and immigrants make up a record 34%.Harvard JCHS, Improving America's Housing 2025, Key Facts2023

What homeowners spend on plumbing

Angi and HomeAdvisor publish cost guides from their own project data, labelled below as vendor data. Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies and the Insurance Information Institute show the bigger picture.

• $341is the national average cost of a plumbing repair, based on 94,386 verified projects (Angi vendor data).Angi, How Much Does Plumbing Repair Cost? 2026 Data2026
• $80 to $200an hour is a master plumber's rate, compared with $45 to $90 for an apprentice (Angi vendor data).Angi, How Much Does Plumbing Repair Cost? 2026 Data2026
• $170an hour is the national average for an emergency plumber, with holiday calls reaching $600 an hour (Angi vendor data).Angi, How Much Does an Emergency Plumber Cost? 2026 Data2026
• $100 to $250is the typical service call fee, which usually covers the first hour (HomeAdvisor vendor data, 30,000+ customers surveyed).HomeAdvisor, Cost to Hire a Plumber2026
• $1,348is the average cost to replace a water heater (HomeAdvisor vendor data).HomeAdvisor, Water Heater Installation Cost2026
• $2,641is the average cost to install a tankless water heater (HomeAdvisor vendor data).HomeAdvisor, Tankless Water Heater Installation Cost2026
• $3,319is the average cost to replace a sewer line, or $50 to $250 per linear foot (HomeAdvisor vendor data).HomeAdvisor, Sewer Line Repair and Replacement Cost2026
• $246is the average cost of drain cleaning (HomeAdvisor vendor data).HomeAdvisor, Drain Cleaning Cost2026
• 79%of homeowners plan at least one repair or replacement in 2026, and plumbing tops their priority list (Housecall Pro survey, 1,100+ homeowners).Housecall Pro, 2026 State of Home Services Spending2026
• 87%of plumbing jobs on the Housecall Pro platform in Q1 2026 were repairs.Housecall Pro, 2026 State of Home Services Spending2026
• 41%of homeowners have delayed a repair that ended up costing more later (Housecall Pro survey, 1,100+ homeowners).Housecall Pro, 2026 State of Home Services Spending2026
• $9.1 billionwas spent on plumbing fixture projects by 4.96 million homeowners, an average of $1,834 each.Harvard JCHS, Improving America's Housing 2025 Data Tables, Table A-12023
• $5.9 billionwas spent on water heater projects by 3.93 million homeowners, an average of $1,491 each.Harvard JCHS, Improving America's Housing 2025 Data Tables, Table A-12023
• 42 yearsis the median age of owner-occupied homes, the oldest on record.Harvard JCHS, Improving America's Housing 2025, Key Facts2023
• 22.6%of homeowners insurance losses came from water damage and freezing in 2023.Insurance Information Institute, Facts and Statistics: Homeowners and Renters Insurance2023
• $15,400is the average water damage and freezing claim, averaged over 2019 to 2023.Insurance Information Institute, Facts and Statistics: Homeowners and Renters Insurance2023
• 1 in 60insured homes files a water damage or freezing claim each year.Insurance Information Institute, Facts and Statistics: Homeowners and Renters Insurance2020
• 9,300gallons of water a year can be lost to the average household's leaks.US EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week2026
• Nearly 1 trilliongallons of water are lost to household leaks nationwide each year.US EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week2026
• 9%of homes have leaks that waste 50 gallons or more a day.US EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week2026

Seasonality and emergencies

Plumbing demand spikes around holidays and freezes. Roto-Rooter and ServiceTitan disagree on the single busiest day, so both are listed with their source.

• 50%more calls reach Roto-Rooter on the day after Thanksgiving than on an average Friday, its busiest day of the year.Roto-Rooter, Why the Day After Thanksgiving Is So Busy for PlumbersUndated
• 21%more Roto-Rooter calls come in over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend than in other Thursday to Sunday periods.Roto-Rooter, Why the Day After Thanksgiving Is So Busy for PlumbersUndated
• 85%more calls arrive on the Monday after Thanksgiving than on the Friday after, based on data from 350+ plumbing businesses.ServiceTitan, Brown Friday Plumbing Data2025
• 80%more calls arrive on the Monday before Thanksgiving than on the Friday after, in the same ServiceTitan data.ServiceTitan, Brown Friday Plumbing Data2025
• $1.4 billionin US insured losses came from winter storms in 2025, down from $3.9 billion in 2024 (Aon data).Insurance Information Institute, Facts and Statistics: Winter Storms2025
• 250 gallonsof water a day can escape from a tiny crack in a frozen pipe.Roto-Rooter, Frozen Pipe Prevention and Repair2026
• $100is the typical flat fee to thaw a frozen pipe, and a burst pipe repair averages $500 (HomeAdvisor vendor data).HomeAdvisor, Burst Pipe Repair Cost2026
• 6,300gallons a month can be lost through a 1/32 inch irrigation leak, and EPA advises checking systems each spring for freeze damage.US EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week2026
• 58%of homeowners say a sudden problem is what most often gets them to call a pro (Housecall Pro survey, 1,100+ homeowners).Housecall Pro, 2026 State of Home Services Spending2026
• 72%of homeowners would pay more to have an emergency resolved within 24 hours (Housecall Pro survey, 1,100+ homeowners).Housecall Pro, 2026 State of Home Services Spending2026

How homeowners find and choose a plumber

Reviews and speed decide most plumbing jobs. Our online review statistics cover the consumer research in more depth, and our guide to getting more Google reviews covers the work.

• 97%of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 41% say they always do (BrightLocal, 1,002 US adults).BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 20262026
• 45%of consumers now use ChatGPT or other AI tools for local business recommendations, up from 6% a year earlier.BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 20262026
• 71%of consumers use Google to read local business reviews, down from 83% in 2025.BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 20262026
• 68%of consumers require at least a four-star rating, and 31% require 4.5 stars or more.BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 20262026
• 47%of consumers will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews.BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 20262026
• 74%of consumers only consider reviews written in the last three months.BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 20262026
• 89%of consumers expect business owners to respond to reviews.BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 20262026
• 42%of consumers trust AI recommendations as much as traditional reviews.BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 20262026
• 68%of homeowners get more quotes when a price comes in higher than expected (Housecall Pro survey, 1,100+ homeowners).Housecall Pro, 2026 State of Home Services Spending2026
• 62%of homeowners are more likely to go ahead with a project when financing is offered (Housecall Pro survey).Housecall Pro, 2026 State of Home Services Spending2026
• 72%of home services businesses say reviews are a top factor in which pro a homeowner picks, ahead of price at 66% (CallRail survey, sample size not disclosed).CallRail, Home Services Industry Trends2025
• 63%of home services buyers used generative AI to research a high-stakes purchase, up from 46% (Invoca, 134 US and UK buyers).Invoca, Home Services Buyer Experience Report 20262026
• 79%of home services buyers would switch to a competitor that responds faster (Invoca, 134 US and UK buyers).Invoca, Home Services Buyer Experience Report 20262026

Marketing spend and lead costs

Plumbing search ads cost more per lead than the all-industry average. See our Google Ads statistics for other industries, our GEO and AEO statistics for AI search optimization, and our roofing statistics for a trade with even costlier leads.

• $90.92is the average cost per lead for Home and Home Improvement search ads in 2026 (LocaliQ/WordStream client campaigns).LocaliQ, Search Advertising Benchmarks 20262026
• $8.33is the average Home and Home Improvement cost per click, second only to legal services at $9.87.LocaliQ, Search Advertising Benchmarks 20262026
• 8.05%is the average search ad conversion rate for Home and Home Improvement, with a 6.47% click-through rate.LocaliQ, Search Advertising Benchmarks 20262026
• $66.69is the all-industry average cost per lead for search ads, below the $90.92 home improvement figure.LocaliQ, Search Advertising Benchmarks 20262026
• $129.02is the median cost per lead for plumbing search ads (LocaliQ, 3,211 US home services campaigns, April 2024 to March 2025).LocaliQ, Home Services Search Advertising Benchmarks 20252025
• $10.49is the median cost per click for plumbing search ads.LocaliQ, Home Services Search Advertising Benchmarks 20252025
• 4.97%is plumbing's search ad click-through rate, the second lowest of 16 home services categories.LocaliQ, Home Services Search Advertising Benchmarks 20252025
• 7.63%is the median conversion rate for plumbing search ads.LocaliQ, Home Services Search Advertising Benchmarks 20252025
• 10.51%is the average yearly rise in cost per lead for home services search ads, and 69% of businesses saw an increase.LocaliQ, Home Services Search Advertising Benchmarks 20252025
• $77.1 millionwas spent on advertising by Roto-Rooter in 2025, up from $73.1 million in 2024.Chemed Corporation, Form 10-K for 20252025
• $1.85 billionwas spent on advertising and promotion by plumbing, heating and AC contractors in 2022.US Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census, NAICS 2382202022
• 72%of home services businesses expect their 2026 marketing budgets to rise (CallRail survey, sample size not disclosed).CallRail, Home Services Industry Trends2025
• 38%of home services businesses rank GEO/AEO (AI search optimization) as a key channel, behind paid search at 54% and SEO at 53% (CallRail survey).CallRail, Home Services Industry Trends2025
• 74%of residential contractors see AI as a key efficiency tool, though only about a quarter use it today (ServiceTitan survey, 1,000 contractors).ServiceTitan, 2026 Residential State of the Trades Report release2026

What this means for plumbers

• A top Maps rank does not guarantee an AI mention. Only 16 of the 50 Maps top-10 plumbers in our index were named by any engine. The free AI grade shows whether ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini name your business.
• Reviews carry over into AI picks. Each engine's picks averaged 4.76 to 4.83 stars, with median review counts in the hundreds or thousands.
• Keep your listings consistent. AI engines sometimes name businesses with no Maps listing; our NAP consistency guide covers how to keep your details matched everywhere.
• Staff up for holidays and freezes. Call volume jumps around Thanksgiving and after cold snaps.
• Answer fast. 79% of home services buyers would switch to a competitor that responds faster.

Sources and method

We opened the pages ranking for "plumbing statistics" and "plumbing industry statistics", including IBISWorld's plumbers report, and kept only figures we could trace to a primary source. We then added government data (Census County Business Patterns and Economic Census, BLS OOH, OEWS and CPS, EPA WaterSense), SEC filings from Chemed and Ferguson, Harvard JCHS, the Insurance Information Institute, and surveys with their sample stated: BrightLocal (1,002 US adults), Housecall Pro (1,100+ homeowners), Invoca (134 buyers), ServiceTitan (1,000 contractors), CallRail and LocaliQ (3,211 campaigns). The Rank.ai data comes from the loc.ai local AI index, October 2026: 60 answers (4 engines, 3 prompts, 5 cities) with 460 picks and 226 distinct businesses, verified against Google Maps via DataForSEO. Vendor cost guides are labelled. Every figure and link was checked on 2026-10-16.