Gauteng · Vetted local plumbers
How much does a plumber cost in Johannesburg?
It depends on the job, and anyone who gives you a firm number before seeing it is guessing. The plumber we put you onto looks at the job first and quotes before any work starts.
Why there is no rand figure here
Each plumber we work with prices their own jobs, and the one who takes yours quotes before any work starts. We are not going to copy a figure off another website or an industry average instead. You would plan around it, and it would not be the price of your job.
What we can tell you is what moves the price and what to ask, so the quote you get makes sense and two quotes can be compared.
The longer answer
A plumbing bill is some mix of three things: a call-out fee, the time on site and the parts. Some plumbers charge a call-out plus an hourly rate. Others give one fixed price for the job. Neither is wrong, but you can only compare two quotes once you know which kind you are looking at.
The job moves the price more than anything else. A washer on a dripping tap and a geyser that has rusted through are both one visit from a plumber, and they are nowhere near each other on the bill. The same goes for a joint you can reach and a pipe under a slab.
Then the time. A call-out at night or on a Sunday costs more than the same job on a weekday morning. If it can wait, say so and ask what that saves.
What decides the price
| Geyser | Which part failed. A dead element, thermostat or pressure valve is a repair; only a cylinder that has rusted through is a replacement, and the difference between those two is most of the price. After that: the size, whether it is in the roof or a cupboard, and whether the tray, vacuum breakers and pipework have to be brought up to SANS 10254 while they are in there. |
|---|---|
| Blocked drains | Whether it clears with rods or a drain machine, or whether it needs a camera down the line and something dug up. Those are different jobs at different prices, and a good plumber will tell you which one he is on before he starts the second. |
| Burst and leaking pipes | Where the pipe runs. An accessible joint is quick; a pipe in a wall or under a slab means opening something up and making it good again, and the making-good is often the larger half. |
| Leak detection | Whether it is found acoustically or with a pressure test, or whether flooring has to come up. Ask for the finding and the fixing to be priced separately, so you are not agreeing to the second before anyone knows what it is. |
| Pressure pumps | Which part failed. A pressure switch or recharging the pressure vessel is a small job; a new pump is not. Ask which part it is before agreeing to a replacement. |
| Anything after hours | A Sunday night call-out costs more than a Tuesday morning one, everywhere, always. If it can wait until the morning, say so and ask what that saves. |
Ask before they start
- Is the call-out charged separately, and does it come off the bill if I go ahead?
- Is that including VAT?
- Is this a fixed quote or an estimate that can move once you open it up? If it can move, by how much?
- Are you supplying the parts, and what is the guarantee on them?
- Will I get a Certificate of Compliance, and is it in the price?
Questions people ask
How much does a plumber cost in South Africa?
It depends on the job, the time of day and the parts. A bill is some mix of a call-out fee, labour and parts, so ask for each one and for the total including VAT. The plumber should quote before any work starts.
How much does a plumber charge per hour in South Africa?
It differs from plumber to plumber, and not every plumber works by the hour. Some charge a call-out plus an hourly rate, some give a fixed price for the job. Ask which it is, and whether travel or the call-out is charged on top.
Price questions, one job at a time
Tell us what is wrong
Takes under a minute. A plumber near your area phones you back and quotes before any work starts. There is nothing to pay to be put in touch.