Trades
Websites & marketing for plumbers
There are 47,910 plumbing and heating firms registered in the UK, and the number has risen 17.8% since 2021. Here is how they win customers online, and what a plumber’s website needs to do.
When a boiler fails or a pipe starts leaking, people search from their phone and ring the first credible firm that picks up. Planned work such as a new bathroom or boiler is researched far more carefully: people compare reviews, photos and quotes before they get in touch.
A good plumbing website has to do both jobs. It has to make the emergency call effortless, and it has to look trustworthy enough to win the bigger, planned jobs.
The UK market for plumbing and heating firms
The number grew 17.8% between 2021 and 2026, well ahead of the +0.8% for UK businesses overall, so more firms are competing for the same customers.
95% of them have fewer than 10 employees, 20% are sole proprietors and 77% are limited companies. Most are small operations, so a clear, quick website is a genuine way to stand out from competitors who have not looked after theirs. The ten areas with the most firms hold about 20% of the UK total.
Where plumbing and heating firms are concentrated
| Area | Firms | Per 10,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| London | 5,420 | 5.9 |
| Buckinghamshire | 605 | 10.4 |
| North Yorkshire | 480 | 7.5 |
| Somerset | 475 | 8.0 |
| Cornwall | 465 | 8.0 |
| Birmingham | 440 | 3.7 |
| Leeds | 435 | 5.2 |
| Dorset | 430 | 11.0 |
| Wiltshire | 420 | 8.0 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 360 | 8.9 |
Most firms per 10,000 residents
| Area | Per 10,000 residents | Firms |
|---|---|---|
| Broxbourne | 16.0 | 165 |
| East Hertfordshire | 15.2 | 240 |
| Maldon | 15.0 | 105 |
| Tandridge | 14.9 | 135 |
| Castle Point | 14.9 | 135 |
| Epping Forest | 14.8 | 205 |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts 2026 (enterprises), SIC 43220: Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation, and mid-2025 population estimates, via Nomis. Open Government Licence v3.0. Counts are rounded by ONS and cover VAT- and/or PAYE-registered businesses only. London is the 33 boroughs combined; areas under 60,000 residents, and areas with very few firms, are left out of the density table.
What a plumber’s website needs to do
- Emergency and out-of-hours availability stated plainly, with a tap-to-call number at the top of every page
- A page for each main service (boiler repair, boiler installation, bathrooms, leaks, heating upgrades) so each can show up for its own searches
- The areas you cover, listed clearly, with pages for the towns you genuinely work in
- Photos of your own jobs and real customer reviews
- Your registrations shown only if you hold them, for example your Gas Safe number if you do gas work
- A short quote form that asks for the postcode and the job
Mistakes we see
- Hiding the phone number inside a menu
- One services page that tries to cover everything
- Stock photos instead of your own work
- A slow site that frustrates people who are already in a hurry
How we would approach it
- Bespoke web design. A fast, mobile-first site with click-to-call is the foundation for everything else.
- SEO. Much of the work comes from local searches, so being found for the services and towns you cover matters most.
- Meta and Google ads. Emergency searches are urgent, and search ads can put you in front of someone at the moment they need you.
Guides that help
- Website Design for Tradespeople: What Your Site Needs to Win More Jobs
- How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Breaking the Rules)
- How to Get More Enquiries From Your Website: 10 Fixes That Work
Find your area
See the business picture where you work: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Sheffield, or browse all areas.
Questions from plumbing and heating firms
What should a plumber's website include?
A phone number that is easy to tap, a clear list of services, the areas you cover, photos of real jobs, genuine reviews and any registrations you hold. A short quote form helps for planned work such as bathrooms and boiler replacements.
How do plumbers get more calls from Google?
By appearing for the searches customers actually use, such as the service plus the town. That comes from a clear page for each service, a well-kept Google Business Profile, steady reviews and a site that loads quickly on a phone.
Do I need a website if I already get work by word of mouth?
It helps. People who hear about you will usually check you online before they call, so a website backs up the recommendation and catches the customers who have not heard of you yet.
How many plumbing and heating firms are there in the UK?
ONS counts 47,910 plumbing and heating firms registered for VAT and/or PAYE in the UK for 2026. That figure excludes firms below the VAT threshold that are not registered for PAYE, so the real number is higher.
Where are most plumbing and heating firms based?
By number of firms, the biggest concentrations are in London, Buckinghamshire and North Yorkshire. Per 10,000 residents, Broxbourne, East Hertfordshire and Maldon come out highest.
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