How to become a plumber
Reading time: 3 minutes
水暖是建筑行业的核心行业之一。如果没有管道，我们就无法冲厕所，为家里供暖，或全天候获得清洁安全的水。如果你有解决问题的敏锐头脑和让我们的家园高效运转的动力，那么你就在正确的地方……
Plumbers are currently in short supply and with the UK government aiming to build 300,000 homes each year by the mid 2020s, the demand for plumbers will only increase.
最近的研究表明，平均而言，管道行业是收入最高的行业之一。这很大程度上是由于英国对水管工的高需求，所以现在是开始从事水管工行业的好时机，有很多培训机会可供选择。
A day in the life of a plumber
Plumbers spend most of their days on the road, between different customers’ homes and businesses. Most plumbers will offer emergency call outs, for customers who have blocked, unusable toilets or worse - a burst water pipe.
Offering emergency call out services is up to you, but if you do you should prepare to be on call 24/7 - this will only help your reputation grow stronger with the more customers you rescue.
Plumbing runs throughout our homes, often in places we don’t see. Plumbers regularly have to access small and cramped spaces such as lofts, so you should be comfortable with the likelihood of working in these conditions.
Once you’re self employed you will have the flexibility to schedule your own days and work where you want, when you want.
Plumbing training and experience
传统的培训可能需要长达四年的时间，包括课堂和现场经验，为你在新职业道路上提供工具。
This can done either through acollege course, which will focus on the classroom side of things, or anapprenticeship, where you'll spend more time on the job, learning as you go.
Both routes are set up to give you a good mix of practical and theoretical skills.
有更快的“强化”培训可供选择，这些培训应该涵盖你需要知道的一切，但不会提供相同的现场经验。
These can take as little as six weeks and could cost up to £3,500.
These are a good option if you want to jump in at the deep end, but in the long run there’s no substitute for on site experience.
Register to get leads
Customers are posting jobs in your area, handpick the leads you like and only pay for what you need.Find out more.
Plumber salaries
The average plumbing apprentice working for a company may earn around £15,000 to £20,000 in their first year of training. If you decide to do an intensive course and go self employed straight away, you could immediately start earning more, potentially £40,000+ - it all depends on your skills and how much work you’re willing to put in.
We estimate that a plumber charges between £40-£60 per hour, in London this could be even higher, as much as £80 per hour. Emergency call-outs would be charged at an extra cost, around £100 in the UK and up to £200 in London.
