The fastest ways to get more plumbing leads are to answer every enquiry within minutes, build up your Google reviews, keep your Google Business Profile complete, and run a simple Facebook ads campaign for the job you want most, such as boiler installs or bathroom refits. Owning your leads beats paying for shared ones.
Most plumbers have plenty of small call-outs. What they want is more of the bigger, planned jobs: boiler replacements, full bathroom refits and heating systems. The eight ways below are ordered roughly from cheapest and quickest to set up, to the ones that take more work but bring the steadiest flow.
1. Stop losing the leads you already get
Before chasing new leads, plug the leak. One widely cited study of around 15,000 leads found that contacting a lead within 5 minutes, rather than 30, made it roughly 21 times more likely to qualify. If you are under a sink when the phone rings, that lead is calling the next plumber. Set up a missed-call text back so every missed call gets a text within seconds, and an instant reply to every web enquiry. It costs very little and usually wins back jobs within the first week.
2. Get more Google reviews
When someone searches for a plumber, reviews decide who they call. Ask every happy customer on the day the job is finished, with a direct link, while they are still pleased. Automating the request after each job makes it consistent. See how to get more Google reviews for the exact wording.
3. Complete your Google Business Profile
Add every service you offer, your service areas, opening hours, real photos of your work and your van, and answer questions people ask. Post updates regularly. A complete, active profile is more likely to show in the map results when someone nearby searches for a plumber.
4. Run Facebook ads for one job
Search brings people who need a plumber now. Facebook ads let you reach homeowners before they start searching, which is ideal for planned work like a boiler swap or a new bathroom. The key is one offer, one area and one simple page. I walk through it in Facebook ads for plumbers, and you can work out a sensible budget with the ads cost calculator.
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Book a free call5. Build a page for each big job
A page called “Boiler replacement in [your town]” converts far better than a general homepage, both from ads and from search. Show real installs, the brands you fit, rough price guidance if you can give it, reviews and a short form. Keep the form to name, phone, postcode and one question.
6. Follow up every quote
Many jobs are lost simply because nobody followed up the quote. A short text two days later and a reminder a week later (“Just checking you got the quote, happy to answer any questions”) wins a surprising share of them back. A CRM can send these automatically. See the best CRM for contractors.
7. Market to past customers
Your past customers already trust you. A yearly boiler service reminder, a note before winter and a thank-you with a referral ask all bring repeat and referral work at almost no cost. Keep every customer’s details in one place so you can actually do this.
8. Build relationships with other trades
Kitchen fitters, builders, electricians and letting agents all need a reliable plumber. A few good relationships can bring a steady stream of jobs. Be quick, turn up when you say you will and make them look good.
What about lead sites?
Lead sites can fill gaps, especially when you are starting out, but you often share each enquiry with other plumbers and compete on price. Most plumbers who grow shift towards owning their leads through reviews, search and their own ads. I compare the options in Checkatrade vs Facebook ads.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way for a plumber to get leads?
Reply to every enquiry within minutes, collect Google reviews after every job, keep your Google Business Profile complete, and run a simple Facebook ads campaign for the job you want most.
How do plumbers get bigger jobs?
Advertise the specific job you want, such as boiler installs or bathroom refits, send people to a page for that job, and follow up every quote. General “plumber for hire” marketing tends to bring small call-outs.
Do Facebook ads work for plumbers?
Yes, for planned work like boiler replacements and bathroom refits, when you use one clear offer, target your area and reply to leads quickly.
Are paid lead sites worth it for plumbers?
They can help when you are starting out, but leads are often shared with other plumbers. Owning your leads through reviews, search and your own ads usually costs less per job over time.
Related guides
- Facebook ads for plumbers: how to get more boiler and bathroom jobs
- Facebook ads for tradesmen: a simple guide that actually gets jobs
- Missed-call text back: the simple automation that wins back lost jobs
- How to get more electrician leads: 7 ways that work
Pierce Tagle is a Facebook ads expert and AI automation specialist. He builds the ads, funnels and GoHighLevel follow-up systems that turn clicks into booked calls for businesses in the US and UK. More about Pierce