Hiring & Training Employees for a Profitable Plumbing Company: The Complete Playbook
Building a profitable plumbing business starts (and survives) with the right people. Labor is your #1 cost and your #1 growth lever. This guide gives you a practical, repeatable system to attract, hire, onboard, and train technicians and office staff—without tanking your margins.
At a Glance (TL;DR)
- Source smart: apprentices, trade schools, referrals, military/vets, and competitor alumni.
- Hire with a scorecard: measure Skills, Safety, Service, Sales, Culture—not gut feel.
- Onboard fast: day-by-day plan for the first 2 weeks + a 30/60/90-day path to autonomy.
- Train continuously: weekly technical labs + ride-alongs + service/sales role play.
- Pay for performance: blend base + spiffs + quality bonuses; protect gross margin.
- Retain with clarity: career ladders, certifications, and simple KPIs.
Step 1: Build a Recruiting Engine (Not Just a Job Post)
Where to find candidates
- Apprentices & helpers: partner with local trade schools, workforce boards, and high schools (career days).
- Referrals: pay techs $500–$1,500 in two parts (at start and at 90 days).
- Military/veteran programs: disciplined hires with strong safety culture.
- Competitor alumni: emphasize culture, training, and earnings clarity.
- Always-on careers page: show pay bands, routes, trucks, tools, and career ladder.
Job ad template (steal this)
Residential Service Plumber — $28–$40/hr + Bonus (Avg. $75k–$105k)
Why join Profitable Plumbing: fully stocked late-model vans, paid training, 401(k) match, health, weekly spiffs for KPIs (reviews, memberships sold, add-on quality).
You: 2+ yrs service, clean MVR, strong communication, safety-first.
We provide: iPad, software, uniforms, boot allowance, on-call rotation pay.
Apply in 60 seconds: [Careers Link]
Pro tip: Treat applicants like customers—same-day response, phone screen within 24 hours, on-site within 72.
Step 2: Use a Hiring Scorecard (So You Stop Guessing)
Score each candidate 1–5 on these weighted criteria (total 100). Bring two interviewers to reduce bias.
| Category | Weight | What to Ask/Check |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Fundamentals | 25 | Diagnose a no-hot-water scenario; sweat vs. press; PVC/ABS/CPVC; code basics |
| Safety & Cleanliness | 20 | Lockout/tagout steps; ladder setup; PPE habits; clean jobsite photos |
| Customer Service | 20 | Role play: greeting, shoe covers, options presentation |
| Upsell Ethically | 15 | Explain “good/better/best” without pressure; memberships; warranties |
| Culture & Reliability | 20 | On-call experience, attendance record, teamwork examples |
Red flags: blames all bad outcomes on “cheap customers,” poor van/tool care, vague safety answers.
Step 3: Onboarding That Pays for Itself
Day 1–3: Foundations
- HR & admin: e-docs, direct deposit, policies, phone/van/iPad issue.
- Safety bootcamp: PPE, ladder safety, electrical lockout, confined spaces, MSDS review.
- Shadowing kick-off: ride-along with top tech; observe 3–5 calls/day.
Day 4–10: Ride-Along With Purpose
Give a daily checklist:
- 3x tool ID walk-throughs (show, name, purpose).
- Customer intro script (practice until natural).
- Options sheet creation on every call, even if not presenting.
- Closing scripts for memberships/warranty.
Your 30/60/90-Day Plan
30 Days (Learning)
- Can perform water heater flush, disposal replace, wax ring reset with supervision.
- KPI targets: on-time arrival 95%+, 5 reviews, membership mention on 80% of visits.
60 Days (Performing with Spot Checks)
- Solo on standard service calls; accurate parts usage and photos logged.
- KPI targets: average ticket trending to goal, 10 reviews total, 1+ add-on per day.
90 Days (Autonomous)
- Handles most calls solo; passes safety/QA ride-check.
- KPI targets: first-time fix ≥85%, warranty callback <3%, margin on labor/materials within target.
Step 4: Training Program That Actually Sticks
Weekly Training Rhythm (90 minutes)
- Safety moment (10 min): near-miss review, seasonal hazards.
- Technical lab (40 min): hands-on fixture tear-down, solder/press practice, drain cleaning, gas leak test.
- Service & sales (30 min): role-play estimates, financing talk, membership pitch.
- Wins & lessons (10 min): spotlight a tech; share photos of clean installs.
Monthly Deep Dives
- Code updates & inspection checklists
- Water heater lab: gas/electric, anode, expansion, venting diagnostics
- Leak detection & remediation
- CSR–Tech alignment: dispatch debriefs, notes quality
Tools to enable training
- Learning library (short SOP videos on Google Drive or LMS).
- Call recordings for coaching.
- Standard options sheets (Good/Better/Best) for top 20 repairs.
Step 5: Compensation That Drives the Right Behavior
Recommended structure
- Base hourly (protects quality & safety) + performance spiffs:
- 5-star review = $10
- Membership sold = $20–$40
- Add-on within quality policy = $15
- Zero-callback month bonus = $100–$250
Guardrails
- No commission on code-required items.
- Require photo/part logs for payouts.
- Track gross margin per truck weekly—if margin drops, retrain before you raise targets.
Step 6: KPIs That Keep You Profitable
Track these on a simple dashboard by tech:
- First-Time Fix Rate (FTF): goal ≥85%
- Average Ticket: set by market (e.g., $450–$650 service)
- Memberships per 10 calls: goal ≥2–3
- Reviews per week: goal ≥2
- Callback % within 30 days: <3%
- Drive Time vs. Wrench Time: target ≤25% drive
- Gross Margin per Truck: watch labor + materials together
Use the metrics for coaching, not punishment. Celebrate green metrics every Friday.
Step 7: Retain Your A-Players
- Career ladder: Helper → Apprentice → Junior Tech → Senior Tech → Lead/Trainer.
- Cert budget: pay for NATE, backflow, gas, cross-connect, tankless OEM trainings.
- Tool & boot allowance every 6–12 months.
- Truck pride: clean, stocked vans; quarterly “best van” prize.
- Time off & scheduling: protect 1 weekend/month, rotate on-call fairly.
- 1:1s monthly: review KPIs, ask roadblocks, agree on one improvement.
Sample Resources (Copy/Paste)
Interview questions
- “Walk me through diagnosing no hot water on an electric tank.”
- “Explain, in layman’s terms, why an expansion tank matters.”
- “How do you present three repair options without pressuring the customer?”
- “Tell me about a safety near-miss and what you changed.”
Safety starter checklist
- PPE issued & documented
- Ladder inspection log started
- GFCI awareness & live-circuit checks
- Combustion/CO testing for gas work
- Confined space & ventilation basics
Top 10 training modules
- Water heater diagnostics (gas/electric)
- Press vs. solder: best practices
- Drain cleaning safety & technique
- Sewer camera operation & upsell ethics
- Tankless annual service
- Gas leak detection & bubble test
- Fixture rough-in tolerances
- Pump/softener basics
- Van stock & parts logging SOP
- Estimates & finance talk tracks
SEO FAQs (Add to your page)
How long to train a new plumber to run solo calls?
With a tight plan, 60–90 days for standard residential service. Complex work still needs oversight.
What’s better—hourly or commission?
A hybrid pays fairly while protecting quality: hourly base + targeted spiffs tied to reviews, memberships, and zero callbacks.
How do I reduce callbacks?
Use photo checklists, require options sheets, QA ride-alongs monthly, and bonus zero-callback streaks.