Plumbing Job Description Template for Your First Hire

Your first hire is the moment the business stops being just you. A good job description does two jobs at once: it tells the right plumber why they'd want to work for you, and it tells the wrong one not to apply. Vague ads ("plumber wanted, good pay") get vague applicants.

Below is a job description for a residential service plumber you can copy and fill in, short versions for an apprentice and a helper, and the state rules that change what you have to put in the ad.

This is general information, not legal or employment advice. Licensing and hiring laws differ by state and sometimes by city. Check your state licensing board and labor department, or ask an employment attorney, before you post.

Decide these before you write

The role. A licensed plumber who can run calls alone, or an apprentice who works next to you? The license rules, the pay and the ad are different.
The pay. Hourly, salary, or hourly plus a commission or bonus. Several states require a range in the ad (see below), and applicants skip ads without one anyway.
The schedule. Regular hours, and how on-call works: how often, how it's paid, and what response time you expect.
The truck. Company vehicle, take-home or not, and who supplies tools.
Insurance. Hiring usually means workers' compensation, and your auto policy needs to know about every driver. See our guide to plumbing insurance.

Residential service plumber job description template

Replace everything in [brackets]. Delete any line that doesn't apply.

Job title

Residential Service Plumber ([journeyman / licensed]) – [City, State]

About us

[Business name] is a [one-/two-]truck residential plumbing company serving [area] since [year]. We do service and repair work in people's homes: leaks, drains, water heaters, fixtures and repipes. We're small, so you'll work directly with the owner, and your work will be noticed.

What you'll do

Run residential service calls on your own: find the problem, explain it to the homeowner in plain words, and give a price before starting the repair.
Repair and replace water heaters, faucets, toilets, valves, supply lines, disposals and drain lines.
Clear drains and sewer lines [with a camera and jetter].
Fill out work orders, take before-and-after photos, and get customer sign-off on every job.
Keep the truck stocked and organized, and tell us when stock runs low.
Follow code, pull permits when required, and be present for inspections.
Leave every home cleaner than you found it.

What you need

A current [journeyman / plumber] license or certificate valid in [state], or [describe what your state requires].
[Number] years of residential service experience.
A valid driver's license and a driving record our insurer will accept. Driving to customers' homes is a daily part of this job.
The ability to lift [weight], work in crawl spaces and attics, and stand and kneel for long periods.
Clear, polite communication with homeowners.
[Basic hand tools. We supply power tools, specialty equipment and parts.]

Pay and benefits

Pay: $[low]–$[high] per hour, depending on license and experience. [On-call pay: $___ per shift, plus ___ for calls run.]
[Bonus or commission, described in general terms.]
[Paid time off, paid holidays, health insurance, retirement plan, take-home truck, tool allowance.]

Schedule

[Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.] On-call rotation [one weekend a month / one week in four], with [describe pay and expected response time].

How to apply

[Text / email / form link] with your name, license number and a short note about your experience. Applications close [date]. We reply to everyone within [number] days.

Apprentice and helper versions

Plumbing apprentice

Use the template above, with these changes:

Title: Plumbing Apprentice – [City, State].
What you'll do: work alongside a licensed plumber on residential service calls; learn diagnosis, repair and installation; keep the truck stocked; fill out work orders under supervision.
What you need: [registration or trainee certificate in your state, or willingness to get one before starting]; a valid driver's license; reliable attendance; interest in getting licensed.
What we offer: supervised hours toward your license, [help with classes or exam fees], and a pay increase at [milestones].

Plumber's helper

Title: Plumber's Helper – [City, State].
What you'll do: carry materials, dig, clean up job sites, stock and organize the truck and shop, and assist the plumber.
What you need: a valid driver's license, ability to lift [weight], and reliability.

Be careful with the helper role. In some states, anyone who does plumbing work, even under supervision, must be registered or certified. If your helper will touch pipe, check whether your state treats that person as an apprentice who has to register.

License requirements: check your state board

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says most states and some localities require plumbers to be licensed, typically after 2 to 5 years of experience and an exam, and that most plumbers learn the trade through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship. The details are set by each state, and sometimes by the city. Two examples:

Texas: the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) says you must register as a plumber's apprentice before you can start counting hours of experience, and hours worked before registration don't count. Applicants must be at least 16, and fingerprints are required. The board defines direct supervision as a TSBPE license holder being on the job site at all times while the apprentice does plumbing work.
Washington: Labor & Industries says that to learn the trade and become a certified plumber, you start as a plumber trainee with a trainee certificate, must be 16 or older, and work under the direct supervision of a journey level or certified plumber.

Write the exact license or registration you need into the ad, and verify any license an applicant gives you on your state board's lookup before they start. Our guide to starting a plumbing business covers the contractor license you need as the owner.

States that require a pay range in the ad

A growing number of states require employers to put pay in job postings. Four examples, from each state's labor department:

State	Who it covers	What the posting must include
California	Employers with 15 or more employees	The pay scale: a good-faith estimate of the salary or hourly range the employer reasonably expects to pay on hire. It must be in the posting itself.
Colorado	Employers with at least one employee in Colorado	The pay rate or range, a general description of other compensation (bonuses, commissions, tips) and of benefits, and how and when to apply
Washington	Employers with 15 or more employees	A wage scale or salary range, a general description of all benefits, and a general description of other compensation
New York	Employers with 4 or more employees	A salary or salary range the employer believes in good faith to be accurate at the time of posting

Colorado's rule covers employers with even one employee in the state. Its guidance says an employer with no Colorado employees at the time of a hiring decision isn't covered for that hire, so a true one-person shop may be exempt for its first hire, but every posting after that is covered. Colorado and Washington both say a range can't be open-ended: no "$30 and up" or "up to $45". Other states and some cities have their own laws, so check yours even if it isn't listed here. Posting the range is a good idea anyway: it saves you from interviewing someone whose number is far from yours.

Washington adds a rule that touches plumbers directly: since July 27, 2025, L&I says employers can't require a driver's license, or put one in a job posting as a requirement, unless driving is an essential job function or part of a job's legitimate business purpose. For a service plumber who drives to homes all day, it usually is. Say so in the ad, as the template does.

What plumbers earn: the federal benchmark

The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook puts the median pay for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters at $63,800 a year, or $30.67 an hour, in May 2025. It projects employment to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. It also notes that most work full time, including nights and weekends, are often on call for emergencies, and that most employers require a driver's license.

That's a national median across all kinds of plumbing work, not a local rate for a residential service plumber. Pay in your area may be well above or below it. Before you set your range, look at what other shops nearby post, and ask your supply house what techs are getting. Then check the hourly cost against your prices: a tech's wage, taxes and insurance all have to come out of what you charge per job.

A new tech quotes better with your prices in hand. Plumbo, now on the App Store and Google Play, builds every quote from your own price book: they describe the job in a voice note, answer only what's missing, and Quote Guard flags forgotten items before the customer signs. Try the 60-second demo →

Where to post it

Your own network first. Plumbers you know, your supply house counter, the inspectors and other trades you work with.
Trade schools and apprenticeship programs near you, especially for an apprentice role.
Your state's workforce or job service office.
Online job boards. General boards and trade-specific ones. Pay transparency rules apply to every posting you make or pay someone to make, wherever it appears.
Your website and social pages. Customers know plumbers, and plumbers search the companies they might work for.

Before the first day

Verify the license or registration on your state board's website.
Tell your insurance agent, set up workers' comp, and add the driver to your auto policy.
Set up payroll and the federal and state new-hire paperwork. An accountant or payroll service can handle this.
Write down how you work: how you greet customers, quote, take payment and fill out work orders. A one-page checklist beats a month of "that's not how I do it."

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (median pay May 2025, outlook 2025–35, licensing, schedule, driver's license), checked October 7, 2026.
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, Plumber's Apprentice (registration before counting hours, age, fingerprints, direct supervision), checked October 7, 2026.
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Plumber Trainee (trainee certificate, age, supervision), checked October 7, 2026.
California Department of Industrial Relations, California Equal Pay Act FAQ (pay scale in job postings, 15 or more employees), checked October 7, 2026.
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, INFO #9A: Transparency in Pay and Job Opportunities (PDF, last updated May 29, 2024: coverage, required posting contents, ranges), checked October 7, 2026.
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Equal Pay & Opportunities Act (job posting requirements, driver's license rule), checked October 7, 2026.
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Administrative Policy ES.E.2: Job Posting Requirements (PDF, issued December 3, 2025: 15 or more employees, no open-ended ranges), checked October 7, 2026.
New York State Department of Labor, Pay Transparency Law (4 or more employees, salary range in good faith, effective September 17, 2023), checked October 7, 2026.