Plumber Tools List: What a Service Plumber Needs on Day One

Every plumber's bag looks a little different, but the first week of residential service calls is predictable: a running toilet, a leaking supply line, a slow kitchen drain, a dead water heater, a shutoff that won't shut off. This list is built around that work.

Each tool is marked Day one (you'll want it on the truck before your first call) or Add later (buy it when the jobs that need it start showing up, or rent it until then). The reason next to each one is the job it does.

There are no prices or brand picks here. Prices change and vary by supply house, and brand is personal. One rule does matter: PEX, press and push-fit connections are systems. Use the fittings, rings and tools the manufacturer specifies, and follow its instructions.

Hand tools

Tool	When	Why
Pipe wrenches, a pair (14" and 18")	Day one	Hold one, turn the other on threaded steel, gas fittings and stubborn unions.
Tongue-and-groove pliers, two or three sizes	Day one	The tool you'll reach for most: supply nuts, slip nuts, trap connections.
Adjustable wrenches (8" and 12")	Day one	Compression nuts and fittings where pliers would chew the flats.
Basin wrench	Day one	Faucet mounting nuts and supply nuts tucked up behind a sink bowl.
Screwdrivers or a multi-bit driver, plus nut drivers	Day one	Access panels, hose clamps, disposal mounts, water heater covers.
Hex key set	Day one	Set screws on single-handle faucet and shower valve handles.
Faucet seat wrench and stem socket set	Day one	Older two-handle faucets and tub valves still show up every week.
Hacksaw and a mini hacksaw	Day one	Rusted closet bolts, steel nipples, anything a cutter can't reach.
Utility knife, putty knife and scraper	Day one	Old wax rings, caulk, gasket material.
Tape measure and torpedo level	Day one	Rough-in heights, trap arm slope, setting a water heater plumb.
Headlamp and a good flashlight	Day one	Vanities, crawl spaces and basements are dark. A headlamp keeps both hands free.
Inspection mirror and magnetic pickup	Day one	Seeing the back of a fitting; fishing out the nut you just dropped.
Strap wrench	Add later	Polished or chrome finishes you don't want to mark.
Internal pipe wrench / nipple extractor	Add later	Broken-off shower arms and nipples inside a fitting.

Cutting tools

Tool	When	Why
Tubing cutters, standard and mini	Day one	Square, clean cuts on copper; the mini fits between joists and behind fixtures.
PEX cutter	Day one	A square cut matters on PEX. One fitting maker's instructions say a rough or angled cut "may result in a failed connection" and not to use a hacksaw.
Ratcheting plastic pipe cutter	Day one	Fast, square cuts on smaller PVC and CPVC without a saw.
Deburring and reaming tools	Day one	Burrs restrict flow and can damage O-rings in push-fit fittings. Chamfer plastic pipe before cementing.
Hole saws and spade or auger bits	Day one	Holes through cabinets, floors and studs for new lines.
Cast iron snap cutter	Add later, or rent	Clean cuts on cast iron stacks when you start doing drain replacements.

Joining tools by pipe type

Copper

Torch kit, striker, flux, solder rated for potable water, emery cloth and fitting brushes (Day one). Sweating copper is still everyday service work: valve replacements, repairs, water heater connections.
Flame protector cloth and a fire extinguisher (Day one). OSHA's rules for welding, cutting and heating say fire extinguishing equipment must be "immediately available in the work area".
Press tool and jaws (Add later). No flame and fast, which is handy in finished homes, but it's a large purchase and the fittings must match the system. Buy it when you're doing enough copper to justify it.

PEX

The tool for the system your area uses (Day one): a crimp tool with a go/no-go gauge for copper crimp rings, a clamp (cinch) tool, or an expansion tool for PEX-a. They are not interchangeable. Crimp-ring instructions tell you to check every crimp joint with the gauge.
Ring removal tool (Day one). You will cut out a bad connection sooner or later.
Push-fit fittings and their release clips (Day one). Quick emergency repairs across copper, PEX and CPVC. Check the manufacturer's instructions and your local code for where they're allowed.

PVC, CPVC and ABS

Primer and solvent cement for each material, plus daubers (Day one). Cement is made for specific materials; check the label, and whether your local code requires primer.
Rubber couplings with band clamps (Day one). Transitions between cast iron, PVC and ABS on drain repairs.

Threaded pipe and gas

Pipe dope and thread tape, including tape rated for gas (Day one).
Manual pipe threader and dies (Add later). Most service work uses pre-made nipples; buy a threader when you start running gas or steel lines.

Drain cleaning

Tool	When	Why
Flange plunger and cup plunger	Day one	Toilets and sinks. The first thing to try, and often the last.
Closet auger	Day one	Toilet clogs without scratching the bowl.
Hand drum auger with a small cable	Day one	Lavatory, tub and shower drains.
Drill-powered or handheld drum machine	Day one	Kitchen lines and laundry drains that a hand auger can't clear.
Wet/dry vacuum	Day one	Draining a trap, cleaning up after a backup, emptying a toilet before you pull it.
Larger drum or sectional machine	Add later, or rent	Main lines from a cleanout. Heavy and riskier to run; learn it before you buy one.
Sewer inspection camera with locator	Add later	Shows the customer the root intrusion or belly, and helps you price the repair. Worth it once you clear mains regularly.
Water jetter	Add later	Grease and roots in larger lines. A specialty purchase.

Testing and measuring

Non-contact voltage tester and a multimeter (Day one). Electric water heaters, disposals and recirculation pumps: confirm the power is off before you touch anything.
Hose-thread water pressure gauge (Day one). Check static pressure before you blame a fixture. High pressure is also why you might quote a pressure-reducing valve or a thermal expansion tank.
Leak detection solution and a combustible gas detector (Day one if you touch gas). Every gas connection you make gets checked before you leave.
Thermometer (Day one). Checking water temperature at a fixture after a water heater or mixing valve job.
Test plugs and test gauges (Add later). Drain and water line tests once you start rough-ins and repipes that need inspection.
Manometer (Add later). Gas pressure checks at appliances.
Moisture meter and infrared thermometer (Add later). Tracing hidden leaks and radiant or recirculation problems.

Power tools

Cordless drill/driver and impact driver (Day one). Pick one battery platform and stay on it; shared batteries keep the truck simpler.
Cordless reciprocating saw (Day one). Cutting out old pipe, cast iron with the right blade, framing in the way.
Oscillating multi-tool (Day one). Neat access holes in drywall and flush cuts in tight spots.
Cordless work light (Day one).
Extension cord and a portable GFCI (Day one). On construction sites, OSHA requires ground-fault protection on 120-volt, 15- and 20-amp temporary receptacles used by employees. In a customer's home, it's simply the safe way to run a corded tool near water.
Right-angle drill with self-feed bits (Add later). Boring joists and studs on repipes and remodels.
Rotary hammer (Add later). Anchors and small concrete work; rent a breaker for slab jobs.

Safety gear and PPE

OSHA's construction rules require employers to provide the protective equipment needed when employees using hand and power tools face flying, splashing or abrasive objects, or harmful dusts and fumes. Even before you hire, the same gear protects the person who pays the bills.

Safety glasses with side protection (Day one). OSHA requires eye protection with side protection where there's a hazard from flying objects: cutting, drilling, cabling a drain.
Gloves (Day one): nitrile for sewage and chemicals, leather or the machine maker's recommended gloves for cable machines, cut-resistant gloves for sheet metal and cast iron.
Knee pads (Day one). You'll spend half the day kneeling.
Hearing protection (Day one). Saws, rotary hammers and drain machines in small rooms.
Dust masks or a respirator (Day one). Crawl spaces, attic work, cutting and drilling.
First aid kit (Day one).
Shoe covers and drop cloths (Day one). Not safety gear, but the customer notices.

Truck stock: parts, not tools

The tools get you in the door; the parts on the shelf decide whether you finish today or come back tomorrow. A starting stock for residential service:

Supply and shutoff parts: faucet and toilet supply lines in common lengths, quarter-turn shutoffs (compression and push-fit), a few ball valves.
Toilet parts: wax rings and wax-free seals, closet bolts, flappers, fill valves, flush valve kits, tank-to-bowl kits.
Drain parts: P-traps, slip nuts and washers, tailpieces, rubber couplings, cleanout plugs.
Repair fittings: copper, PEX and PVC couplings, elbows and tees in common sizes, repair couplings, caps and push-fit fittings.
Water heater parts: T&P relief valves, drain valves, flex connectors and the common elements and thermostats you see in your area.
Consumables: solder, flux, primer and cement, thread tape and dope, plumber's putty, silicone, shims, rags, buckets, towels.

Label the bins and restock from your invoices every week. When you notice a part you keep driving to the supply house for, add it to the shelf.

Buy, rent or wait

A simple rule: if a tool would sit unused most months, rent it or refer the job until the demand is there. Large drain machines, breakers and pipe threaders are good candidates. Once a job type comes up every week or two, buying usually pays for itself in saved trips.

Count your tools as part of your startup costs and overhead, not as a free extra. Our guide to starting a plumbing business covers how those costs feed into your prices. And your phone is a tool too: the plumbing apps guide covers code books, calculators and supply house apps worth installing.

One more tool for the truck: Plumbo, now on the App Store and Google Play, turns a voice note into a quote from your own price book and flags forgotten items like an expansion tank, shutoffs or a permit before you send it. Try the 60-second demo →

The short version

On day one you need hand tools for supply and drain connections, cutters and joining tools for the pipe in your area, basic drain cleaning tools, a voltage tester and a pressure gauge, a cordless drill, saw and multi-tool, eye and hand protection, and a shelf of the parts you'll use every week. Add the camera, the big drain machine, the press tool and the threader when the jobs that need them start paying for them.

Sources

OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.300, Tools: general requirements (tool condition; personal protective equipment), checked October 7, 2026.
OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.102, Eye and face protection (side protection for flying objects), checked October 7, 2026.
OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.352, Fire prevention (fire extinguishing equipment for welding, cutting and heating), checked October 7, 2026.
OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.404, Wiring design and protection (ground-fault circuit interrupters on construction sites), checked October 7, 2026.
Boshart Industries, How to make a copper crimp ring PEX connection (square cut, no hacksaw, check every joint with a go/no-go gauge), checked October 7, 2026.