1. Google presence — website and GBP
This is the highest-ROI long-term channel for most plumbing businesses. Someone searching "emergency plumber Sheffield" at 9pm has a problem right now and is going to call one of the first results they see. Being in the Local Pack or on page one of organic results at that moment is worth more than any other marketing activity.
The foundation is a website with individual service pages (emergency plumber, boiler installation, bathroom fitting, drain unblocking — separate pages, not one combined services page) and a verified, complete Google Business Profile. Gas Safe registration visible above the fold. Real photos of completed work. Reviews from real customers.
It takes 3-6 months to build up strong local rankings from scratch. Start before you need the work. See our SEO for plumbers guide for the full detail.
2. Asking for referrals explicitly
Most referrals happen when you ask for them. Most plumbers don't ask. At the end of every job, after the customer has seen the work and is satisfied, say: "If you know anyone else who needs a plumber, we'd love it if you could mention us."
That's it. Simple, not pushy, and it works. Most satisfied customers would be happy to recommend you — they just need the prompt. Without it, many people mean to mention you but forget.
Pair this with leaving two or three business cards: one for the customer to keep and one or two to pass on. "Keep this in case you need us again, and pass one on if you know anyone."
3. Business cards after every job
A business card left at every completed job is ongoing low-cost advertising. Neighbours see your van while you're working. The customer keeps your card and calls again when they need you next year. Their friends ask who did the new bathroom. A card that's still in the kitchen drawer 18 months later can generate a call.
Print 500 cards and use them. Include your Gas Safe number, your phone, website and WhatsApp. A QR code linking to your Google review page on the back converts satisfied customers into reviewers.
4. Google Ads for emergency keywords
Organic rankings take time to build. Google Ads gives immediate visibility for specific search terms. For plumbing, the high-value terms are: "emergency plumber [town]", "burst pipe [town]", "no hot water [town]", "boiler breakdown [town]".
Cost per click in competitive areas runs £8-25 for plumbing terms. That sounds expensive, but a single emergency callout converting to a boiler replacement (£2,000-4,000 job) more than justifies it. Run ads while your organic rankings are building, then scale back once Google is generating consistent organic enquiries.
Google Ads only works well with a proper website behind it. Sending paid clicks to a thin landing page or a Facebook page wastes money. The landing page needs to load fast, show your Gas Safe number and reviews, and make it easy to call.
5. Boiler service reminders
If you've serviced a boiler, you know when it's due again — roughly 12 months later. A simple reminder system (a spreadsheet or a free CRM like HubSpot) lets you send a WhatsApp or text to customers 11 months after their last service: "Hi [Name], it's been about a year since we serviced your boiler — would you like to book it in for this autumn?"
The conversion rate on this is high. The customer already knows and trusts you. They were going to need a service anyway. You're just being the first to ask. Annual servicing revenue turns one-off emergency customers into a recurring income stream.
6. WhatsApp status updates
Your WhatsApp status is visible to everyone in your contacts. Posting occasional updates — a before and after bathroom photo, a note that you have availability in a certain area next week — keeps you visible to previous customers without being intrusive. It takes 30 seconds and can prompt enquiries from people who weren't actively looking but now remember they meant to get that dripping tap sorted.
7. Checkatrade and Rated People as gap-fillers
These platforms have their place — primarily in the early months of a business when you need work immediately and the Google presence isn't established yet. Leads are shared with other plumbers, the fees add up, and you don't own the customer relationship. Use them to fill quiet periods. Don't build your business model around them.
What doesn't work for plumbers
Yellow Pages and Yell paid listings: very few people use these to find a plumber now. The basic free citation is worth having; the paid listing rarely justifies the cost.
Flyer drops: very low response rates for trades work. Time-consuming and the cost per enquiry is high.
Facebook advertising: Facebook ads can work for planned work (bathroom renovations with long decision cycles) but rarely for emergency plumbing. The person with a burst pipe is on Google, not scrolling Facebook. Local Facebook community groups are different — organic mentions from satisfied customers in local groups are free and valuable.