How to Get More Google Reviews as a Plumber

When someone's kitchen is flooding at 9pm, they don't shop around. They search "emergency plumber near me", look at the top three results, and call the one with the most reviews.

That's why reviews matter more for plumbers than for almost any other trade. Here's how to get more of them without changing the way you work.

Why plumbers struggle to get reviews

• Emergency jobs end at awkward times. You've fixed the leak at 10pm. The customer is exhausted, you're exhausted, and nobody's thinking about reviews.
• Lots of small jobs. A dripping tap, a blocked toilet, a new washer. Each one feels too small to ask about.
• You're straight on to the next job. By the time you're home, you've forgotten who you saw that morning.

The result is familiar: hundreds of happy customers, a handful of Google reviews, and a competitor down the road with five times as many.

Emergency jobs: ask the next morning

Emergency customers are some of the most grateful people you'll ever work for. You turned up when they needed you and stopped the water coming through the ceiling. But don't ask while they're mopping up.

Send a text the next morning instead. They've slept, the panic is over, and they still remember exactly how relieved they felt.

"Hi James, hope everything's dry this morning. Thanks for calling us out last night. If you were happy with how we sorted it, a quick Google review would really help: [link]"

Planned work: ask the same day

For bathroom installs, boiler replacements and other planned jobs, ask a few hours after you finish. The customer's just got their first hot shower in the new bathroom. It's the perfect moment.

These bigger jobs are where reviews do the most work, too. Someone spending several thousand pounds on a new boiler or bathroom reads reviews carefully before they pick a plumber.

Small jobs are where the numbers are

Don't skip the small stuff. A plumber doing 20 small jobs a week who asks every customer will build a review count far faster than one who only asks after big installs.

And small-job reviews are surprisingly persuasive. "Came out the same day, fixed it in twenty minutes, didn't overcharge" is exactly what the next person with a dripping tap wants to read.

Annual servicing customers

If you do boiler servicing, you've got customers you see every year. Ask them once, after the first service, and never again. A customer who's used you for five years and leaves a review saying so is gold.

If you've got a long list of servicing customers who've never been asked, ask them as their next service comes round. That spreads the requests across the year naturally.

Landlords and letting agents

Rental work brings a lot of jobs, but letting agents rarely leave reviews. Private landlords who use you regularly are a better bet, especially if you're their go-to for all their properties.

Most of your reviews will come from homeowners. Focus your effort there.

Handling reviews about price

Plumbers get more reviews complaining about price than most trades, usually from emergency call-outs where the customer didn't expect the out-of-hours rate.

The best defence is to be upfront about your call-out charge before you arrive. If a price complaint does come in, reply calmly and explain without arguing:

"Thanks for your feedback. Our out-of-hours rate covers having an engineer available evenings and weekends, and we always confirm it on the phone before we set off. I'm sorry it came as a surprise. Please give me a call if you'd like to talk it through."

Future customers reading that reply will see a business that's fair and transparent. For more wording, see our review reply templates.

Get your profile right

• Choose "Plumber" as your primary category. Add secondary categories such as "Heating contractor" if they fit
• Show if you offer emergency call-outs and set your opening hours accurately
• Mention Gas Safe registration in your description if you work on gas appliances
• Add photos of finished bathrooms, neat pipework and boiler installs

Our Google Business Profile setup guide walks through the rest.

What not to do

• Don't offer money off for reviews. It breaks Google's rules.
• Don't ask for 5 stars. Just ask for an honest review.
• Don't ask more than twice. One request and one reminder. Then move on.
• Don't leave reviews for yourself or get friends to. Fake reviews are illegal under UK consumer law.

The bottom line

Every plumber does good work. The ones who get the calls are the ones with the reviews to prove it. Ask every customer, emergency or planned, big job or small, and your review count will look after itself.

Want to know what you're aiming for? See how many Google reviews you need to rank in the Map Pack.