HOW TO HIRE · PLUMBING & HEATING · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a bathroom plumber in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A bathroom plumbing in Ireland costs €300–€1,500 per job, typically around €700. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a bathroom plumber in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers bathroom plumber work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — pipe and Drain Cleaning — regular maintenance of pipes and drains is essential to prevent blockages.
- How does complexity of the job change the price?The more pieces involved, the more there is to go wrong. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does materials used change the price?Bulky materials cost more to get to site. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does plumber's experience change the price?A specialist charges above a generalist for the same hours. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Shower and Bathtub Services — services related to showers and bathtubs encompass installation, repair, and maintenance — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a bathroom plumber job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO PLUMBING ITSELF. Anyone may trade as a plumber. The line that does exist is gas: any work on a gas appliance or gas pipework is restricted to the Registered Gas Installer scheme, and a plumber who is not on it may not touch the gas side of a boiler however competent they are at everything else. Ask which side of that line your job falls on before you book.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Whether any part of the job touches gas — if it does, the gas register applies and a plumbing qualification is not a substitute; A trade qualification or apprenticeship, which is voluntary but checkable; Public liability insurance, and who the insurer is; Whether they carry the parts or price them separately; A written scope naming what is isolated, drained and reinstated; How a leak discovered mid-job changes the price, agreed in advance.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect public liability, and ask specifically about water-damage cover. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers bathroom plumber work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — pipe and Drain Cleaning — regular maintenance of pipes and drains is essential to prevent blockages.
A good answer: The more pieces involved, the more there is to go wrong. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Bulky materials cost more to get to site. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: A specialist charges above a generalist for the same hours. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Shower and Bathtub Services — services related to showers and bathtubs encompass installation, repair, and maintenance — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a bathroom plumber job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability, and ask specifically about water-damage cover — toilet Installation and Repair — this includes the installation of new toilets as well as repairs for issues like clogs or running toilets.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the bathroom plumber starts, and an itemised invoice after — leak Detection and Repair — identifying and fixing leaks in pipes, faucets, and toilets is a crucial aspect of bathroom plumbing.
Getting the quote right
- Complexity of the job — the more pieces involved, the more there is to go wrong.
- Materials used — bulky materials cost more to get to site.
- Plumber's experience — a specialist charges above a generalist for the same hours.
- Condition of existing plumbing — the longer it has been left, the more there is to undo.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: complexity of the job — the more pieces involved, the more there is to go wrong
- They will not talk about it: materials used — bulky materials cost more to get to site
- They will not talk about it: plumber's experience — a specialist charges above a generalist for the same hours
- A price for the bathroom plumber before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the bathroom plumber has begun
What a bathroom plumber costs: €300–€1,500 per job
The figures are for the job, per job, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Toilet installation and Leak repair each carry their own band. Bathroom Plumbing price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Bathroom plumbers near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstComplexity of the job — the more pieces involved, the more there is to go wrong — that is what the bathroom plumber is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneMaterials used — bulky materials cost more to get to site — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfPlumber's experience — a specialist charges above a generalist for the same hours — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherCondition of existing plumbing — the longer it has been left, the more there is to undo — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the bathroom plumber is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, safety standards must be adhered to, especially concerning water and electrical systems.
- Leak Detection and Repair
- Identifying and fixing leaks in pipes, faucets, and toilets is a crucial aspect of bathroom plumbing.
- Toilet Installation and Repair
- This includes the installation of new toilets as well as repairs for issues like clogs or running toilets.
- Shower and Bathtub Services
- Services related to showers and bathtubs encompass installation, repair, and maintenance.
- Pipe and Drain Cleaning
- Regular maintenance of pipes and drains is essential to prevent blockages.
- Leak Repair
- Addresses leaks in pipes, faucets, or fixtures, often requiring the replacement of seals or sections of pipe.
- Drain Cleaning
- Focuses on clearing blockages in bathroom drains using specialised tools to restore proper flow.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a bathroom plumber: questions people ask
The cost can vary based on the complexity of the job, the materials used, and the plumber's experience. For instance, emergency repairs typically cost more due to the urgent nature of the service.
The duration depends on the specific service required. Simple tasks like fixing a leak might take an hour, while more complex installations could take several hours or a full day.
Yes, many plumbers offer emergency services for urgent issues like severe leaks or complete toilet failures. However, these services may come at a premium rate.
Yes, booking several related jobs can often save you time and money. Discussing your needs with the plumber can help them provide a more accurate quote for bundled services.
Out of scope tasks might include extensive structural alterations or major renovations that require additional permits. Always clarify the scope of work with your plumber before starting a project.
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO PLUMBING ITSELF. Anyone may trade as a plumber. The line that does exist is gas: any work on a gas appliance or gas pipework is restricted to the Registered Gas Installer scheme, and a plumber who is not on it may not touch the gas side of a boiler however competent they are at everything else. Ask which side of that line your job falls on before you book.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in plumbing & heating
Bathroom plumbers near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- CRU — RGI and Safe Electric schemes
- CCPC — your rights when you buy a service
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Courts Service — small claims
- Revenue — PLUMBING SERVICES (Private dwellings/Non-residential immovable goods) — Reduced rate
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only