Introduction

Plumbers install water, drainage, waste disposal, heating and gas systems (and appliances) in houses and public buildings. They may work for one of several local council departments, such as building maintenance, property services, housing or environmental services. They usually work in teams of skilled craftspeople, supervised by a building services supervisor.

Work Environment

Most of the work takes place indoors, often in people’s homes. However tasks such as repairs to rainwater and drainage systems will require some outdoor work. There may be some work at heights, either on ladders or scaffolding. They may have to work in small, confined spaces such as lofts and bathrooms.

Plumbers work a 37-hour week, but must be prepared to work overtime and assist with out-of-hours emergency call outs.

Daily Activities

Plumbers carry out a variety of tasks depending on the location of the work or the department to which they are allocated. They may carry out some or all of the following:

• working to plans and diagrams to install piping and drainage systems;
• fitting new pipes, toilets, radiators, cold water tanks, kitchen and bathroom appliances, central heating systems, waste disposal units, etc.;
• searching for the cause of problems and diagnosing faults;
• deciding on the most appropriate materials and methods to use;
• mending leaks, replacing piping or valves and unblocking pipes and drains;
• using a range of hand and power tools to cut, bend and join (via welding or soldering) metal and plastic pipes;
• weatherproofing roofs, pipes and gutters with plastics or metal;
• checking and testing all work to ensure that it has been carried out properly and conforms to regulations;
• carrying out repairs on a call-out basis, sometimes responding to emergencies;
• ensuring that response times to all call-outs are met;
• completing paperwork and ensuring that all worksheets and documents are submitted correctly and on time.

Skills & Interests

Plumbers need to be:

• practical and good with their hands,
• able to follow diagrams and plans,
• physically fit and strong,
• presentable, trustworthy and polite, especially when working in people’s homes,
• flexible, with the ability to work well as part of a team or on their own initiative,
• able to drive,
• aware of health and safety regulations,
• able to organise their workload and work to deadlines.

Entry Requirements

Applicants will often need to be qualified, either with relevant City and Guilds qualifications, or N/SVQs. You may also need some previous experience in a building services environment. Additionally, you may need GCSEs/S Grades or equivalent in maths and possibly technology.

Some councils ask for their plumbers to have Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) accreditation.

You are also likely to need a full driving licence.

Some councils take on trainees who have the opportunity to train whilst working. You may be able to work towards N/SVQs or an Apprenticeship.

Estimated salary range

£18,500 – £19,700, plus bonuses or additional payments at overtime rates.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

With experience, plumbers may be able to progress to supervisory jobs or roles within building services or construction management. With the right training they may also be able to move into building services/maintenance engineering.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Building Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

SummitSkills www.summitskills.org.uk

British Plumbing Employers’ Council www.bpec.org.uk

Institute of Plumbing www.plumbers.org.uk

Council for Registered Gas Installers http://www.trustcorgi.com/Pages/default.aspx

Construction Skills www.citb.co.uk

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library – under BB.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Plumber vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.