Becoming A Plumber With Intensive Plumbing Courses

No matter what industries are declining or prospering, we can't do without plumbers. The building industry has clearly slowed down, but work in domestic properties is flourishing. Everybody knows of someone who's had difficulty getting hold of a plumber when they needed one. Plus of course even the DIY experts need a professional plumber when it comes to fitting a new bathroom suite. All of which means that re-training for a plumbing career could provide you with a very secure future.

FREE In-Depth Training and Career Report

Whatever your starting point, once you've picked up the skills you need and got the appropriate certifications, you can start to make money. To help you gain a better understanding of the different training paths available, we've written a very useful e-book that you can access without charge.

It will make sense of all the course features offered by the various plumbing trainers. Get your copy of the report first, and familiarise yourself with the details. Then come back to this site and take a look at a number of the training colleges featured on the page. A shortcut if you want to bookmark the page is Ctrl D.

Run Your Own Business

A career change into the plumbing industry is often prompted by the desire to have a small self-run business. Most people training today will take on small domestic contracts in their local area. It stands to reason that this is the case because the jobs and the money never dry up for committed and diligent workers.

As with all the trades, good plumbers pick up a lot of their business via recommendations from satisfied customers. Working for yourself means getting on well with everyone around you. Present yourself well, and work can come from surprising sources. Treating customers respectfully and courteously will always reap rewards.

As a rule, those working for commercial plumbers will put in around 37-40 hours, Mon-Fri only. Domestic plumbers are best not to restrict themselves too rigidly though. It can be quite difficult for some people to stay at home during the day waiting for a plumber, which means they're sometimes prepared to pay more for evening call-outs.

Rewarding Work For Years To Come...

If security and a decent income are high on your agenda, you must have skills that everybody needs. Good plumbers fit that bill. It's fair to say that your days are filled with solving people's problems - if someone's had a burst pipe, or no water for hours, they'll welcome you like a long lost son! Obviously you only need to take on the work you want to do, although it's not a good idea to be too picky at first!

To be competitive but still make decent money you'll need to get good at quoting accurately for jobs. You can either charge a daily rate, or a price for the job. Whichever you do, make sure you've included all your expenses.

Once you've done a few, it will all become very routine. Private training companies sometimes feature a course on working for yourself.

Which Is Best For Me?

Look for industry recognised City & Guilds courses. These are available from both technical colleges and private training companies. Youngsters generally try to find a company to work with so they can complete NVQ qualifications alongside their C&G's.

Older students generally enrol on part time courses and study around their existing commitments. This is why the various plumbing training companies offer courses that students can go through in their own time.

Commercial trainers have higher fees than FE colleges, but students can progress more quickly if they purely concentrate on the skills needed for self-employed domestic work.

Supplementary Skills

With a basic qualification you'll be able to work on a range of plumbing jobs. Most colleges also offer additional skills training which you could consider if you want to offer a bigger package to your customers. If you take Part P for example you'll comply with the regulations for domestic electrical work.

If you have a broad ranging skill-set you'll be more in demand. You can service more clients' needs, and make more money each month. Customers will be happier if they only have you to deal with - it's much more straightforward than trying to juggle several trades.

To sum up, if you're seeking a new career in a popular and well-paid sector, with job satisfaction and long-term security, you could just find your ideal work is plumbing.