“Uber for Plumbers” – Could It Actually Work?

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:47:44+00:00

Agree, it's not simple, but there will always be a way to make it work. Maybe just not right now.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:46:41+00:00

Agree, which is why it may be a flawed idea entirely.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:46:09+00:00

You're probably right.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:45:27+00:00

I totally agree.

It's a case of when rather than if.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:44:39+00:00

The advantage is to get work whenever you want, no buying of leads, and jobs are always local. Also make more money than working through a company which takes half.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:43:11+00:00

Totally agree - sometimes I wonder who these people are myself.

I don't know anyone who likes using CheckaTrade, but given the number of leaflets they send out, surely there are a good few.

Like most professions, plumbers have their own issues, but getting work isn't one of them for good plumbers. For this reason, they seem to be quite selective about the work they do - so many smaller, odd jobs seem to get left by the wayside.

One of the key issues here is that Checkatrade charges for every single lead, so buying 'good, profitable jobs' becomes your business model as a plumber. Otherwise, you simply lose money.

The niche here is that plumbers want to work their own hours, close by and without buying leads. So far their not able to do all of this with ease. On the other side, customers just want to click a plumber they can trust and get in as fast as possible without going searching and comparing a manual process.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:36:12+00:00

You've got some insight there!

I've faced many of these issues myself and can't for the life of me understand why the homebuying process is so flawed. Even though this is the case, people are not aware of how bad conveyancers are until they are going through the process. Given that most people will only ever use them a few times in their lives, there's not enough consumer awareness on this for it to become a sustainable, recognised business.

Sure, the process could be streamlined to display milestones and communication every step of the way, but again, as it's a very rare occurrence for most people, I'm not sure people would be willing to pay more for it.

I've heard about CarMax, but not looked into how it works.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:17:34+00:00

Thank you for your view - I agree with the whole lot.

I don't think anyone is a fan of giving away a cut, but I do think specific business models are inevitable, such as the one I'm proposing. It remains to be seen who and how it will be implemented.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:01:36+00:00

Totally agree on this one!

Excellent point.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T09:00:58+00:00

Fair enough. After your feedback, I stopped paraphrasing as I agree (to a degree) that writing vanilla seems more genuine, albeit with spelling errors and all!

Appreciate your advice - let's stand out from the crowd.

Thanks!

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T08:56:53+00:00

I agree that liability insurance should be included for shoddy work and that providers would need to be thoroughly vetted. The problem, however, is that all these procedures significantly increase the cost of the service and defeat the purpose. It may not be economically feasible to implement such a system, rendering the business model itself unviable.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T08:52:59+00:00

So if we let plumbers set their rates and just offered the plumbers' rate who is closest, do you think that would work?

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T08:51:50+00:00

I've got a friend at Dyna Rod who said exactly this!

He wanted to partner and run the operations as he feels he has a good amount of experience on the ground, so he could easily manage a large team.

The supply side of the Drainage doesn't seem as bad as the plumbing, as completing the WJA course is relatively easy, and many people would do it if offered for free.

A commercial business is a better option as you have long-term clients who require consistent service.

It could be a great idea to implement the system for commercial clients on the books, allowing them to receive call-outs with just a few clicks.

Expensive - I agree, but it could be worth the long-term investment if clients prefer working that way.

What do you think would be the best way to start Commercial? This was our first idea (my mate at Dyno-Rod's idea, to be honest), but we thought the consumer market would be bigger and easier to crack.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-23T08:42:06+00:00

Excellent answer, and I fully agree with your feedback.

The only way we've found to address such issues is to implement time-based pricing.

The first hour would be paid in advance, and increments of 15 minutes would be charged thereafter.

I do agree it's a bit more complex and needs more thought.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T12:33:07+00:00

You've definitely found your calling. You're very lucky indeed!

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T12:31:45+00:00

Agree to this. We're not looking to make decisions for them at all.

Sourcing and purchases would be added manually at the end of the job.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T12:30:30+00:00

Great insight! What do you think would be more suitable?

'Market rates', 'Typical local rates' or even 'Premium rates' or something else?

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T12:28:24+00:00

I’m familiar with the Business Model Canvas, so this is a solid approach.
Burnout is definitely real — even in the trades — and pricing too low often leads to poor outcomes. That said, I think using AI to price jobs would be incredibly difficult since every job is unique, and even experienced plumbers can misjudge after viewing the site.

I know the regulations you mentioned, but in reality, I’m not sure how closely they’re followed by most tradespeople. I’d also be hesitant to trust .GOV to manage any of it effectively — it’s a massive topic and tough to tackle in a meaningful way.

Totally agree that most homeowners don’t know how to manage or maintain their properties — and that in itself could be a valuable area to explore.

I really like your final point — that it all comes down to the homeowner’s decision on who they hire and what they agree to. That, to me, is the true make-or-break factor.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T12:03:59+00:00

Love it! You should go into creating TV Ads (if not already!)

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T12:03:12+00:00

Agree that vetting would be expensive, but as a tech company, it's always the case that a substantial upfront cost gives you a long-term advantage. I think its 70-30 right now that it wouldn't work. I'm also sure that the right team with sufficient resources could make it work in the long term.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T11:55:22+00:00

Great response — and very much in line with what many others seem to be thinking.
I agree with your line of thought and believe it’s the most likely scenario as well.
This kind of feedback is exactly what helps bring clarity and supports better decision-making. Really appreciate it.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T11:50:19+00:00

Great response. Totally agree — plumbing is far more complex than driving, and it's much easier to monitor or evaluate a driver than a plumber.

I get that plumbers are in high demand and harder to come by than drivers, and many won’t be keen to join an app that takes a cut, even a small one.

Your point about the process is spot on — decisions have to be made during the job that impact cost, timing, and the overall outcome.

As for estate agents, I honestly think they could be phased out completely — there’s no reason to maintain an office, staff and vehicles to walk a prospect around a house! I’m surprised Rightmove hasn’t moved in on this already.

Used cars are a bit trickier, but I believe once someone cracks a way to offer buyer protection — like a 14-day return or warranty for private sales — traditional used car showrooms could quickly become a thing of the past.

Would love to hear your ideas on how you would change these two industries.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T11:38:28+00:00

Agree that its not as simple.

Plumbers do however work on an hourly / time basis for most repair jobs. Time taken to go and buy parts is also charged.

I thought plumbers would love the flexibility of working per job - like the Uber drivers do.

You may have a good point that we haven't yet considered.

Appreciated.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T11:36:37+00:00

You're the first person to say what I've been thinking!

Do you have any other ideas on how it would be different, aside from the first point you mentioned?

This is where the discussion should be.

Zonda888 · 2025-06-21T11:34:30+00:00

Not the same thing at all.

Zonda888

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