Scotland's plumbers at 'breaking point' with seven in ten firms struggling to recruit

Daily Record

14-05-2025

Scotland's plumbing profession has reached 'breaking point' with seven in ten firms struggling to recruit skilled workers leading to the cost of emergency call-outs soaring. The Plumbing and Heating Federation issued the warning amid fears a 'critical' shortage of workers - despite rising demand for plumbers - is causing prices to surge and could lead to a rise in rogue traders.
As of April 2025, the average call-out fee for an emergency plumber was £110, according to home improvement index Checkatrade and the average hourly rate for a plumber was £50. A study in 2022 by the firm also found the cost of an average plumbing job had soared by 19 per cent - or around £70 - to stand at about £434.
The Federation has now demanded swift government intervention to address a workforce crisis which has seen recruitment of apprentices flatline, citing years of ministerial 'inaction'. Chief executive Fiona Hodgson said: 'The plumbing and heating profession is at breaking point.
'We are now seeing the cumulative impact of government inaction, with funding support frozen for more than eight years.
'Our members continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience amid ongoing global economic uncertainty, but resilience alone cannot replace the need for a skilled and sustainable workforce.
'Our employers have continued to sound the alarm: they cannot find the people they need, and too few have the resources to train the next generation.'
The Federation also warned the sector's struggles 'threaten the nation's economic resilience' amid the drive to build more houses and retrofit homes and buildings to meet climate targets.
Hodgson added: 'Without urgent government action, our capacity to deliver on housing, infrastructure and net zero targets will begin to manifest in the next two to three years.'
The latest State of Trade report from the industry group, also known as the Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation (SNIPEF), found 69 per cent of firms reported low availability of skilled professionals.
Meanwhile, fewer than a quarter plan to recruit an apprentice over the next six months.
The report, based on three consecutive quarters of survey data, also found just 21 per cent of businesses say they're likely to increase staffing at all, with many citing cost pressures, with 47 per cent gloomy about the country's overall economic outlook.
It comes despite rising demand for plumbing services since the Covid pandemic as homeowners began clearing their maintenance backlogs.
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SNIPEF warned last year the rising cost of materials and fuel, a shortage of skilled workers and the National Insurance squeeze on employers were all piling pressure on the sector.
Logic4Training, the UK's leading training provider for tradesmen, has predicted these factors will continue to cause 'elevated service charges'.
Hodgson warned the 'deeper systemic issue' was the 'chronic underfunding of further education and apprenticeships ' which she insisted demands urgent attention at Holyrood.
She said: 'Policymakers continue to talk about the value of apprenticeships and the green transition, yet the very trades needed to deliver them are being starved of support.
'If we are serious about installing low-carbon heating systems and driving social and economic mobility, we need thousands more trained professionals.
'That starts with investing in apprenticeships now, not two or three years down the line.'
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We are engaging industries and employers across the country, and will continue to do so as we reform the skills system and introduce a new skills planning approach, which will enable targeted action to address national and regional skills requirements.
'Recognising the need to address current skills needs while reforming the system, we are providing £185million this year to support apprenticeships. But we are also looking at how we secure maximum benefit from this investment, including how public funding is utilised.
' Brexit is a major driver of skills gaps and is holding Scotland back, in addition to current UK immigration policy, which is why we continue to propose a tailored approach to migration for Scotland to ensure that we can benefit from the skills of people who want to live and work here.'