Plumbing service agreement template
Plumbing hides behind walls and under slabs, so the price the customer hears at the door isn't always the price of the job. This agreement covers a service call or a defined job, from a drain clearing to a water heater swap, and spells out what happens when you open a wall and find more. Read it below, then fill it in and send it from SignMaster.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Customer
- Plumbing company
Plumbing Service Agreement
This Plumbing Service Agreement (the "Agreement") is made on Agreement date between Plumbing company name, license number License number (the "Company"), and Customer name (the "Customer").
1. Work address and problem
Work address: Work address. Problem reported: Problem reported.
2. The work
The Company will: Work to be done. Fixtures, equipment and materials to be installed: Fixtures and materials, supplied by Who supplies fixtures. Work not described here is not included.
3. Service call fee
A service call fee of Service call fee covers the trip and the time to find the cause. It is owed whether or not the Customer approves the work. Amount of the fee credited toward approved work: Service fee credit.
4. Price
The Company fills in one of these:
- Flat rate: Flat-rate price for the work in section 2, including the Company's materials.
- Time and materials: Hourly rate per hour plus materials, up to a total of Not-to-exceed amount unless the Customer approves more in writing.
Work the Customer asks for on an emergency call at night, on a weekend or on a holiday is billed at Emergency hourly rate per hour.
5. Older and hidden plumbing
Older pipes, valves and fittings, including galvanized steel, cast iron and polybutylene, can crack, leak or break when they are turned, cut or handled, even with careful work. If that happens, the Company will stop, explain and quote the repair, and the Customer will decide whether to go ahead. Problems found behind walls, under floors or underground are not included in the price and will be quoted before they are repaired.
6. Walls, floors and cabinets
If pipes must be reached through a wall, ceiling, floor or cabinet, the Company will open only what is needed. Patching, texturing, painting, tiling and floor repair are not included unless listed here: Restoration included. The Customer will clear the work area and move belongings and valuables before work starts.
7. Drains and sewer lines
Clearing a drain or sewer line restores flow on the day of service. It is not a promise that the line will stay clear, especially where there are tree roots, grease, a broken or sagging pipe, or a damaged connection. If the Company recommends a camera inspection, its price is Camera inspection price.
8. Water shutoff and damage
The Customer will allow the water supply to be shut off while the work is done. The Company is responsible for water damage caused by its own work, but not for damage that existed before it arrived or that comes from other parts of the plumbing. Existing damage noted before work started: Existing damage noted.
9. Permits and code items
Permit arrangements for this work: Permit arrangements. If the building code requires added items to finish the job lawfully, such as an expansion tank, a drain pan, a backflow device or new venting, the Company will tell the Customer and quote them before installing.
10. Warranty
The Company warrants its labor for Labor warranty period from completion. Water heaters, fixtures and other products carry only their manufacturer's warranty. The Company does not warrant products the Customer supplied, and labor to remove and reinstall a product under a manufacturer's claim after the labor warranty ends is billed at the hourly rate.
11. Payment and general terms
Payment is due when the work is complete, by Payment methods. If this Agreement was signed at the Customer's home and the law gives a right to cancel, the Company will provide a written notice explaining how. This Agreement is the whole agreement for this work, may be changed only in writing signed by both parties, and is governed by the laws of the state of State. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
Customer contact details
Phone: Customer phone Email: Customer email
I understand sections 5 and 6: older plumbing can fail when handled, and wall or floor repair isn't included unless it is listed.
Customer
For the Company
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why plumbers need it in writing
A homeowner calls about a dripping shutoff, you put a wrench on it, and the old galvanized pipe behind it snaps. Without a signed agreement, that's your problem. With one, the customer already agreed that old pipes and fittings can fail when handled and that the extra repair is quoted separately. The same goes for a sewer line full of roots, where clearing it today isn't a promise that it stays clear.
Use it for service calls, fixture installs, water heater replacements, repiping a section, and drain and sewer work. For a remodel where plumbing is one trade among several, use the bathroom remodel contract or the kitchen remodel contract.
What the template covers
- The job: the address, the problem, and the work written specifically, like replace the gas water heater in the garage rather than "fix hot water."
- Pricing: the service call fee, then a flat-rate price or an hourly rate with a cap, plus an emergency rate for nights and weekends.
- Old and hidden plumbing: galvanized, cast iron and polybutylene pipe can fail when touched, and anything found behind walls is quoted before it's repaired.
- Wall and floor access: you cut what you need to reach the pipe, and patching drywall, tile or flooring isn't included unless it's written in.
- Drains and sewers: clearing a line isn't a guarantee it stays clear, with a price for a camera inspection when roots or a sag are suspected.
- Permits and code items: who pulls the permit, and that items code may require, like an expansion tank or drain pan, are quoted before they're installed.
- Water damage: you answer for leaks your work causes, not for damage that was already there.
- Warranty: your labor warranty, the maker's warranty on products, and no warranty on fixtures the customer bought.
Mistakes that turn into callbacks
- Calling a drain cleaning a fix. Roots grow back. Write that the line was cleared on that date, and recommend a camera if it keeps happening.
- Opening a wall without saying who closes it. Most customers assume you'll patch and paint. Price it, or exclude it in writing.
- Giving full warranty on a faucet the customer bought online. Warrant your labor and leave the product to its maker.
- Skipping the permit on a water heater. Many places require one, and an unpermitted install can surface when the house is sold or the heater fails.
- Not noting existing damage. Write down the stain under the sink before you start, or it becomes your leak.
Flat rate or hourly
If you price from a flat-rate book, fill in the flat price and leave the hourly lines empty. If you bill time and materials, fill in the rate and the not-to-exceed amount instead. Either way, the customer sees and approves a number before the work starts.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Add it to your templates
Choose Use this template. The customer and your company are already set up as signers, with the customer signing first.
- 2
Price the job at the door
Fill in the gray blanks on your phone: the problem, the work, and either the flat price or the hourly rate and cap. Your service call fee and emergency rate can be set once and stay the same on every job.
- 3
Get the customer's approval
Use Sign in person to hand over your phone, or email the link if the owner isn't home. The customer adds their phone and email, checks the box about old pipes and wall access, and signs.
- 4
Countersign and start
You sign last and the job is approved. Both of you get the PDF with a certificate of completion showing when each signature was made.
- 5
If the wall reveals more
When opening up shows a second leak or a rotted drain, send a short change order for the added work rather than relying on a spoken okay.
Property managers and repeat customers
A property manager might approve water heater replacements across a dozen units at once. Put each unit's address, work and price in a row of a spreadsheet and bulk send one agreement per unit, each with its own numbers. If the manager approves everything for the owner, put the manager's name and email on every row.
Questions? Answers.
Should a plumber charge a service call fee?
Most do, and it's easiest to collect when the customer agreed to it before you diagnosed anything. Section 3 states the fee, that it's owed even if they decline the work, and how much is credited when they go ahead.
Who is responsible for drywall after a plumbing repair?
Whoever the contract names. This template leaves patching and finishing walls, floors and tile out of the price unless you list it in section 6, so the customer knows to plan for it.
Can the customer cancel after signing at home?
Sometimes. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule and state laws can allow three business days to cancel a sale made at the home, though some repair visits the customer asked for are excluded. Extra work sold on that visit can still fall under the rule.
Does the warranty cover the water heater itself?
The heater carries its manufacturer's warranty. This template warrants your installation labor for the period you choose, and says that labor for a manufacturer's claim after that is billed.