Swedish study: What does a plumber charge per hour? Ask what the job costs instead

> Swedish research: The figures below come from firms in Sweden and are shown in Swedish kronor (SEK). They are not US or UK prices. Swedish tax relief and registration rules do not apply to US or UK projects. For local planning ranges, use our US/UK price guides and request local quotes.

*By Oscar Aston Brovall*

Call three plumbers and ask what they charge per hour, and you'll get three variations of the same answer: it depends. Ask instead what it costs to replace your kitchen tap, and suddenly there are figures.

That's the most useful finding from the plumbing section of Marketit's review of 142 tradespeople and removal firms. Of 32 plumbing firms across eight cities, only 13% published an hourly rate. But several of the rest had detailed fixed-price lists instead: one price for the tap, one for the dishwasher, one for the toilet. The hourly rate stays secret, yet the job still has a price tag.

The hourly rates we did find

The standard hourly rates we found in the main sample were all in Uppsala, for some reason the most price-transparent city in our review for both electrical and plumbing work. The lowest published rate: SEK 560 per hour after the ROT deduction (a Swedish tax relief for home renovation labour costs). At the other end, a call-out firm at SEK 1,400.

Few data points, so treat them as examples. Still, the levels match how quotes tend to land: planned plumbing work on weekdays usually falls around SEK 600 to 900 per hour including VAT, before ROT. Call-outs are their own price category, more on that shortly.

The fixed price is often the better deal

A fixed price on a well-defined job removes the risk of a stuck fitting turning two hours into five on your invoice. It also makes firms genuinely comparable. A fast plumber with a high hourly rate might well be the cheapest overall, but you'd never see that in a rate comparison.

So when you're calling around, don't ask for the hourly rate. Ask what your job costs. Many firms without prices on their website actually have a ready-made fixed price for exactly what you need.

Call-outs cost more — plan around them if you can

Call-out rates in the review ranged from SEK 800 to 1,400 per hour, against SEK 560 and up for planned work. Roughly double.

A burst pipe needs dealing with immediately, no choice there. But a dripping tap or a slow drain can usually wait until next week, at roughly half the hourly cost. The single biggest saving in plumbing is booking ahead instead of calling emergency callout.

ROT and the small items that add up

Plumbing work in your home normally qualifies for the ROT deduction, 30% of the labour cost. SEK 800 per hour becomes about SEK 560 for you. Materials and travel costs aren't covered, and the firm needs F-tax status (Sweden's approved-trader tax registration).

Call-out charges deserve their own question with plumbers specifically, since many jobs are short. A SEK 500 call-out fee on a two-hour job effectively adds SEK 250 to the hourly cost. Also ask about minimum billing, one or two hours' worth is common even for quarter-hour jobs.

And if you need help finding the right firm: describe the job on Marketit, and you'll be matched with plumbers who can take it on. Free for private individuals.

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*This article is based on Marketit's review of 142 tradespeople and removal firms, July 2026. Marketit matches private individuals with the right company, free for consumers.*