Price increase letter to plumbing customers
Copy it, replace the bracketed bits, send it. Below the letter: the text-message version, how much notice to give, and what to say when they push back.
Hi [NAME], A quick heads-up as you are on my regular list. From [DATE] my rate goes from [OLD RATE] to [NEW RATE] an hour, and the callout from [OLD] to [NEW]. Anything I have already quoted you stands at the quoted price — this only affects new work. Merchant prices, van costs, insurance and certification have all moved, and I would rather adjust the rate than start rushing jobs or skipping the tidy-up at the end. You are on the priority list either way — if you ring me with no heat, you still get seen first. [YOUR NAME] [BUSINESS NAME]
immediate for new quotes; honour anything already quoted
£5–£15 on the hourly rate, or a full day-rate rework
The text-message version
For the customers whose entire relationship with you lives in a phone. Send it before the visit, never on the invoice.
Hi [NAME], [YOUR NAME] here. From [DATE] my rate goes to [NEW RATE]/hr — anything already quoted stays as quoted. You're still on the priority list for emergencies. Any questions give me a ring.
Why it is going up, in words you can use
“Rising costs” persuades nobody because everyone says it. Name the actual driver in plumbing and heating instead:
- parts and merchant prices moved and have not come back down
- van, tools, insurance and gas certification all cost more
- most sole traders set their rate years ago and have never revisited it
When they push back
You will hear these within a week. Having the answer ready is the difference between holding the price and folding on the phone.
- "That's more than I paid last time."
- "It is — that was [YEAR] and the rate has not moved since." Most customers have no idea how long it has been, and saying the year does more work than any explanation of costs.
- "I can get a man in for [LOW RATE]."
- "You can, and for a simple job that might be fine. Mine includes [GAS SAFE / PART GUARANTEE / COMING BACK IF IT FAILS], which is the bit that matters when it goes wrong." Then stop talking.
Is a price rise even the right move for you?
Sometimes it is not. Sometimes the money is in a service plan for customers you already have, or in the job you are quoting below cost without realising. Describe your business in one sentence and you will get three specific moves back — priced per month, with the arithmetic written out so you can put your own numbers in.
Free, no signup, about thirty seconds. If one of them is a price rise, you will get the number to put in the brackets above.
Give me three movesOther trades
A template, not legal advice. If you have a written contract with these customers, check what it says about notice periods and price changes before you send anything — the contract wins over any template, including this one.