Building a bathroom or carrying out any plumbing work in Spain no longer costs the same as it did a few years ago. The same thing happens as in other sectors such as electricity, where previously changing an electrical installation could cost much less than it does now. The rise in prices, the cost of materials and the management of the business itself have completely changed the panorama. This is explained by Ema, a plumber from Valencia who has shared a detailed breakdown of current rates on her TikTok profile (@ema.fontanera.val), while also leaving a clear warning: “You have to learn not to lose money. You can’t throw prices to the ground because otherwise you will go bankrupt.”
The professional insists that many workers in the sector are not updating their rates despite inflation: “Everyone is asking me for this list of plumbing prices… especially for new ones who are starting out and also for old ones who… have to fix their prices based on inflation.”
These are the current prices for plumbing services
The video details everything from the most basic jobs to complete installations. For example, in small services, such as changing a square wrench, the plumber says that “the minimum is 30 euros for the trip… plus 20 euros… total 50 euros.” Of course, he explains that there are jobs so undervalued that it is not worth doing them, since “if you get a bill for 20 euros, you are losing money, it is not worth it.”
Other common jobs have similar prices:
- Change a sink trap: “€60” in total.
- Double sink siphon: up to “€105” with displacement.
- Install a faucet: “€50”, or “€80 more if you are going to look for it yourself”.
- Shower faucet: between “€75 and €120”.
When it comes to larger equipment, prices go up:
- Electric water heater: “€140”, or “minimum €180 if you buy it”.
- Gas heater: from “€190”.
- Watertight heater: minimum “€250”, which can reach “€350 if the roof has to be opened**”.
- Boiler: between “€450 and €600”.
It also details the cost of installing toilets:
- Toilet: “€130”.
- Bidet: between “€110 and €120”.
- Sink: “€90”.
- Bathroom furniture: “€140”.
To this we must add other more complex jobs, such as construction or breakdowns:
- Work point: “€210”.
- Search for an escape: “from €150”.
- Change of downpipe: “minimum €500”.
- Change of meter: from “€300”.
Even administrative procedures have a cost: “I won’t do a water bulletin… for less than €120.”
“When you go to work you have to earn money”
But the plumber not only wants to talk about prices without further ado, but he also wants to draw the attention of the self-employed above all, since they do not always act as they should in their businesses and being a plumber is not the same as being a businessman. Remember that being a good professional is not enough: “Being a good plumber… does not mean that you are a good entrepreneur.”
In this sense, he insists that there are many invisible costs: travel, time searching for clients or preparing budgets. “There are days when you don’t earn even 1 euro… because you are looking for work all day,” he explains.
For this reason, he sends a clear warning to the sector and that is that “you have to charge fairly because if not the taxes, the workload and all the responsibility fall on you”, emphasizing that if the plumber is not attentive to all the expenses that may arise, he can go bankrupt.
The price of making a bathroom, increasingly higher
Although the video does not give a fixed figure to renovate a complete bathroom, it does make it clear that, adding all the elements (sanitary, taps, water heater, work and possible breakdowns), the cost can quickly escalate to several thousand euros.
The professional’s final message summarizes the current situation in the sector: working below price is no longer an option. “Don’t become self-employed if you don’t know how to manage money and clients,” he concludes.