02/10/2026
5 ways to make sure you never get ripped off by a plumber.
1. Read the online reviews and look for cases where people haven't been happy and how they're responded - it's easy to collect positive reviews but no company has 100% happy customers - how a business handles things that don't go to plan is super important.
2. Look at how long they've been in business - a business that has been able to operate successfully for over ten years shows they must be doing something right and are highly unlikely to go out of business if you need them to honour warranty work.
3. Assess their honesty - have they made claims on their website with *? Have they given you a price on the phone and then when they turned up to do the work 'found variations' that they should reasonably have made you aware were possible? Have they done any kind of bait and switch like "No call out fee" and then when they arrive they charge you an 'Attendance fee" instead?
4. Make sure you only compare quotes from people who have attended your property and inspected the specific work that needs to be done - never compare prices you found on the internet or quotes provided over the phone. It's essential for your access situation, existing system, compliance requirements and specific goals to be combined to provide an accurate quote. Often customers think it's only a simple thing, or measure incorrectly, or forget to mention something critical - all these things materially impact what's possible and how much it should cost.
5. Choose the business that has been the most consistently honest and professional throughout from the first call to the way the technician speaks to you in your home. This will be a reflection of the way they will do the work, treat your home in the process and respond to you if anything does not go to plan after they've left and you've paid the bill.
BONUS TIP. Be realistic about pricing. And don't believe your neighbour when they exclaim you've been overcharged because they had the exact same job done for half the money.
In all the years customers have brought this complaint to us, when we ask questions, the job was done more than 5 years ago, and was a completely different brand of product or type of job.
To run a business in 2026 is extremely expensive. Everything from insurance to wages has gone up significantly. A coffee is $7, diesel is $2.70 p. litre and nothing costs the same as it did in 2016.
So if you last hired a plumber to replace a tap 8 years ago and the price you're quoted today feels crazy high - and you've done the other 5 things on the list above - it's usually not because the plumber is trying to rip you off. It's because they're trying to stay in business, cover their costs and make a small profit (FYI a licensed insured family run plumbing business typically makes a net profit of 3-10%).
If you're a homeowner, give this list a try the next time you're looking for the best local plumber or gas-fitter.
I'd love to know how it works for you if you do.
PS - I'm Meqa, Billy's wife - we run Octoplus Plumbing and Gas with our two son's Jack and Marcus as apprentices and a small team supporting us in the office and the field.
We're on a mission to build Australia's most loved plumbing business by breaking the industry stereotype; being true professionals, being upfront and transparent about everything and putting homeowners in control on every job.
