The United States plumbing sector employs 9.7 million professionals. Ninety one percent of consumers consult online reviews before hiring service providers. Digital search patterns and automation tools now determine how contractors secure jobs.
Key Takeaways
- 9.7 million plumbing and pipefitting professionals were employed in the United States in 2023
- 41,800 plumbers and pipefitters were expected to be added to the U.S. workforce annually on average from 2022 to 2032
- 45% of plumbing contractors used Google to acquire customers in 2023
- 1.3x faster customer response times for businesses using CRM automation vs. those that don’t
- 79% of shoppers who have search experience say they search for products they need online before buying
- 58% of consumers will leave a business’ website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load
- 91% of consumers say they check online reviews before hiring a service professional (BrightLocal survey)
- 72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within 5 miles
- $376.2 billion U.S. advertising spend in 2022
- $209.5 billion U.S. digital ad spend in 2022
- 58% of consumers say they have higher expectations for customer service after using digital channels
- 62% of consumers discovered new brands through social media in 2023
- Video advertising accounted for 35.4% of U.S. digital display ad revenue in 2023
- $2.9 billion U.S. revenue (2023) from plumbing fixture and fitting manufacturing (NAICS 327110)
- 76% of U.S. consumers who purchased a local service in 2023 said online search was important in deciding which company to contact
With growing demand for plumbers, digital marketing and fast online responses are proving crucial to win local customers.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Workforce3 stats
01
9.7 million plumbing and pipefitting professionals were employed in the United States in 2023
02
41,800 plumbers and pipefitters were expected to be added to the U.S. workforce annually on average from 2022 to 2032
03
45% of plumbing contractors used Google to acquire customers in 2023
Interpretation
Industry Workforce Interpretation
With 9.7 million plumbing and pipefitting professionals working in the US in 2023 and the workforce projected to grow by about 41,800 plumbers and pipefitters each year from 2022 to 2032, contractor demand is likely to keep rising in step with talent needs.
02 · Category
Customer Acquisition4 stats
01
1.3x faster customer response times for businesses using CRM automation vs. those that don’t
02
79% of shoppers who have search experience say they search for products they need online before buying
03
58% of consumers will leave a business’ website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load
04
70% of B2B buyers use multiple channels during the buying journey
Interpretation
Customer Acquisition Interpretation
For customer acquisition in plumbing, faster and more connected experiences matter, since businesses using CRM automation respond 1.3x faster and shoppers expect quick online paths with 58% leaving after 3 seconds and 79% searching online before buying.
03 · Category
Local SEO & Reviews2 stats
01
91% of consumers say they check online reviews before hiring a service professional (BrightLocal survey)
02
72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within 5 miles
Interpretation
Local SEO & Reviews Interpretation
For Local SEO and Reviews, 91% of consumers check online reviews before hiring while 72% of local searchers visit within 5 miles, showing reviews can directly influence near term bookings for nearby plumbers.
04 · Category
Digital Marketing ROI2 stats
01
$376.2 billion U.S. advertising spend in 2022
02
$209.5 billion U.S. digital ad spend in 2022
Interpretation
Digital Marketing ROI Interpretation
With the U.S. digital ad market reaching $209.5 billion out of $376.2 billion in total advertising spend in 2022, the data suggests digital channels are a dominant spend driver that should directly underpin stronger Digital Marketing ROI in the plumbing industry.
05 · Category
Customer Retention & Engagement1 stats
01
58% of consumers say they have higher expectations for customer service after using digital channels
Interpretation
Customer Retention & Engagement Interpretation
With 58% of consumers expecting better customer service after using digital channels, plumbing marketers need to treat digital engagement as a key driver of retention by raising and maintaining service standards.
More related reading
06 · Category
Industry Trends & Spend2 stats
01
62% of consumers discovered new brands through social media in 2023
02
Video advertising accounted for 35.4% of U.S. digital display ad revenue in 2023
Interpretation
Industry Trends & Spend Interpretation
In the plumbing industry’s Industry Trends & Spend, social media is a major discovery channel with 62% of consumers finding new brands there in 2023, while video drives large budget allocation since it made up 35.4% of U.S. digital display ad revenue in 2023.
07 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
$2.9 billion U.S. revenue (2023) from plumbing fixture and fitting manufacturing (NAICS 327110)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, plumbing fixture and fitting manufacturing generated $2.9 billion in U.S. revenue in 2023, signaling a substantial base for marketing efforts in the industry.
08 · Category
User Adoption1 stats
01
76% of U.S. consumers who purchased a local service in 2023 said online search was important in deciding which company to contact
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the user adoption category, 76% of U.S. consumers who hired a local service in 2023 said online search mattered in choosing which plumbing company to contact.
09 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
3.1x increase in call volume for businesses that implement call tracking tied to digital ads (case evidence in industry research)
02
53% of consumers expect the business to respond instantly to their requests online (2022 CX survey)
03
78% of consumers expect consistent experiences across channels (omnichannel CX survey, 2022)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics in plumbing show clear ROI and customer-expectation pressure, with call volume rising 3.1x when digital ads are paired with call tracking while 53% of consumers expect instant online responses and 78% expect consistent omnichannel experiences.
10 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
45% of local businesses increased their use of video content in 2023 (survey, 2024 published)
02
28% of home service marketers adopted chat-based lead capture on their websites in 2023 (survey)
03
52% of consumers said they’re more likely to contact a provider with verified reviews displayed prominently (2023 survey)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For plumbing industry trends, the biggest signal is that 45% of local businesses increased their use of video content in 2023, showing that marketers are leaning into more engaging media to stand out and win trust with modern consumer expectations like 52% favoring providers that feature verified reviews prominently.
report visual · Comparison
How plumbing customers find and decide
Key signals from search, reviews, and site speed that shape plumbing customer acquisition decisions.
Check online reviews before hiring a service professional91%
Search products online before buying (search-experience shoppers)79%
Online search important in deciding which company to contact (local service buyers)76%
Leave a business website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load58%
Plumbing contractors using Google to acquire customers45%
source-verifiedbrightlocal.com · thinkwithgoogle.com · hbr.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Marketing In The Plumbing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-plumbing-industry-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Marketing In The Plumbing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-plumbing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Marketing In The Plumbing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-plumbing-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)