Local market data · Plumbers · Houston
AI for plumbers in Houston
The Houston metro area had 1,890 plumbers in 2022, the 8th most of 387 US metros and 2% of all in the country. They employed 24,570 people at an average of $70,078 a year. 76% have fewer than 10 staff, so the same few people answer the phone, book, follow up and do the paperwork. Those are the jobs AI tools take on today.
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Plumbers in Houston vs the US
| Houston metro | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses | 1,890 | 109,601 |
| People employed | 24,570 | 1,176,759 |
| Average staff per business | 13.0 | 10.7 |
| Average yearly pay per employee | $70,078 | $69,883 |
| Share with fewer than 10 staff | 76% | 77% |
Pay here is about the same as the national average for plumbers, so an hour of admin costs about what it does elsewhere. The average plumbing company here has 13.0 people on payroll, 21% higher than the US figure of 10.7.
How big plumbers in Houston are
Businesses with paid employees, by number of employees, March 2022.
Plumbers by county in the Houston area
Harris County has the most, with 1,184 of the metro's 1,890 (63%). Among the 10 big metros on this page, Houston ranks 8th for average pay and 8th for the share of small firms.
| County | Businesses | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County | 1,184 | 18,992 | $71,523 |
| Montgomery County | 244 | 1,590 | $60,982 |
| Fort Bend County | 194 | 1,684 | $70,373 |
| Brazoria County | 109 | 1,184 | $60,828 |
| Galveston County | 86 | 684 | $75,417 |
| Waller County | 30 | 200 | $57,465 |
| Liberty County | 25 | 117 | $58,350 |
| Austin County | 7 | 44 | $51,795 |
| Chambers County | 6 | 31 | $48,742 |
| San Jacinto County | 5 | 44 | $51,659 |
Census withholds pay where few firms would make it identifiable.
Where AI helps a plumbing company first
A plumber should automate the phone first, because every call you miss while under a sink is a job that goes to the next name on Google. After that come quotes, dispatch notes and follow-up on estimates. AI sorts and drafts, and you stay in charge of diagnosis, safety and price.
What your team's admin hours cost in Houston
Change any number. The starting values are the Houston averages above; the hours and the share are yours to set.
Those hours cost you$176,800 a year
The share you would hand off$53,040 a year
Hours your team gets back1,560 a year
See what we would build for thisGuides for plumbers, one job each
- Get more customers for plumbers
- Never miss a call for plumbers
- Follow up automatically for plumbers
- Booking and scheduling for plumbers
- More reviews for plumbers
- Marketing and content for plumbers
- Show up on Google and ChatGPT for plumbers
- Cut admin and paperwork for plumbers
- A dashboard that runs itself for plumbers
Plumbers in other big metros
| Metro | Businesses | Avg pay | Rank of 387 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 3,681 | $76,331 | 2nd |
| New York | 7,675 | $77,906 | 1st |
| Chicago | 3,093 | $83,854 | 3rd |
| Miami | 2,568 | $56,124 | 4th |
| Dallas | 2,336 | $71,468 | 5th |
| Atlanta | 1,783 | $69,301 | 9th |
| Washington | 1,663 | $76,189 | 11th |
| Philadelphia | 2,113 | $80,593 | 7th |
| Boston | 2,179 | $89,861 | 6th |
Where these numbers come from
From the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (released 2024), industry code NAICS 238220 (Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors), for the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area (10 counties). It counts businesses with paid employees in March 2022, so solo owners with no payroll are not in it. Average pay is total yearly payroll divided by employees. The calculator uses 50 working weeks and 2,080 hours a year. Page checked 2026-11-12.
Find the hours your plumbing business can get back
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your plumbing company to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.