Tradesman Prices by City (2026)
The same job prices differently in Glasgow and Guildford, in Swansea and St Albans. This hub compares the 30 UK cities TradePrices UK covers, with each city's plumber hourly rate, plumber and electrician day rates, and a one-line read on why its market prices the way it does.
By the TradePrices UK editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Plumber hourly (2026) | Highest city | Lowest cities |
|---|---|---|
| £35–£90 across the 30 cities | London (£55–£90) | Glasgow, Dundee, Swansea, Belfast (£35–£55) |
The 30-city comparison
| City | Plumber hourly | Plumber day rate | Electrician day rate | Market read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | £55–£90 | £430–£720 | £400–£750 | london premium |
| Birmingham | £40–£65 | £310–£520 | £290–£540 | uk average |
| Manchester | £40–£70 | £340–£550 | £320–£580 | slightly above average |
| Leeds | £40–£65 | £310–£520 | £290–£540 | uk average |
| Glasgow | £35–£55 | £270–£460 | £260–£480 | below uk average |
| Liverpool | £35–£55 | £270–£460 | £260–£480 | below uk average |
| Bristol | £50–£80 | £380–£630 | £360–£660 | heritage premium |
| Sheffield | £40–£65 | £310–£520 | £290–£540 | uk average |
| Edinburgh | £40–£70 | £340–£550 | £320–£580 | slightly above average |
| Cardiff | £40–£70 | £340–£550 | £320–£580 | slightly above average |
| Belfast | £35–£55 | £270–£460 | £260–£480 | below uk average |
| Newcastle | £35–£55 | £270–£460 | £260–£480 | below uk average |
| Nottingham | £40–£65 | £310–£520 | £290–£540 | uk average |
| Leicester | £40–£65 | £310–£520 | £290–£540 | uk average |
| Brighton | £50–£80 | £400–£650 | £380–£680 | south east premium |
| Southampton | £45–£75 | £370–£600 | £340–£620 | above uk average |
| Portsmouth | £45–£75 | £370–£600 | £340–£620 | above uk average |
| Reading | £50–£80 | £400–£650 | £380–£680 | south east premium |
| Oxford | £50–£80 | £400–£650 | £380–£680 | south east premium |
| Cambridge | £50–£80 | £400–£650 | £380–£680 | south east premium |
| York | £40–£70 | £340–£550 | £320–£580 | slightly above average |
| Bath | £50–£80 | £380–£630 | £360–£660 | heritage premium |
| Aberdeen | £40–£65 | £310–£520 | £290–£540 | uk average |
| Dundee | £35–£55 | £270–£460 | £260–£480 | below uk average |
| Swansea | £35–£55 | £270–£460 | £260–£480 | below uk average |
| Norwich | £40–£65 | £310–£520 | £290–£540 | uk average |
| Exeter | £40–£70 | £340–£550 | £320–£580 | slightly above average |
| Chester | £40–£70 | £340–£550 | £320–£580 | slightly above average |
| Canterbury | £50–£80 | £380–£630 | £360–£660 | heritage premium |
| St Albans | £50–£80 | £400–£650 | £380–£680 | south east premium |
Rates are hedged 2026 labour-only ranges. A city's premium or discount holds roughly stable across all five trades we cover — a market 25%% up on plumbers is close to 25%% up on plasterers — so you can read the plumber column as a proxy for the whole local market. Every figure traces back to the national benchmarks in the UK price guide, scaled by each city's cost level.
How to use this table
If you live between two cities, price the job in both. The border effects are large: Reading quotes with the London fringe while Leicester, an hour north of Birmingham, quotes near the national average; Bath carries a heritage premium while Swansea, ninety minutes west, runs below average. Trades travel for big fixed-price work but quote the travel, so the saving shrinks as the drive lengthens.
For anything beyond a repair, get quotes from both markets and check what each includes — certification, making good, waste and VAT differ between firms more than cities differ from each other. Three itemised written quotes remain the rule everywhere on this list.
The tiers, briefly
London (+35–50%%) is its own market: deep demand, congestion and ULEZ costs, and scarce specialists. South East premium cities (+25–35%%) — Brighton, Reading, Oxford, Cambridge, St Albans — price with the commuter belt. Heritage cities (+20–30%%) — Bristol, Bath, Canterbury — add conservation scarcity. Above-average cities (+5–25%%) combine affluence or South East pull with real local supply. Average markets — Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Norwich, Aberdeen — balance demand against a deep trades pool. Below-average cities (−10–20%%) — Glasgow, Dundee, Swansea, Liverpool, Newcastle, Belfast — run on lower regional cost bases with keen competition.
Each city page adds the detail that a table cannot: housing stock, competition density, travel friction, local building-control quirks and job-level price tables. Start with your own city, then read its two neighbours to know whether quoting across the boundary is worth your while.
FAQ
Which cities does TradePrices UK cover?
Thirty of the UK's biggest cities: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Newcastle, Nottingham, Leicester, Brighton, Southampton, Portsmouth, Reading, Oxford, Cambridge, York, Bath, Aberdeen, Dundee, Swansea, Norwich, Exeter, Chester, Canterbury and St Albans.
How much does a plumber cost per hour by city?
Roughly £55–£90 in London, £50–£80 across the South East premium cities, £40–£65 in average markets such as Birmingham and Leeds, and £35–£55 in Scotland, Wales and the North East.
Why do tradesman prices differ so much between UK cities?
Cost base, housing stock age, competition density and travel friction. London stacks all four against you; Scottish and North East cities stack them in your favour. The same job can vary 40% or more between cities.
Is it worth hiring trades from a cheaper nearby city?
Sometimes, but travel time is quoted into the price and erodes the saving. For day-rate work the maths rarely favours importing a trade more than an hour away; for big fixed-price jobs it can.
Which is the cheapest city on this list for tradesmen?
Swansea, Dundee, Belfast, Newcastle and Glasgow typically quote 10–20% below the UK average — though quality trades in any of them still book out ahead.
Are the city ranges labour only?
Yes. Hourly and day rates exclude materials and VAT unless stated. Job prices say explicitly whether supply is included.