TradeLinkers
Leaks, rads and cylinder swaps, invoiced before you're back in the van
TradeLinkers keeps a plumber's day in one place. Enquiries from your booking link land as jobs, the address finder fills in the property from a postcode, and On my way or Running late emails go in a tap. Price a bathroom or cylinder swap as an estimate, then invoice from the same lines, with part payments and the balance shown.
14 days free, no card. Then £9.99 a month. iPhone users can use the web app.
Typical plumber jobs, all in one list
Any job works. These are the ones a plumber books in most weeks.
What changes when a plumber runs the paperwork on TradeLinkers
Postcode in, address done
Type the postcode, or the house number and street, and pick the address from the list. It's saved to the customer, and the Directions button opens Google Maps when you leave the merchant's.
Running late without a phone call
Under a sink longer than planned? Send the next customer a Running late or On my way email from the job in a tap. Status changes email them automatically when there is an email address on file.
Bathroom and cylinder estimates
Price the bigger jobs as an estimate with a valid-until date and a deposit percentage. The customer accepts online without logging in, and the invoice is created from the same lines when you finish.
Works in the loft and the cellar
No signal under the floorboards? The Android app saves your changes on the phone and syncs once you're back online. Sending emails and uploading files wait until you have a connection.
Part payments and balances
Customer pays half now and half on Friday? Record each payment with its method and the invoice PDF shows the balance left. If Friday comes and goes, the Send payment reminder button emails them.
Your diary in Google or Outlook
Add your private calendar link to Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar and booked jobs show up there too. The sync is one-way, so book and move jobs in TradeLinkers.
What a plumber's invoice looks like
One labour line for the drain-down and refit, then each part priced on its own, so the customer can see where the money went. Your bank details and payment reference print at the bottom of the real PDF.
Example figures to show the layout, not a price guide. Your own prices, business details, bank details and VAT setting go on the real thing.
| Description | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Labour: drain down, remove and fit 2 radiators, refill and bleed | 1 | £260.00 |
| Double panel radiator, 600 x 1000 | 2 | £196.00 |
| Thermostatic radiator valve and lockshield set | 2 | £64.00 |
| Inhibitor, fittings and sundries | 1 | £38.00 |
Straight answers
Can a plumber who isn't Gas Safe registered swap a boiler?
Not a gas boiler. HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in a home must be a Gas Safe registered engineer, and a business has to be on the register to do gas work legally in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Guernsey.
Radiators, pipework and the rest of the wet side aren't gas work. If you bring in a registered engineer for the boiler, keep their day rate in the TradeLinkers contractors directory and attach their paperwork to the job.
Is fitting an unvented cylinder notifiable?
Yes, in England. Approved Document G treats installing an unvented hot water storage system as notifiable building work. If you're in a competent person scheme for it, you self-certify; if not, building control must be told before work starts. The installer also has to show competence, for example with a registered operative skills card for unvented systems.
Attach the commissioning record and compliance certificate to the job in TradeLinkers so the customer can find them in their portal.
How should I price a call-out for a leak?
Decide it before the phone rings and tell the customer on the call. One structure that works: a fixed call-out charge that covers the first hour, an hourly or half-hourly rate after that, and parts listed separately. If evenings and weekends cost more, say so up front too.
Run your numbers through the job price calculator, then type the call-out, labour and parts as separate lines on the invoice. There's more in pricing a job.
How do I get paid for small jobs without chasing?
Invoice before you leave, while the customer is still glad the leak has stopped, and make paying easy: a short due date, your bank details and a pay link all help.
TradeLinkers can print a SCAN TO PAY QR code that opens your own pay link from your bank or card provider, shows you when the invoice email has been viewed, and has a Send payment reminder button for the ones that slip. More in chasing unpaid invoices.
What TradeLinkers does not do yet
- No card payments built in. A SCAN TO PAY QR code can open your own pay link instead.
- No repeat visits, so annual services are booked one at a time.
- No time tracking. Hours go on the invoice as a quantity on the labour line.
- No App Store app. On an iPhone you use the web app in Safari (how it works).
Tell us what would help: get in touch. The person who reads it builds the app.
Tools and guides
Job price calculator
Labour, materials, markup and VAT in one sum.
Free quote template
A clean quote or estimate PDF in two minutes.
How do you price a job as a tradesperson?
Price a job from your real costs: a day rate, materials markup, call-out, travel and contingency, then VAT if you're registered. With a worked example.
How do you chase an unpaid invoice?
How to chase an unpaid invoice step by step: reminder timings, statutory interest and £40 to £100 compensation for business debts, and small claims.
Run your plumber paperwork from the van.
14 days free, no card needed. After that it's £9.99 a month for everything, and you can cancel any time.
Android app on Google Play. On an iPhone or a computer, use the web app with the same account.