Plumbers never short of a job

It's dirty, tiring and weather-dependant, but plumbing is also a ticket to financial and career independence - especially as the building boom shows no sign of slowing down.

"The transient nature of plumbers means we will never have too many in New Zealand. We won't be going out of fashion like accountants did after the 90s produced too many of them," says Steve Webb, a plumber of 46 years.

Webb says plumbers make good money in New Zealand and big money in places like Britain where there is a shortage.

Many Kiwi plumbers also move to Australia for more money and a different lifestyle.

"People who take care of themselves and are not afraid to work hard will make money from plumbing," says Webb.

Webb, 62, is about to retire from the physical side of the trade his mother encouraged him into from a young age.

"My mother said there was always work for plumbers, undertakers and hairdressers and that I wouldn't make much of a hairdresser," he says.

For Webb and hundreds like him that advice has proven sound. Plumbers are assured of employment in New Zealand. According to Bruce Macmillan, director of Macmillan Plumbing in Auckland, New Zealand's building and economic boom means the demand for plumbers continues to outstrip plumber numbers.

"We have a fairly tight list of builders and we pick and choose from the contracts they put in front of us," says Macmillan, who employs 35 plumbers.

Webb says though plumbers may have to charge less when the economy eventually downturns, international opportunities mean they won't be out of work.

"I can't see a future in which New Zealand will have too many plumbers. They keep leaving to work overseas."

Macmillan agrees the eventual downturn must affect the rate plumbers charge because the trades are about supply and demand.

"But while Auckland gets the first of any downturn, it gets the first of the pick-up too," he says.

Presently, there's no downturn in sight for plumbers and related trades like drain laying and gas fitting. Plumbing firms charge out plumbers at anything from $40 to $90 an hour, and waged plumbers are paid between $18 and $30 an hour depending on their qualifications. Self-employed contractors may get up to $40 an hour. It's not unusual for a plumber to work 10 hours a day, six days a week, so a weekly income of between $1000 and $1800 a week is not uncommon.

Predictably, this is attracting more people into plumbing apprenticeships. Macmillan has four apprentices - two teenagers and two adults, one of whom gave up a career installing swimming pools.

"The two adults represent a change in the traditional apprenticeship age. Is a plumbing career enticing some people to change careers? I would say yes," says Macmillan.

So what's the job really like? Webb and Macmillan say the downsides include physically heavy work and regular exposure to human waste - not the most pleasant environment. However, Macmillan says there are innovative aspects, and design (which requires a tertiary qualification) forms an important part of commercial plumbing. Webb says little beats the peace of mind that comes from owning a trade.

"With plumbing, you can always tell an unsatisfactory employer to shove it and be assured of getting another job. You can move into inspection and administration and then return to your trade when you get sick of it. And you can become self-employed and get the benefits that come from that," he says.

"When a plumber has finished a job they can stand back and be proud of their work. It is a skill and you enjoy what you do," Macmillan says.

For budding plumbers, the basic qualification is a certificate of registration. This requires a three to four year combination of on-the-job experience under an apprenticeship scheme and part-time completion of NZQA modules, often by correspondence. Adult apprentice plumbers are paid around $16 an hour, while those on youth rates receive around $10.

Once registered, a plumber is not allowed to be self-employed or to uplift plumbing permits until they achieve craftsman plumber status. This takes a further two years, depending on ability. From there, tertiary qualifications in plumbing-design engineering are possible although most plumbers forgo this because they are not interested or because they go into plumbing to get working and earn good money.

Webb says there are a variety of employers who seek plumbers. These range from private individuals and building companies to local government, training organisations and a plethora of plumbing firms that, in New Zealand, employ between one and 150 plumbers.

According to Statistics New Zealand, 752 people were employed as plumbers in 2001; 94 per cent of them full-time. One per cent, around seven, were women. 

What you need to know

The Cons

It is a physically demanding career and will not suit people who are predisposed to illness or those with medical or accident conditions.

Plumbing requires a patient, methodical nature and attention to detail. Rushed jobs often need to be redone and hurrying can cause accidents. It is difficult to return to plumbing after a serious accident.

A liking for hands-on work and working out in the open suits the plumbing industry. Indifference to working in cold and wet weather is an asset.

Plumbers work with human and industrial waste. Safety practices are taught but this is not a career for the squeamish.

The Pros

There are no age limits.

Plumbing is an independent career path and a highly sought-after trade. As such, plumbers are treated well by employers and job security is high in most countries.

Rates of pay are good and a plumber will usually be financially secure as a result.

Moving between countries and employers is not difficult for plumbers.

The Training

Prerequisites include C grade or better in any three School Certificate subjects; NCEA Level 1; C Level Credits or better in any Stage 1 subjects of the Authority for Advanced Vocational Awards; Sixth Form Certificate - or completion of an approved pre-trade training programme in plumbing and gasfitting run by Unitec, Wellington Institute of Technology or Waikato Institute of Technology.

Apprentices require an employer. A list of potential employers by area is available from plumbing industry training organisations (ITOs).

Certification occurs through on-the-job training the required NZQA modules. The time this takes on average is between three and four years.

Around 70 per cent of certification costs and fees are paid by the ITO.

Registration or a limited certificate with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board is required to work as a plumber and gasfitter. Registered plumbers and gasfitters may work only under supervision, while craftsman plumbers and gasfitters are permitted to be self-employed. If working on gas appliances and hot-water cylinders, plumbers and gasfitters may also need an Electrical Service Technician Certificate.