A call-out fee is the price of you turning up with the van, the tools and twenty years of knowing what that noise is. It is not a penalty and it is not a favour. Charge it, say what it covers, and most of the awkwardness disappears.
What plumbers and gas engineers charge
These are the figures we see on quotes and hear from trades around the country in 2026. They are ranges, not rules. London and the South East sit at the top; rural work sits lower but carries more driving.
| Call-out | Typical fee | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, daytime, booked | £60 to £100 | Travel and the first 30 to 60 minutes on site |
| Same day | £80 to £130 | The same, plus the disruption to your day |
| Evening, weekend, bank holiday | £120 to £200 | Travel and the first hour, at out-of-hours rates |
| Gas leak or no-heating emergency in winter | £150 to £250 | Attendance and diagnosis; the fix is quoted on top |
A boiler diagnostic visit sits at the standard rate for most engineers, with the repair priced separately once the fault is found.
What the fee should cover, and what it should not
Say it on the quote and on the booking text, in plain words:
- Covered: getting there, the first hour (or half hour, your call), and telling the customer what is wrong and what it will cost to put right.
- Not covered: parts, and any work beyond the first hour. Both get priced before you carry on.
The single most useful line you can write is: “If you go ahead with the repair, the call-out fee comes off the price.” It turns the fee from a cost into a deposit, and it stops the “so I’m paying twice?” conversation before it starts.
Free call-outs
Some firms advertise no call-out charge. It works as a marketing line and it costs them a fortune in wasted afternoons, because it attracts the people who want a free diagnosis to give to their brother-in-law. If you want to soften the fee without giving it away, the line above does it: free if they proceed, charged if they do not.
Charging for the second visit
If you have to come back because a part had to be ordered, do not charge a second call-out. Charge the labour for the second visit as part of the repair quote. If you have to come back because the customer was not in, charge the call-out again, and say so in the booking message the day before: “If nobody’s in when I arrive, the call-out is still charged.”
Getting the fee paid
The call-out fee is the easiest money in the trade to lose, because it is small, it was agreed on the phone, and it is embarrassing to chase. Three habits fix that:
- Confirm it in writing before you go. A text will do: “Call-out is £80, which covers the first hour. Comes off the repair if you go ahead.”
- Invoice it on the day, from the van, before you drive off.
- Take card on the doorstep if you can. A customer with the card already out does not “forget”.
Saying it without sounding like a call centre
Customers do not mind paying a call-out. They mind being surprised by one. So the fee is in the booking text, it is repeated when you arrive, and it is on the invoice with the same number in all three places. Do that and the fee is just part of the job.
If you would rather not type any of it, say it. “Book Mr Hughes in Thursday at nine for the boiler, call-out eighty” puts the booking in the diary with the fee on it, and the confirmation text goes out with the same words. That is what your PA does while you are still on the last job.
A word on the above. This is general information for UK trades, written to be useful, not advice for your situation. Prices vary by job and by region, and tax and legal rules change. Check the current position on GOV.UK or ask your accountant or legal professional for actual advice.
The TradePA team
TradePA is the AI personal assistant for UK trades. Say the job and it writes the quote, gets the invoice ready to send and writes the reminder when money is late, for £10 a month. About TradePA.
