Best Affordable Plumbing Software for Solo Plumbers (2026)
I'm not a plumber. I run a pressure washing company, and I co-founded QuoteIQ, so read this as an operator's opinion from someone with a stake in the answer. With that on the table: if you work alone or with one helper, QuoteIQ is what I'd put a plumbing business on in 2026. Essentials is $29.99 a month, it builds estimates from your price book, and it takes card payments from your phone. Below are eight options, what each costs month to month, and where each one falls short.
TL;DR
QuoteIQ (#1): $29.99 a month for one user, with estimates, invoices, payments, and an AI estimator in the entry plan. Watch the IQ Credits.
Jobber (#2) and Housecall Pro (#3): the big names. About $49 and $79 a month for one user, and both cost more as you add people or features.
Markate (#4) and Tradify (#5): Markate is a flat $49.95 plus $5 per employee. Tradify is $47 per user and syncs with QuickBooks or Xero from its lowest plan.
ServiceM8 (#6): a free plan capped at 30 jobs a month, then $29 for 50. Paid plans include unlimited users.
Joist (#7) and Contractor+ (#8): the cheapest on paper, and the thinnest on job management.
How I Picked These
I weighed what a one-truck plumber actually feels: the monthly price for one person, how fast an estimate goes out from a phone, whether you can take a card payment at the job, and whether the price jumps when you hire a helper. I run my own business on QuoteIQ. I have not run the other seven tools on jobs of my own, and I'm not a plumber, so for them I'm relying on each vendor's published pricing page and plumbing page, checked October 15, 2026. I use standard month-to-month pricing only, not the cheaper annual or commitment rates. Where a page didn't say something, I say that instead of guessing. The ranking is aimed at plumbers working alone or with one or two helpers. For larger shops, start with my broader plumbing software roundup.
Quick Comparison
Software | Standard Monthly Price | Best For |
$29.99, 1 user | Quotes, invoices, and payments in one app | |
$49, 1 user | The well-known app, at a higher price | |
About $79, 1 user | Flat-rate pricing and plumbing CRM tools | |
$49.95, plus $5 per employee | A flat price with add-ons you pick | |
$47 per user | QuickBooks or Xero sync at the lowest tier | |
$0 (30 jobs), then $29 | Light job volume or a growing crew | |
$10 (5 documents) | Estimates and invoices only | |
$0 (5 documents), then $29 | Testing before you pay |
1. QuoteIQ — Best Overall for Solo Plumbers
What it is
QuoteIQ is the field service CRM I co-founded and run my own business on. For a plumber, the core is estimates built from your price book, invoices, and card payments from a phone, plus an AI estimator that drafts an estimate for you. Customers can pay by card, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
"The app is easy to use and all the options for the price is unbeatable." — Jerm Wilson (Google Play review)
Pricing
Standard monthly pricing from the QuoteIQ pricing page: Essentials is $29.99 for one user, Beginner is $99.99 for two, Pro is $199.99 for four, Elite is $299.99 for ten, and Max is $699.99 for twenty. Extra users are $25 a month on any plan, and every plan has a 14-day trial. Essentials includes 500 IQ Credits a month, per its Essentials plan page.
Where it fits
A solo plumber or a one-truck shop. Essentials covers estimates, invoices, and payments on a single seat, and QuoteIQ's own plumbing page points a solo plumber to Essentials or Beginner. When you hire a helper, Beginner includes two users, or you can add a seat for $25. You can see a demo here before you start a trial.
Tradeoffs
Sending a proposal draws 100 IQ Credits on Essentials, Beginner, and Pro, so Essentials covers about five proposal sends a month if nothing else uses credits, and unused credits don't roll over. QuoteIQ Cam for job photos starts at Beginner, and QuickBooks Online, the client portal, and job costing start at Pro at $199.99. I found no pre-loaded plumbing task library or flat-rate book in the documentation I read, only a price book you fill in yourself.
2. Jobber — The Established Name
What it is
Jobber is the field service app most solo operators have heard of. Its plumbing software page lists quotes built in the field, good-better-best quote tiers, invoices, online payments, financing, automatic review requests, and a client portal. Its FAQ says it supports plumbing businesses from solo operators up to multi-crew teams.
Pricing
On the Jobber pricing page, month to month with no commitment, Core is $49 for one user, Connect starts at $139 for one user, Grow starts at $199 for one user, and Plus is $499 for five. Extra users are $29 a month. The lower Core figures on that page require a 12-month commitment or annual billing, so I don't use them.
Where it fits
A solo plumber who wants a familiar app with a long feature list and is fine paying about $49 a month for one seat. I broke the head-to-head down in Jobber vs QuoteIQ.
Tradeoffs
Core is about $19 a month more than QuoteIQ Essentials for one user, and a helper adds $29. Jobber lists features by plan, so confirm that the ones you want, like QuickBooks sync or routing, are on the tier you're buying before you start. Details are on the Jobber site.
3. Housecall Pro — Strong Plumbing Tools, Priced Above Solo Budgets
What it is
Housecall Pro's plumbing software page is the most plumbing-specific of the group. It lists good-better-best estimates, flat-rate pricing pulled from your price book, drain-cleaning reminders, photo reports for sewer camera inspections, a customer portal, and job costing.
Pricing
The Housecall Pro pricing page shows Basic for one user at $59 a month billed annually, with a $20 monthly saving noted, so month to month it works out to about $79. The page doesn't label that figure outright, so treat it as my reading. Essentials covers five users at $189 a month, and Max covers eight at $329. Time-limited promotions also appear on the page, and I ignore them.
Where it fits
A plumber who values a flat-rate book and plumbing-specific CRM touches enough to pay for them. The page describes Basic as for solo pros. My Housecall Pro vs QuoteIQ post goes deeper.
Tradeoffs
Basic runs about $49 a month more than QuoteIQ Essentials. The pricing page's comparison shows QuickBooks sync and GPS tracking starting at Essentials, not Basic, and the plumbing page doesn't say which plan carries flat-rate pricing, so check before you buy. See the Housecall Pro site for current plans.
4. Markate — A Low Flat Price, Not Built for Plumbing
What it is
Markate is a small-business CRM. Its pricing page lists estimates and quotes, invoicing and online payments, QuickBooks integration, and location tracking.
Pricing
The Owner Operator plan is $49.95 a month billed monthly, and the yearly rate is lower, which I don't use. Teams pay $5 per employee per month on top of a $49.95 base. Add-ons cost extra: Online Booking and a branded customer portal are $10 a month each, and employee app access is $5 per employee. It offers a 14-day trial.
Where it fits
A solo plumber who wants a low, predictable price and is happy to choose add-ons. Adding people costs little at $5 per employee. The Markate home page has the full product tour.
Tradeoffs
I found no Markate plumbing page. The trades menu on its electrical page lists 13 industries, and plumbing isn't one of them. The pricing page splits features into "Included" and "Paid Feature" columns but doesn't show which plan has what, so confirm QuickBooks and GPS before you rely on them.
5. Tradify — Per-User Pricing With a Plumbing Page
What it is
Tradify's plumbing software page covers inquiry capture, quote templates with imported price lists, scheduling with Google Calendar sync, job tracking, invoices that sync to Xero or QuickBooks, overdue payment reminders, and online card payments through Stripe.
Pricing
On the Tradify US pricing page, Lite is $47, Pro is $51, and Plus is $61, each per user per month, with a Custom plan by request. Quotes, invoicing, online payments, and Xero or QuickBooks sync are listed from Lite up. Instant Website is an extra $12 a month, and there's a 14-day trial.
Where it fits
A plumber who wants accounting sync at the lowest tier and a plumbing-specific page. At one user it's $47 a month. See the Tradify home page for the product tour.
Tradeoffs
Per-user pricing adds up: three people on Lite is $141 a month. The plumbing page doesn't mention solo operators, and per its FAQ you can import a supplier's price list only as a CSV file.
6. ServiceM8 — A Free Plan With a Job Cap
What it is
ServiceM8's plumbing page lists job cards, scheduling, quotes, branded invoices, on-site payments, photos and notes, live staff location, checklists, and PDF plumbing and gas certificates.
Pricing
The ServiceM8 pricing page shows Free at $0 for one user with 30 jobs a month and 10 cents per text. Starter is $29 with unlimited users and 50 jobs, Growing is $79 for 150 jobs, Premium is $149 for 500 jobs, and Premium Plus is $349 for 1,500-plus jobs at 20 cents per extra job. Quotes, invoicing, card payments, and accounting sync are listed on every plan, Free included. Paid plans have a 14-day trial.
Where it fits
A solo plumber with light job volume, or a growing crew where per-user fees would hurt, since paid plans have unlimited users. The ServiceM8 site shows the app in more detail.
Tradeoffs
The limit is jobs, not users. At two jobs a day, the Free plan's 30 jobs are gone in 15 working days, and at three a day Starter's 50 last about 17. The plumbing page doesn't mention solo plumbers, and its one customer story is a two-person business.
7. Joist — Cheap Estimates and Invoices, Light on Job Management
What it is
Joist's plumbing page covers estimates with labor, materials, and fixture costs broken out, invoices from the truck, deposits, card payments, homeowner financing, scheduling visits, an AI receptionist, expense tracking, QuickBooks sync, and automatic Google review requests.
Pricing
On the Joist pricing page, Basics is $10 a month for up to 5 documents, Pro is $17 for unlimited documents and clients, and Elite is $32 and adds license and insurance, change orders, and reports. Run is $70 at an introductory price, struck through from $100, and adds jobs and scheduling. Joist says its free plan is no longer available. There's a 14-day trial.
Where it fits
A plumber who mainly needs clean estimates and invoices and a fast way to get paid, with no helper to dispatch. The Joist home page covers the rest.
Tradeoffs
The plumbing page doesn't mention e-signatures, a price book, or dispatch, and jobs and scheduling sit on the Run plan at $70 against $17 for Pro. The plan comparison table didn't come through when I read the page, so I can't confirm which plan carries QuickBooks sync or in-app signatures.
8. Contractor+ — A $0 Tier With Five Documents a Month
What it is
Contractor+'s plumbing page describes scheduling, dispatch, CRM, and project management in one app. It names an AI estimator that works from plumbing assemblies, fixtures, and labor, an AI assistant that can dispatch urgent calls, and a mobile app for job details, payments, and messaging the office.
Pricing
The Contractor+ pricing page lists Freedom at $0 with up to 5 estimates or invoices a month and 250 leads and clients. Pro is $29 for one user with unlimited estimates and invoices, Pro Team is $58 for the first two users and $20 for each extra, and Max is $500. The same page's meta description says $49 and $98 for Pro and Pro Team, so confirm at checkout.
Where it fits
A new solo plumber who wants to test an app on a $0 plan before paying anything. The Contractor+ home page is the place to start.
Tradeoffs
The page contradicts itself on price. The plumbing page shows no prices, no price book, and no mention of solo plumbers. QuickBooks Online is listed on Pro Team, not Pro.
What Operators Say
None of these reviewers says they're a plumber. Two describe wash and power washing businesses, and the third doesn't name a trade. They're QuoteIQ customers, and the ones who describe their setup run owner-operated businesses, which is who this list is for.
"It allows me to seamlessly run the back end of my business while I’m on lul periods throughout my wash day." — Kurt Edmands (App Store review)
"Great app, helped me start up my power washing business and look professional." — Julius Matthews (App Store review)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best affordable plumbing software for a solo plumber?
For one plumber on one truck, I'd start with QuoteIQ Essentials at $29.99 a month: estimates from your price book, invoices, and card payments from your phone, with one user and 500 IQ Credits a month. The catch is that a proposal send draws 100 of those credits. If you want the best-known app and can pay more, Jobber Core is $49 for one user. If you need to spend nothing at first, ServiceM8 has a free plan capped at 30 jobs a month. I co-founded QuoteIQ, so weigh my first pick accordingly and read the tradeoffs under each entry. For a shop with several trucks, my broader plumbing software roundup is the better starting point.
How much does plumbing software cost per month?
Month to month for one user, the tools here run from $0 to about $79. ServiceM8 has a $0 plan, Joist starts at $10, Contractor+ shows $29 for Pro, QuoteIQ Essentials is $29.99, Jobber Core is $49, Markate's owner-operator plan is $49.95, and Housecall Pro Basic works out to about $79. Tradify charges per user, from $47. The price that matters most is the one that changes when you hire: Jobber adds $29 per extra user, QuoteIQ adds $25, Markate adds $5 per employee, and ServiceM8's paid plans include unlimited users. Annual billing and 12-month commitments lower these figures, but I list only standard monthly pricing, checked October 2026.
Is there free plumbing software for solo plumbers?
A few tools have free tiers, with limits. ServiceM8's Free plan is $0 for one user with 30 jobs a month and 10 cents per text. Contractor+'s Freedom plan is free, with up to five estimates or invoices a month and 250 leads and clients. ServiceM8 lists quotes, invoicing, card payments, and accounting sync on its Free plan too. Joist's pricing page says its free plan is no longer available, so its entry price is now $10 a month. Free tiers work if you're just starting out. A paid plan around $30 a month, such as QuoteIQ Essentials or ServiceM8 Starter, lifts the five-document ceiling, though QuoteIQ meters proposals and AI features with IQ Credits and ServiceM8 caps Starter at 50 jobs.
Do solo plumbers really need business software?
Plumbing is a big field with a lot of small competitors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 510,600 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in 2025, with median pay of $63,800 a year and 7% projected growth from 2025 to 2035. IBISWorld puts the US plumbing industry at roughly 129,000 businesses and $208.1 billion in 2026. That's a lot of shops chasing the same calls. Software won't change your prices, but it can take estimates, invoices, and payment chasing out of your evenings. You can run on paper and a bank app, and plenty of plumbers do. Software earns its fee when it saves you real hours: if paperwork eats three hours of your week and your time is worth $50 an hour, a $30 monthly tool is easy to justify.
Can plumbing software handle flat-rate pricing and a price book?
Some can. Housecall Pro's plumbing page describes flat-rate pricing pulled from a price book and good-better-best estimates. QuoteIQ builds estimates from a price book you fill in, with Standard, Quick, Options, and Package formats, but I found no pre-loaded plumbing flat-rate book in its documentation. Tradify imports supplier price lists as CSV files, and Jobber's plumbing page lists good-better-best quote tiers. Joist's plumbing page doesn't mention a price book at all. Check how you'd load your own prices before you pay. A flat-rate book you have to type in by hand can eat a weekend. I go deeper in my flat-rate pricing roundup for plumbers.
Does plumbing software work with QuickBooks?
Most do, but the plan matters. QuoteIQ's QuickBooks Online sync starts at Pro, which is $199.99 a month, up from $29.99 on Essentials, so price the sync into your decision. Tradify lists Xero and QuickBooks sync from Lite at $47 per user. ServiceM8 lists Xero, QuickBooks Online, and MYOB on every plan, including Free. Housecall Pro's pricing page shows sync starting at Essentials rather than Basic. Contractor+ lists QuickBooks Online on Pro Team at $58. Markate and Joist both list QuickBooks, but I couldn't tell which plan includes it. My QuickBooks integration guide for plumbers covers the details.
Is there a free trial for plumbing software?
Yes. QuoteIQ gives 14 days on every plan, including Essentials, and a credit or debit card is required to start. Jobber, Housecall Pro, Markate, Tradify, Joist, and ServiceM8's paid plans list 14-day trials on their own pages, and Contractor+ describes 14-day trials of most premium features. Use the trial on a real job: send an actual estimate from your phone, take a payment, and see whether the invoice reaches the customer. One note on QuoteIQ: proposal sends are waived during the trial, which hides the 100-credit charge you'll see afterward, so count your sends before you commit to Essentials, and set a calendar reminder for day 12 of any trial.
What should a solo plumber look for in estimating and invoicing software?
Four things. First, speed: can you build and send an estimate from your phone before you leave the driveway? Second, getting paid on site with a card, ACH, or Apple Pay, not a bill you mail later. Third, a price book, so you aren't retyping part costs. Fourth, a price that doesn't jump when you hire a helper, so compare the extra-user fee: $25 on QuoteIQ, $29 on Jobber, $5 on Markate, and per-user pricing on Tradify. Then check the limits that don't show in the headline price, like QuoteIQ's IQ Credits or ServiceM8's job cap. My two big-name comparisons are Jobber vs QuoteIQ and Housecall Pro vs QuoteIQ.
Bottom Line
If you're a solo plumber, start with QuoteIQ Essentials at $29.99 a month, and keep an eye on the 500 IQ Credits. Pick Jobber if you want the best-known name and can pay about $49, or Housecall Pro if a flat-rate book matters most. If you have to spend nothing today, try ServiceM8's free plan or Contractor+'s Freedom plan, and expect to outgrow them. I run my own business on QuoteIQ and I'm telling you why, so see the demo and judge it against whatever else you try.
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