A commercial plumbing inventory specialist orders, receives and tracks the pipe, fittings, valves and fixtures for construction jobs. They keep counts matched to the books and have material ready before a crew needs it.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, plumbing and HVAC contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for ensuring the smooth and efficient procurement, tracking, and management of commercial plumbing materials to support daily operations and project requirements. Plays a critical role in maintaining optimal inventory levels, reducing waste, and facilitating timely material availability. Acts as a key liaison between purchasing, vendors, and project teams to streamline operations. Contributes directly to customer satisfaction and operational efficiency through proactive supply management.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Orders materials and supplies necessary for commercial plumbing projects in a timely manner.
Tracks material usage accurately to forecast inventory needs and adjust orders accordingly.
Maintains adequate supply levels to prevent project delays and minimize stock-outs.
Collaborates closely with vendors and internal teams to resolve any supply chain issues.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conducts daily inventory checks and reconciles records with physical stock.
Communicates with vendors to track order progress and delivery schedules.
Updates inventory management systems with real-time data on material usage and stock levels.
Coordinates with project managers to anticipate material requirements for ongoing jobs.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Inventory Accuracy: Achieve a minimum of 98% accuracy in stock records.
Order Fulfillment Time: Ensure all orders are processed and dispatched within 24 hours.
Stock-Out Incidents: Limit stock-out incidents to less than 2% of total inventory audits.
Vendor Response Time: Secure a 95% rate of responses to inquiries within 24 hours.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in supply chain management or a related field.
Minimum of 2 years of experience in inventory management or a related role.
Strong organizational and time-management skills with acute attention to detail.
Proficiency in inventory management software and basic computer applications.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working in the commercial plumbing or construction industry.
Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and electronic tracking tools.
Proven ability to manage inventory within high-volume, fast-paced environments.
Background in supply chain process optimization and vendor relationship management.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. in a warehouse or storage environment.
Frequent standing, walking, and reaching to retrieve inventory items.
Comfortable working in environments with variable temperatures and mild environmental variations.
Capable of performing repetitive tasks and handling manual inventory counting.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours from 8 AM to 5 PM on weekdays.
Occasional extended hours during peak seasons or urgent project demands.
Limited travel required for vendor meetings and supply pickups.
Combination of office and warehouse settings with adherence to safety protocols.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $45,000 - $55,000 USD annually, based on experience and qualifications.
Eligibility for annual performance-based bonus incentives.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance benefits.
Participation in a 401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a collaborative, inclusive, and innovative work environment.
We are committed to professional growth, offering continuous learning opportunities and career advancement.
Our team is passionate about delivering exceptional service in the commercial plumbing industry.
We value transparency, teamwork, and a customer-first approach in all our operations.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What changes for an inventory specialist in commercial plumbing
Most stock here is bought for a named job, not for the shelf. The inventory specialist keeps job material, shop stock and supplier returns apart so each cost lands on the right job.
Job material and shop stock live apart
A pallet of fittings ordered for one school isn't free stock for another job. Tag job material with the job number when it arrives, store it in a marked bay, and move it only with a transfer the project manager approves. Otherwise one job's cost report looks great and another runs short.
Swaps wait for the project manager
The engineer approves a set brand and model for each fixture, valve and water heater. When a supplier ships something else, hold it at receiving and ask the project manager before it goes out. A swap nobody approved can be turned down at the punch walk, and then the crew pulls it out and sets the right one.
Torch gas rides under a DOT exception
Supply runs often include propane, MAPP or acetylene cylinders for torches. DOT treats small amounts as materials of trade, so a work truck can haul them with far fewer hazmat steps. A cylinder may weigh up to 220 pounds gross, and everything carried this way on one truck may total 440 pounds. Packages must be closed, leak tight and secured against shifting, and the driver needs to know the gas is aboard. Source: eCFR: 49 CFR 173.6, materials of trade exceptions.
Pipe cement is a fire risk on the shelf
PVC, ABS and CPVC jobs go through a lot of primer and solvent cement. Charlotte Pipe's safety sheet calls primers and cements extremely flammable and says not to store or use them near heat or open flame. Keep them in a flammable storage cabinet away from the soldering and brazing bench, date each case when it arrives, and send the oldest out first. Source: Charlotte Pipe: Important Safety Information (updated July 26, 2024).
Count the job trailers too
On big jobs, much of the stock sits in site containers, not the shop. Count those on a schedule and bring the numbers into the system, because a trailer of copper fittings that the system thinks is in the warehouse throws off every reorder and every job cost report.
How much commercial plumbing inventory specialists make
The closest BLS group for commercial plumbing inventory specialists is shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $23.38 an hour ($48,630 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $45,260 median for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in all industries. About 3,570 of the 816,870 shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in that survey work for plumbing and HVAC contractors.
Hourly pay is the norm, and overtime comes when several jobs start at once. BLS figures for this work at plumbing and HVAC contractors sit close to the template's range.
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$48,630$48,630 median Middle half $41,500–$60,320 10th–90th $36,490–$72,960
All industries
$45,260$45,260 median Middle half $38,200–$51,570 10th–90th $34,650–$62,190
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$36,490
$41,500
$48,630
$60,320
$72,960
All industries
$34,650
$38,200
$45,260
$51,570
$62,190
BLS reports plumbing and HVAC contractors together, residential and commercial. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Knows plumbing material by sight: copper, cast iron, PVC, PEX and their fittings
Enters data carefully and the same way every time
Checks a packing slip line by line against the purchase order
Follows up with suppliers until a ship date is firm
Keeps job material and shop stock separate in the system
Teach these on the job
Your inventory or ERP software and job numbers
Reading submittal logs and job schedules
DOT materials of trade limits for torch gas
Each supplier's return and credit rules
Cycle counts by bin and location
Inventory usually runs in the accounting or ERP system, such as Viewpoint Vista, Sage 300 CRE or Foundation. Barcode scanners and supplier portals show order status. Put the system's name in the ad, and say whether job material is tracked by job number.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Long-lead fixtures
A project's fixtures and water heaters have long lead times, and the project manager just confirmed the order. What do you do?
A strong answer: Confirms quantities and models against the approved submittals, gets ship dates in writing, tracks them weekly, and plans storage and delivery to site.
Behavioral · Fixing recurring errors
Tell me about a time you fixed the cause of a recurring ordering mistake, like the wrong fitting type or pipe length showing up on job orders.
A strong answer: Traced it to the source (wrong part numbers, units of measure, unclear takeoffs from project managers), changed the step, and checked that the mistake stopped.
The template's figures are examples. Gather a quarter of counts and request logs, then pick targets that fit your shop.
Inventory Accuracy
Count a sample of bins each week, job trailers included, and compare the counts to the system. Track misses by item type, since small fittings and valves drift more than pipe.
Order Fulfillment Time
Log when each request from a crew or project manager comes in and when it ships or is ready for pickup. Report it by job so slow spots show up.
Stock-Out Incidents
Record each time a request couldn't be filled from stock and the crew waited or bought at a supply house. Note the item and the reason.
Vendor Response Time
Log when each supplier question went out and when it was answered, by supplier. Use the log when choosing who supplies the next job.
Career path
Supply house counter or will-call clerkLearns plumbing parts and how contractors order.
Inventory specialistKeeps stock records, reorders and job transfers straight.
What does an inventory specialist need from a project manager when a job starts?
Ask for the material list from the estimate, the submittal log with approval dates, the phase schedule for underground, rough-in and trim, and the delivery contact on site. With that, the specialist can order long-lead items early and plan which phases ship from stock and which ship straight from the supplier.
How much does a commercial plumbing inventory specialist make?
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $23.38 an hour ($48,630 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $41,500 and $60,320 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
The template lists lifting, standing, reaching, temperature changes and repetitive counting. What tasks are those?
Here it means unloading boxes of fittings and valves up to 50 pounds, reaching to upper shelves and bins, walking the racks and job trailers to count stock by hand, and working in a shop whose temperature follows the seasons. Spell out these tasks in your posting, along with your accommodation policy.
How should credits for returned material be handled?
Send unused material back fast. Many supply houses charge a restocking fee or stop taking returns after a while. Write the job number on each return, match the credit memo to that job, and chase credits that don't show up. Special-order fixtures and cut pipe usually can't go back, so check before ordering extras.
Should foremen pull from shop stock without a request?
It's faster, but it breaks your counts and your job costs. Give foremen a simple way to order by job number from their phones, set a will-call window each morning, and log any emergency pull the same day. The inventory specialist then charges each item to the right job before month-end.
