A commercial plumbing warehouse manager runs the shop where pipe, fittings, fixtures and tools are received, stored and sent to construction jobs. They lead the warehouse staff and drivers, plan each day's deliveries, and keep stock records accurate enough for job costing.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, plumbing and HVAC contractors · BLS, May 2025
The Warehouse Manager for our Commercial Plumbing division is responsible for overseeing the efficient management of parts, tools, and shipping/receiving operations. This role ensures the accuracy and organization of stock, supports project timelines, and contributes directly to enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee daily warehouse operations for parts, tools, shipping, and receiving.
Manage inventory control systems and ensure stock is accurately organized.
Implement safety protocols and maintain compliance with company policies.
Collaborate with the Commercial Plumbing team to support project requirements.
Monitor and improve warehouse processes to increase operational efficiency.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Supervise, schedule, and provide guidance to warehouse staff.
Coordinate incoming shipments and outgoing deliveries.
Perform regular inventory counts and audits to ensure data accuracy.
Maintain organized stock areas and update inventory records accordingly.
Communicate with suppliers, vendors, and internal teams to resolve issues promptly.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Order fulfillment accuracy: Target of 99%.
Inventory turnover rate: Maintain above 5 times per annum.
On-time shipping percentage: Achieve 95% or higher.
Stock discrepancy rate: Below 2%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent; Associate’s degree preferred.
3+ years’ experience in warehouse management or logistics.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Proficient in warehouse management systems and basic computer applications.
Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the commercial plumbing or related home services industry.
Familiarity with parts, tools, and equipment management.
Proven success in managing shipping/receiving logistics.
History of implementing process improvements in warehouse operations.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
Frequent standing, walking, and bending.
Work in varying temperature conditions typical of warehouse environments.
Exposure to moderate noise levels during daily operations.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard working hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Occasional weekend work or overtime during peak periods.
On-call availability during critical project phases.
Combination of on-site warehouse activities and occasional office work.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $50,000 - $65,000 annually.
Performance-based bonus structure.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401k retirement plan with company match.
Paid time off, professional development, and other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
A dynamic, inclusive environment that champions innovation and reliability.
A culture focused on teamwork, ongoing improvement, and customer satisfaction.
Opportunities for professional growth and leadership development.
An organization that values work-life balance and employee contributions toward success.
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 a warehouse manager in commercial plumbing
Commercial plumbing stock is long, heavy and mostly bought by the job. The warehouse manager plans space and trucks around full lengths of pipe, crated fixtures and start dates that general contractors set.
Pipe racks have to hold the load
Full lengths of cast iron, copper and steel pipe sit on racks or in bundles. OSHA's storage rule bans stacks that create a hazard. Tiered bundles must be stacked, blocked and interlocked, and kept to a height where they stay stable and can't slide or fall. Post rack load ratings and keep the heaviest pipe low. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.176(b), secure storage.
PEX stays out of the sun
The Plastics Pipe Institute's PEX guide says PEX tubing should not be stored outdoors in the sun, or indoors where sunlight hits it directly. It also warns against letting PEX and plastic fittings touch pipe thread sealant or solder flux. Keep coils boxed, away from bay doors and skylights, and away from the threading and soldering area. Source: Plastics Pipe Institute: PEX Plumbing Design and Installation Guide, chapter 9.
Crated fixtures wait for trim
Toilets, sinks, water heaters and booster pumps for a building are often bought at once and held until trim. Give each job its own bay. Log each crate's condition when it arrives, and check it against the approved submittal while a damage claim is still easy to make.
Pipe bundles need enough tiedowns
Full lengths of copper and steel pipe go out on flatbeds. On trucks that FMCSA's cargo rules cover, a bundle longer than 10 feet with nothing blocking it in front needs two tiedowns, plus one more for each extra 10 feet or part of it. Post that count where trucks are loaded, and have drivers check straps for cuts before each trip. Source: eCFR: 49 CFR 393.110, minimum number of tiedowns.
How much commercial plumbing warehouse managers make
The closest BLS group for commercial plumbing warehouse managers is transportation, storage, and distribution managers. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $74,660 a year ($35.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $107,230 median for transportation, storage, and distribution managers in all industries. About 960 of the 221,180 transportation, storage, and distribution managers in that survey work for plumbing and HVAC contractors.
Most are on salary. Some contractors add a bonus for clean counts and deliveries that arrive when promised. BLS data for plumbing and HVAC firms puts the median for this job over the template's top figure.
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$74,660$74,660 median Middle half $58,090–$97,100 10th–90th $46,240–$128,000
All industries
$107,230$107,230 median Middle half $82,440–$146,770 10th–90th $65,120–$194,900
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
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
$46,240
$58,090
$74,660
$97,100
$128,000
All industries
$65,120
$82,440
$107,230
$146,770
$194,900
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
Has run a construction or supply warehouse with staff and trucks
Knows plumbing pipe, fittings and fixtures by name and size
Keeps the warehouse system accurate through daily habits
Plans delivery routes and loads around crew start times
Sets clear rules for staff and sticks to them
Teach these on the job
Your warehouse or ERP software
Job numbers and cost codes
Supplier return and credit policies
Each general contractor's delivery rules
Rack layout for long pipe
Expect an ERP or warehouse module tied to job costing, barcode scanners, a forklift and pallet jacks, pipe racks, and box or flatbed trucks. Say in the ad what you ship and how many trucks go out each day.
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 · Staging for job deliveries
Four crews need material delivered to different job sites tomorrow morning. How do you make sure each gets the right load?
A strong answer: Pulls and checks each job's material against its order the day before, labels it by job, plans the delivery route, and flags shortages to project managers.
Behavioral · Leading the team
Tell me about a time you set clear expectations for a warehouse team, like staged job material checked and labeled before trucks leave, and held people to them.
A strong answer: Explains the expectations, how they trained, how they followed up, and what they did when someone didn't meet them.
Treat the template's numbers as placeholders. Swap in your own after one busy stretch of delivery and count records.
Order fulfillment accuracy
Count job orders shipped complete and correct, checked against the pick ticket and the foreman's sign-off, out of all orders shipped. Log each error's cause.
Inventory turnover rate
Divide the cost of shop stock issued over a year by the average value held. Leave crated job material out, since it was bought for one job.
On-time shipping percentage
Count deliveries that arrived when the foreman asked for them, out of all deliveries. Have drivers write the arrival time on the ticket.
Stock discrepancy rate
Compare cycle counts to system quantities each month and count the lines that don't match. Look hardest at copper fittings, valves and other costly items.
Career path
Delivery driver or shop leadLoads trucks and runs job deliveries.
The template lists lifting, bending, temperature changes and noise. What tasks are those?
Here it means unloading crates and boxes up to 50 pounds, bending to low racks and pallets, walking the shop and yard, and working near forklifts, pipe saws and threading machines in a building that isn't always heated or cooled. Build the posting around these tasks and include a line on reasonable accommodation.
How much does a commercial plumbing warehouse manager make?
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $74,660 a year ($35.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $58,090 and $97,100 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Should the warehouse manager run the delivery drivers?
Usually, yes. Deliveries depend on what's picked, staged and loaded, so the person who runs the shop is best placed to plan routes and truck loads. The dispatcher keeps the service plumbers' schedule, while job deliveries follow the foremen's requests and the project managers' dates. Agree on a cutoff time for next-day orders.
What happens to material when a job is delayed or canceled?
Ask the project manager first. Material for a delayed job stays in its bay with a new need date. For a canceled job, try returning unopened items to the supplier, then move the rest to other jobs by transfer so each job pays only for what it used. Anything left becomes shop stock at a value the bookkeeper agrees to.
What belongs in a commercial plumbing warehouse manager's monthly report?
A short report covers the value of stock on hand, job material waiting in bays, deliveries that ran late and why, count errors, open damage claims with suppliers, and any injury or near miss in the shop. Add one or two fixes planned for the next month.
