A plumbing office manager leads the billing clerks and front desk and owns the paperwork a plumbing company owes to cities, water utilities and the state. They see that each job is invoiced and collected, each permit passes final inspection, and truck, license and backflow records never lapse.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, plumbing and HVAC contractors · BLS, May 2025
Oversee daily administrative operations within the plumbing department to ensure efficient office management, billing, and logistics. Serve as the primary point of contact for internal teams and external partners. Contribute to the overall company success by supporting key operational functions and driving process improvements.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Manage administrative tasks including scheduling, document filing, and correspondence.
Oversee billing processes, invoicing, and financial documentation procedures.
Coordinate office logistics, supply management, and facility maintenance.
Serve as a liaison between plumbing technicians and management.
Monitor and improve office workflow and operational efficiency.
Assist in onboarding and training new administrative staff.
Ensure compliance with company policies and industry regulations.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Process and reconcile billing data with accuracy and timeliness.
Maintain organized and up-to-date records for financial transactions and office documents.
Respond to customer and vendor inquiries via phone or email promptly.
Schedule meetings, appointments, and facility maintenance tasks.
Manage office supply inventories and place orders as needed.
Support team members by providing administrative assistance and problem solving.
Prepare reports and communications for management review.
Participate in daily briefings with the operations team.
Customer Response Rate: Achieve a customer inquiry response of less than 1 business day.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in business administration or related field.
3+ years of experience in office management, preferably in the home services industry.
Proficiency with billing software and Microsoft Office Suite.
Strong organizational and multitasking skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
Detail-oriented with a commitment to process improvement.
Strong problem-solving skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working within the plumbing or home services industry.
Previous exposure to customer-facing roles and direct client interactions.
Familiarity with industry-specific software and billing systems.
Proven track record in managing office operations in a fast-paced environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 25 pounds when necessary.
Extended periods of sitting and working at a desk.
Occasional light physical activities such as moving office files or supplies.
Standard office environment with controlled climate.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours from Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Minimal travel required for training or company meetings.
Occasional overtime during peak business periods.
On-call duties may be required during billing or system issues.
Collaborative office environment with a focus on team success.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range of $45,000 to $60,000 USD, commensurate with experience.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses.
Health, dental, and vision insurance provided.
401(k) plan with company match.
Paid time off and holiday leave.
Opportunities for professional development and advancement.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative, growth-oriented environment where every team member's contribution is recognized.
Our culture emphasizes continuous improvement, innovation, and mutual support.
We are committed to customer satisfaction and community engagement.
Join us to be part of a dynamic team dedicated to operational excellence and career advancement.
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
Office managers everywhere juggle billing, files and people. In plumbing, a lot of that paperwork is owed to a city, a water utility or a state plumbing board, and each one has its own deadline.
Permits go out under the master plumber
Texas makes the Responsible Master Plumber of record get the permits and ask for the inspections that codes require. Cities can add steps. Live Oak, Texas, issues water heater permits to a Responsible Master Plumber registered with the city, or to a homeowner with a homestead exemption doing their own work. The permit goes up on site before work starts, and a final inspection is required. The office keeps each city registration current, files permits and tracks each one until the final passes. Source: City of Live Oak, Texas: Residential water heater and HVAC replacement FAQ.
Backflow tests come with a filing deadline
Some plumbing companies keep certified testers who check backflow devices on lawn sprinkler systems. That paperwork goes to the water utility. In Portland, Oregon, each device must be tested every year by a state-certified tester, and the tester must send in the report within 10 business days. The office tracks which customers come due each month, books the tests, and checks that each report went in. Source: Portland Water Bureau: Submit backflow test reports.
Every truck needs the right lettering
A new truck needs more than a logo. In California, plumbing contractors must show the business name, address and license number on both sides of every commercially registered vehicle. The letters must be at least 1.5 inches high. In Texas, the master plumber of record must make sure each service vehicle shows the company name and that plumber's license number. The office tracks lettering, registrations and insurance cards. Source: CSLB: Advertising guidelines for contractors.
Home warranty and insurance jobs bring extra steps
Some calls come through home warranty companies. Each one has its own portal, approval steps and rates. Water damage jobs bring calls from insurance adjusters, who want the invoice, photos and a plain note on what failed. The office manager writes each process down. Then plumbers know when to stop and wait for approval, and these jobs get paid.
How much plumbing office managers make
The closest BLS group for plumbing office managers is First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers. First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $34.07 an hour ($70,860 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $69,500 median for First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers in all industries. About 11,910 of the 1,436,680 First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers in that survey work for plumbing and HVAC contractors.
Some shops pay a salary and others an hourly wage, and a yearly bonus can reward clean invoices, quick collections or a strong year.
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$70,860$70,860 median Middle half $56,520–$85,630 10th–90th $45,490–$108,020
All industries
$69,500$69,500 median Middle half $55,950–$85,090 10th–90th $45,610–$104,710
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k
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
$45,490
$56,520
$70,860
$85,630
$108,020
All industries
$45,610
$55,950
$69,500
$85,090
$104,710
BLS reports plumbing and HVAC contractors together. 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 supervised billing or front desk staff
Has run billing and collections for a service business
Reads an invoice against the ticket and finds what's missing
Runs a calendar of permit, renewal and backflow report dates
Settles billing disputes by phone without losing the customer
Teach these on the job
Each city's permit portal and how to book inspections
What your state plumbing board expects from the company
Home warranty company portals and approval rules
Backflow testing schedules and utility filing steps
Your job software and accounting ledger
Most of the day happens in ServiceTitan, Jobber or similar job software, the accounting ledger, city permit portals and home warranty dispatch sites. Decide whether payroll comes with the role before you post the opening.
Plumbing office manager interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Use the template's numbers as a placeholder. After a few months of your own results, set new ones, and talk them through with the office manager in a short meeting each month.
Billing Accuracy
Divide the month's corrected invoices by all invoices sent. An invoice counts as corrected if anything changed after the customer got it. Tag each one by cause, like a wrong price book item, a missed permit fee or the wrong home warranty rate.
Invoice Processing Time
Measure hours from the moment a plumber closes a ticket to the moment the invoice reaches the customer. Home warranty jobs wait on approvals, so give them their own line beside regular service tickets and install jobs.
Office Supply Management
Keep a short list of items the office can't run out of, such as invoice paper, permit folders, door hangers and printer toner. Count each time one runs out.
Customer Response Rate
Time from a customer's email, voicemail or web message to the office's first real reply, in business hours, from your phone and email logs. Spot-check a week's messages every Friday.
Career path
CSR or billing clerkAnswers calls, takes payments and learns how a ticket gets billed.
Office managerKeeps billing, permits, licenses and office staff on track.
Operations managerMoves to the field side: crews, scheduling and dispatch.
They run billing and collections and close out finished jobs. They track each permit from the application to the final inspection. They keep the company license, insurance papers, vehicle registrations and each city registration current. Many supervise the billing clerks and front desk too, work the home warranty portals, and take over when a customer asks for a manager.
How much does a plumbing office manager make?
First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $34.07 an hour ($70,860 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $56,520 and $85,630 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Does the office manager run the call center?
Not always. In a company with a call center, CSRs and dispatchers may report to a call center lead or the operations manager. Their work drives the field schedule. Billing, permits and records stay with the office manager, who also steps in on billing complaints. Put the split in writing, so CSRs know who to go to.
Should a plumbing office manager handle collections?
Usually, for anything not paid at the door. That means home warranty claims, loans that haven't funded, and the customer who disputes a bill. Write down when reminders go out and when a manager calls. Go over the list of unpaid bills every week with the owner or bookkeeper.
What licenses does a plumbing company need?
Rules differ by state. According to BLS, some states want a master plumber license before they grant a plumbing contractor's license. Cities may add their own registration or business license, so check every city where you pull permits. Keep a list of every license and registration with its renewal date.
Should the office manager also handle HR?
Once the company has an HR manager, hiring, licenses and staff issues move there. The office manager still sees a lot of it, like new-hire forms, time-off requests and paycheck questions. Agree on who owns what. Then a new plumber's paperwork won't sit between two desks.
