In a plumbing company, the warehouse manager looks after the stockroom and the yard behind it. They receive stock, restock trucks, and stage water heaters and repipe materials for install crews, while leading the warehouse staff, keeping counts right and storing chemicals and heavy items safely.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, plumbing and HVAC contractors · BLS, May 2025
Oversees and manages the warehouse operations for plumbing supplies, tools, and parts to ensure efficient inventory control and timely support for field operations. Plays a key role in streamlining supply processes and maintaining operational excellence within the home services industry. Collaborates cross-functionally with procurement, field technicians, and safety teams to optimize inventory levels and support company growth.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Manage daily warehouse operations including receiving, storing, and distributing plumbing parts and tools.
Supervise a team of warehouse staff ensuring adherence to safety protocols and quality standards.
Oversee inventory control processes to maintain accurate supply records and efficient stock replenishment.
Coordinate with vendors and internal departments to support timely order fulfillment and minimize operational disruptions.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Oversee the accurate logging of incoming and outgoing inventory and scheduled audits of warehouse stock.
Ensure the proper storage and maintenance of plumbing supplies, tools, and equipment.
Conduct daily inspections of the warehouse to address and resolve safety or operational issues promptly.
Communicate with field technicians and procurement teams regarding timely requisitions and inventory shortages.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Inventory Accuracy Rate: ≥98%.
Order Fulfillment Accuracy: 99% or higher.
Stock Turnover Days: ≤30 days.
Warehouse Safety Rating: >95% compliance with all safety standards.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in warehouse management or a similar role.
Proficient in warehouse management systems (WMS) and Microsoft Office Suite.
Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in the plumbing or home services industry.
Demonstrated capability managing a dynamic inventory system in a high-volume warehouse.
Familiarity with Lean management principles and continuous improvement strategies.
Experience working in a fast-paced, customer-centric environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 lbs.
Regular walking, bending, and manual handling of inventory items.
Capability to work in varying temperature conditions including confined spaces in the warehouse.
Endurance to perform repetitive tasks throughout the workday.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours with a typical Monday through Friday schedule.
Occasional evening or weekend shifts may be required during peak periods.
Minimal travel required between the warehouse and local plumbing job sites.
Flexibility to engage in on-call duties during emergencies or special projects.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $55,000 – $70,000 per year based on experience.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
401(k) retirement plan and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we cultivate a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.
We are committed to professional growth and empower our employees to achieve personal and career success.
Our supportive work environment encourages teamwork, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.
Join us if you are passionate about operational excellence and making a tangible impact in the home services industry.
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
A plumbing shop warehouse feeds service trucks thousands of small parts and sends out heavy water heaters most days. It also holds chemicals that need safety data sheets, plus expensive drain and sewer gear.
Water heaters set the floor plan
Tanks are bulky, heavy and easy to dent. You may stock gas and electric models in several sizes and heights, plus tankless units. The manager plans racking and floor space around them, moves the oldest stock first, and keeps same-day swaps staged so a crew can load and go.
A water heater job is more than the tank
Local code decides what else rides along. Roseville, California's handout for gas water heaters, for example, calls for a permit and final inspection, two seismic straps, and an expansion tank or similar device. It also calls for a drain pan wherever a leak could cause damage. The warehouse builds a kit for each city it serves, so crews don't leave without a part the inspector will look for. Source: City of Roseville, California: Gas fired residential water heaters (revised 2026).
Shop chemicals need safety data sheets
Plumbers use PVC primer and cement, flux, drain chemicals and torch gas. OSHA's hazard communication rule says the shop must keep the maker's safety data sheet for every hazardous chemical it uses, within reach of workers on every shift, and must train workers on the hazards. When a new primer or drain opener shows up, its sheet goes in the binder or app that day. Source: OSHA: Hazard communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).
Drain and sewer gear lives here too
Jetters, cable machines, sewer cameras and line locators are some of the costliest tools the company owns. The manager runs a check-out log, cleans and inspects gear when it comes back from sewer jobs, and books repairs fast. A camera stuck in the shop for a week can stall the sewer line estimates that depend on it.
Scrap metal is money
Water heater swaps and repipes bring old tanks, copper and brass back to the shop. That scrap is worth real money. The manager keeps it in a fenced or locked area, logs what goes out, and makes sure each scrap payment lands on the company's books.
How much plumbing warehouse managers make
The closest BLS group for 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.
The template sets a yearly salary and makes the job eligible for a performance bonus, which could follow shrink, safety walks or count accuracy.
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. 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 led a warehouse or stockroom team, not just worked in one
Traces a bad count back to the receiving slip, the truck or the person
Plans space for bulky stock like water heaters and pipe
Gets install kits and truck restocks out the door before crews roll
Enforces safety rules with the team every day
Teach these on the job
Plumbing parts, fittings and water heater models
The extra parts each local code wants on a water heater
How restock tickets flow from your job software to the shelf
Safety data sheet upkeep and chemical storage
Forklift and pallet jack use, through your training program
Expect a warehouse or inventory system, often the stock module in ServiceTitan or similar job software, plus barcode scanners, Microsoft Office and racking sized for water heaters. Most shops also run a forklift or pallet jack, and a box truck or trailer for job site deliveries.
Plumbing warehouse 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.
Begin with the template's targets and tune them to your own floor after a quarter of data. Review safety every month, not only after an injury.
Inventory Accuracy Rate
Cycle-count the shelf, the locked cage and every truck, then compare with the system. Look hardest at costly items, and treat a missing water heater as a problem to solve that day.
Order Fulfillment Accuracy
Truck restocks and install kits picked with the right parts and quantities, out of all orders. Log every wrong or missing item a crew reports, with its cause.
Stock Turnover Days
How long stock sits before it's used, from value on hand compared with monthly usage in your inventory system. Look for slow movers, like odd water heater sizes, that sit for months.
Warehouse Safety Rating
Grade your monthly safety walk on chemical storage, data sheets, racking, clear aisles and forklift checks. Keep a list of what the walk finds and the date each item gets fixed.
Career path
Warehouse associate or delivery driverPicks restock orders and runs materials out to install jobs.
They open before the trucks leave, check that install crews have their kits, and fill restock tickets. Later they receive deliveries, check them against orders, put stock away and sort out shortages with supply houses. A daily walk-through catches blocked aisles, open chemicals or damaged racking. Each week they plan counts, reorder big items like water heaters, and look at what has sat too long.
How much does a 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.
Does a plumbing shop with an inventory specialist also need a warehouse manager?
It depends on headcount and how many shops you run. One specialist can count, order and refill trucks for a single shop. Once install staging, job site deliveries, scrap and a few stockroom workers are in the mix, someone has to manage people and space, not just parts. That person is the warehouse manager, and the specialist then reports to them.
Should a plumbing warehouse stock parts or buy them from the supply house as needed?
Both, usually. Stocking common fittings and water heaters saves plumbers trips and lets you buy in bulk. Odd sizes and rarely used parts are often better picked up from a supply house when a job needs them. The warehouse manager draws the line between the two, based on how often each part moves and how far away the nearest supply house is.
Does Lean experience matter for a plumbing warehouse manager?
It's on the template's preferred list, and it shows up in the morning rush. Labeled bins, a fixed home for every part and pre-built kits cut the minutes plumbers spend hunting before they leave. Ask candidates for a layout or process they changed and what it saved in time or money.
What should candidates learn about your warehouse before they apply?
How many trucks, crews and shops it serves, how big the team is, and which inventory system you run. Say whether the job covers purchasing, deliveries or scrap sales, when the day starts, and how hours change in freeze weeks. Name who they report to as well.
