Why We
Ditched
Free Quotes
The honest story behind moving to transparent, upfront pricing — and why it's better for everyone.
Something Had to Change
At the start of 2026, Sophie and I sat down and took a brutally honest look at the business. Not just the day-to-day — are we busy enough, are the reviews good, is the work coming in — but the stuff you avoid looking at. The numbers. The real picture of whether Rosebourne Plumbing was actually working as a business, or whether we were just staying busy.
The answer wasn't what we wanted to hear. We were busy. The phone was ringing. The reviews were great. But the business wasn't sustainable. Not because we weren't good at what we do — but because of how we were doing it.
The Hard Truth: Being busy and being profitable are two completely different things. We were doing one without the other, and that's not a business — it's a treadmill.
The “Free Quote” Trap
For years, like every other plumber, we had “Get Free Quote” plastered all over the website. It's what you do, right? Everyone does it. Customers expect it. The marketing advice says to make it easy for people to enquire.
And it worked — sort of. We got enquiries. Lots of them. But here's what nobody tells you about “free quotes”: they attract a specific type of customer. Someone who's collecting quotes from five different plumbers, comparing spreadsheets, and choosing the cheapest number on the list. No interest in qualifications, insurance, guarantees, or whether you'll still be in business next year. Just: who's cheapest?
What “Free Quote” Attracted:
- ✗Price shoppers comparing 5+ quotes
- ✗Time-wasters who never intended to book
- ✗Customers who ghost after receiving the quote
- ✗People who use your quote to haggle with someone cheaper
- ✗Customers focused purely on price, not quality
What We Actually Want:
- ✓Customers who value quality workmanship
- ✓People who want the job done properly first time
- ✓Homeowners who appreciate guarantees and insurance
- ✓Families who want a plumber they can trust long-term
- ✓Customers ready to book, not just browse
The free quote model was costing us in ways we couldn't see. Every quote that went nowhere was time spent away from paying work. Every price-shopper who ghosted us was an evening spent writing up estimates for nothing. Every “can you do it cheaper?” phone call was energy that could have gone into doing excellent work for customers who valued it.
The Numbers Don't Lie
When we finally sat down and looked at the accounts properly — not just the bank balance, but the actual profit and loss, line by line — the picture was sobering. We were turning over decent money. The work was coming in. But after you stripped out the van costs, insurance, tools, certifications, advertising, materials, and actually paying ourselves, there was barely anything left.
We were working hard. Really hard. Five days a week on the tools, evenings doing admin, weekends dealing with emergencies. And the business was essentially buying itself a job. We weren't building something — we were just surviving.
The Realisation: The problem wasn't that we weren't good enough. It wasn't that we weren't busy enough. It was that we were under-valuing our own work — and the “free quote” model was attracting customers who under-valued it too.
Two things became clear very quickly:
1. We Were Absorbing Costs That Should Be Priced In
Travel time between jobs, admin time writing quotes, the cost of materials on small repairs, the insurance that protects customers — all of this was being absorbed rather than properly accounted for. We were essentially subsidising every job.
2. Our Marketing Was Attracting the Wrong Customers
“Free quotes” sounds generous, but it's actually a signal to price-shoppers. People who value quality don't need a free quote — they need to know you're qualified, insured, and stand behind your work. We were spending money to attract people who would never pay a fair price.
What We Changed — And Why
On 28th January 2026, we made the decision to overhaul everything. Not gradually, not tentatively — properly. In a single day, we updated over 145 pages across the website. Every “Get Free Quote” button became “Book a Plumber.” We built a dedicated pricing page. We rewrote the contact page. We changed our entire approach to how we communicate with customers before they even pick up the phone.
From “Get Free Quote” to “Book a Plumber”
This wasn't just changing a button label. It's a fundamental shift in how we think about the relationship with customers.
“Get Free Quote” says: “We're one of many options. Compare us against the cheapest. The quote costs nothing, so why not collect a few?”
“Book a Plumber” says: “You need a professional plumber. Here's what we charge. If that works for you, let's get it sorted.”
The difference is respect — for customers' time and for ours. Nobody wants to wait three days for a quote when they could just know what it costs upfront.
A Dedicated Pricing Page
We created a full pricing page that tells you exactly what we charge before you even call. Standard attendance fee. Emergency call-out rates. What's included. What isn't. No surprises.
Most plumbers hide their pricing because they're worried it'll scare people off. We think the opposite: if our prices scare you off, we weren't the right fit anyway. And if they don't scare you off, you can book with confidence knowing exactly what you're paying for.
A “Before You Enquire” Pre-Qualification
On the contact page, we added a section that sets expectations before someone fills in the form. It tells you our minimum charges, our service area, our emergency policy, and our philosophy. If that's not for you, no hard feelings — but it saves everyone's time.
Our Philosophy: “We focus on quality work at fair prices, not being the cheapest option. Our pricing reflects the true cost of running a professional, insured plumbing business.”
The Honest Bit: This Was Scary
I'm not going to pretend this was easy. Changing 145 pages in a single morning, knowing that putting prices on the website might reduce the number of enquiries? That's terrifying when you've got bills to pay, an apprentice relying on you, and a family to support.
Sophie and I had long conversations about it. What if the phone stops ringing? What if people see the prices and go elsewhere? What if we've just made a massive mistake?
But here's what we kept coming back to: the phone was already ringing with the wrong people. We were busy with enquiries that never converted. We were writing quotes that never became jobs. We were running on a treadmill and calling it progress.
What We Told Ourselves:
“Fewer enquiries from serious customers who actually book is worth more than a hundred enquiries from people collecting quotes they'll never use.”
The scariest part was updating the call centre. We use In Your PA to answer our phones — they're brilliant, and they make us sound professional even when I'm elbow-deep under a kitchen sink. But ringing them up to say “we've changed everything about how we talk about pricing” felt like a point of no return.
It was a point of no return. And that's exactly why it needed doing.
Why This Is Actually Better for You
Here's the thing most people don't realise: transparent pricing isn't just about us being honest. It genuinely makes the experience better for customers.
No Wasted Time
You know what we charge before you call. No waiting days for a quote. No awkward phone negotiations. Just clear information and a decision you can make immediately.
No Surprises
The price you're told is the price you pay. We don't add VAT (we're below the threshold). We don't surprise you with call-out fees. Everything is upfront.
Faster Service
When customers know the price upfront, the booking process is faster. Less back and forth means we can get to your job sooner, not spend time chasing quotes that go nowhere.
Trust From Day One
A plumber who publishes their prices has nothing to hide. You know exactly what you're getting into, and that builds trust before we've even met.
What We've Learned From Running a Small Business
This whole experience has taught us things about running a small trades business that nobody talks about. Everyone focuses on getting more customers, more enquiries, more reviews. Nobody talks about making sure the work you do actually sustains you and the people who depend on you.
Being Busy Isn't the Same as Being Successful
You can work six days a week, have a full diary, and still not be building anything lasting. Revenue means nothing if there's nothing left after costs. We had to learn to measure the right things.
Saying No Is a Business Skill
For years I said yes to everything. Every small job, every “quick favour,” every price-matched quote. But saying yes to work that doesn't sustain the business means saying no to the family time, the apprentice training, and the quality work that actually matters.
Your Price Reflects Your Value
If you charge what the cheapest competitor charges, you're telling customers you're the same as the cheapest competitor. We're not. We carry proper insurance, we guarantee our work, we turn up when we say we will, and we clean up after ourselves. That costs more to deliver — and it should cost more to buy.
Transparency Builds Better Relationships
Since making this change, every customer who books knows what they're paying before we arrive. No awkward conversations at the door. No sticker shock when the invoice comes. Just professional service at a price that was agreed upfront.
The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Andover, Marlborough & Hungerford
We serve three towns across the Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Berkshire borders: Andover (SP10/SP11), Marlborough (SN8), and Hungerford (RG17). These are communities where people know each other. Word of mouth matters. Reputation matters.
Moving to transparent pricing means we can focus entirely on doing brilliant work for the people in these communities. Instead of spending evenings writing quotes for people 30 miles away who found us on Google and just want a number to beat, we can spend that time on the work that matters — and on our families.
It also means every penny of our marketing spend goes towards reaching the right people in our area. Not casting a wide net and hoping — but connecting with homeowners in SP10, SP11, SN8, and RG17 who want a local plumber they can trust, not just the cheapest name on a list.
What Hasn't Changed
Still the Same Will
Same plumber who turns up personally to every job, same attention to detail, same commitment to leaving your home tidy.
Still 12-Month Guarantee
Every job we do comes with our workmanship guarantee. That hasn't changed and never will.
Still Local, Still Caring
We live in the community we serve. Your reputation is our reputation. That hasn't changed.
Still Fully Insured
£10M public liability insurance, professional qualifications, proper training. The stuff that actually protects you.
A Note on “Expensive”
We know some people will look at our pricing page and think we're expensive. And compared to a bloke off Facebook with no insurance and no guarantee, we probably are. But consider what you're actually comparing:
| What You Get | Rosebourne Plumbing | “Cheaper” Option |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified plumber | ✓ | Maybe |
| £10M public liability insurance | ✓ | ✗ |
| 12-month workmanship guarantee | ✓ | ✗ |
| Turns up when promised | ✓ | Maybe |
| Cleans up after the job | ✓ | Unlikely |
| Still in business next year | ✓ | Who knows |
| Transparent pricing upfront | ✓ | ✗ |
The cheapest quote often becomes the most expensive mistake. We've lost count of the number of times we've been called to fix work done by someone cheaper. The customer ends up paying twice — once for the bodge job, and once for us to put it right.
Looking Forward
This change isn't the finish line — it's the starting line. For the first time in a while, I feel like Rosebourne Plumbing is building something rather than just surviving. We're making decisions based on where we want to be in five years, not just how to get through next month.
We've got an apprentice learning the trade properly. We're investing in the right certifications. We're building a business that can grow sustainably, serving the communities of Andover, Marlborough, and Hungerford with the quality they deserve.
If you've read this far, you're probably the kind of customer we want to work with. Someone who values honesty, quality, and transparency. Someone who'd rather know the price upfront than play the quote-comparison game. Someone who wants a plumber they can call for years to come.
That's exactly who we built this for.
— Will & Sophie Gaze, Rosebourne Plumbing
Ready to Work With a Transparent Plumber?
Check our pricing page to see exactly what we charge, or book a plumber directly. No games, no hidden costs, no wasted time.
Related Reading
Stay Small Long Enough to Be Good Enough
Why patience and focus trump rapid scaling for long-term business success.
Read Full Guide →Honest Emergency Plumbing: Why I Don't Promise 24/7
The reality of emergency plumbing for solo plumbers and why honesty builds better relationships.
Read Full Guide →Professional Plumbing Service: What to Expect
What sets a professional plumbing service apart and what you should expect from your plumber.
Read Full Guide →