What a plumber's website needs so people phone you instead of the next one

A homeowner with a leak asks four things, in this order.

1. Will someone come now?
2. Are they licensed for gas?
3. Will they come to my town?
4. What will it cost?

I read five plumbing and heating sites that serve Vernon. All five have a number you can tap. Four list the towns they cover. Three show a gas licence number. None show a price. Whoever answers all four first is the one the homeowner phones.

1. Will someone come now?

Every one of the five has a phone number you can tap. Four say "emergency" or "24/7" or "after hours". The fifth shows only that it closes at 4.

Put the number at the top of every page as a link, and put what you do after hours next to it. "Emergency calls answered 24 hours" is a promise. "Weekdays 7 to 5, emergencies call anytime" is also a promise. If you don't do emergencies, say that. The caller who knows it phones someone else in ten seconds instead of leaving a message you answer too late.

2. Are they licensed for gas?

In BC, anyone hired to do gas work needs a Technical Safety BC licence. A municipal business licence doesn't count. Three of the five show their licence number on the site. The number begins with LGA.

Show yours, in the footer and next to the word "gas". Then tell people how to check it: Technical Safety BC has a "Find a Licensed Contractor" search that shows the licence type and what work it covers. Also say that you pull the permit. Technical Safety BC itself tells homeowners to ask for permit numbers, and a plumber who volunteers them has answered the question before it's asked.

"Licensed, insured and bonded" appears on two of the five. It's fine, and it's the line every competitor has.

3. Will they come to my town?

Four of the five list their towns. Name them: Vernon, Coldstream, Lumby, Armstrong, Oyama, Enderby, whichever you really go to. Someone in Lavington is deciding whether you're local, and a map of towns tells them.

4. What will it cost?

None of the five show a price. One has a page titled "How much is a plumbing inspection?" and no number on it.

You don't need a price list. A call-out fee, and a "from" price for the three jobs you do most (a toilet, a hot water tank, a drain), is enough. If you can't price a job without seeing it, say how you quote: "Send a photo by text and I'll give you a range the same day."

This is the one place you can lead every plumber in the sample today.

Four things almost nobody shows

1. WorkSafeBC. A homeowner who hires a contractor who isn't registered or paying its premiums can be liable for those premiums. WorkSafeBC gives a free clearance letter that shows a business is registered and in good standing. None of the five mention it. "WorkSafeBC clearance letter on request" costs you one line.
2. Financing. Three of five offer it. For a furnace or a hot water tank, it's the question after the price.
3. Rebates. Two of five list rebates, and one names FortisBC. They change what a heat pump or furnace costs, so they change the decision.
4. Reviews that are recent. In one 2026 survey, 74 percent of people said they look for reviews written in the last three months, and 80 percent were more likely to use a business that answers every review. A reply to each one is worth more than an old five-star pile.

What to leave off

A mission statement, a paragraph about excellence, and a form as the only way in. Someone with water on the floor taps the number. They don't fill in a form.

If you'd like all of this on one page that works on a phone, text me your licence number and the towns you cover. I'll start there.

Written by Mackenzie Bowes in Vernon, BC. October 26, 2026.