US Plumbing Market Size: 2026 Report
In October 2026, the research team at Graham County Home Services compiled the latest data on the size of the US plumbing market. As a family-owned plumbing company in Graham County, Arizona, we track these numbers to understand demand for the work we do every day. This report draws on 2026 industry estimates, the 2022 Economic Census, 2023 County Business Patterns, and 2025 to 2026 labor and housing releases from federal agencies. The first table gives the core 2026 figures.
The US Plumbing Market in 2026
Our anchor for market size is IBISWorld's July 2026 study of US plumbing contractors. It counts plumbing work only, so heating and cooling contractors are left out.
| Metric | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing contractor revenue | $208.1 billion | 2026 |
| Revenue growth this year | +0.5% | 2026 |
| Average annual revenue growth | 4.9% | 2021 to 2026 |
| Plumbing businesses | 129,352 | 2026 |
| Growth in business count | +1.2% vs 2025 | 2026 |
| Average revenue per business* | About $1.61 million | 2026 |
| Plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter jobs | 510,600 | 2025 |
| Median plumber pay | $63,800 per year | May 2025 |
*Our estimate: $208.1 billion divided by 129,352 businesses. Job and pay figures are the newest federal data, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2026.
- We found that growth has stalled in 2026. Revenue rose 4.9% a year from 2021 to 2026, but IBISWorld expects only 0.5% growth this year as single-family building slows.
- We found that revenue grew almost three times faster than the number of firms. Business counts rose 1.7% a year over the same five years, so the average firm now brings in more money. IBISWorld links much of this to higher prices for fixtures and parts.
- We found that the plumbing-only market is about $208 billion. Federal data that adds heating and cooling contractors shows a larger total, which we cover in the next section.
Ten Years of Census Data
The Economic Census runs every five years. Its plumbing figures also include heating and air conditioning firms (NAICS 238220), so the totals run higher than the plumbing-only estimate above.
| Census year | Revenue | Establishments | Employees | Revenue per establishment* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $149.5 billion | 86,914 | 842,421 | $1.72 million |
| 2017 | $206.2 billion | 103,275 | 1,020,861 | $2.00 million |
| 2022 | $297.6 billion | 114,427 | 1,169,692 | $2.60 million |
Employer firms only. Self-employed plumbers with no staff are not counted. *Our estimate: revenue divided by establishments. 2022 is the newest Economic Census; the 2027 census will be the next.
- We found that revenue roughly doubled in ten years. It rose 99% from 2012 to 2022, including a 44% jump from 2017 to 2022.*
- We found that the number of establishments grew only 32% over the same decade.* The average firm got larger.
- We found that payroll reached $80.4 billion in 2022, about 27% of revenue.*
Who Pays for Plumbing Work
The 2022 Economic Census breaks revenue into product lines. This lets us split the market by building type and by type of job. As before, these figures include heating and cooling work.
| Segment | New construction | Remodel and additions | Maintenance and repair | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | $47.8B (16.0%) | $22.7B (7.6%) | $39.7B (13.3%) | $110.1B (37.0%) |
| Nonresidential | $78.6B (26.4%) | $55.9B (18.8%) | $46.9B (15.8%) | $181.4B (61.0%) |
| Other products and services | Supplies, inspection, drain cleaning, and other lines | $8.0B (2.7%) | ||
Shares are of total industry revenue ($297.6 billion). Census product lines are reported separately, so they add to slightly more than 100%. Our team grouped the Census product codes by building type and job type.
- We found that homes made up 37% of revenue, and businesses, schools, factories, and other nonresidential sites made up 61%.
- We found that repair work on homes was worth $39.7 billion, more than home remodels ($22.7 billion). Fixing leaks, drains, and water heaters is a steady part of the trade.
- We found that new construction of all kinds made up 42% of revenue.* This is why slower home building in 2026 weighs on the market.
Housing and Remodeling Signals for 2026
New homes and remodels drive a large share of plumbing demand. The newest 2026 releases point to a slower year.
| Indicator | Latest figure | Change | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing starts (annual rate) | 1,221,000 | -7.4% vs Sept 2025 | Census and HUD, Sept 2026 |
| Single-family starts (annual rate) | 859,000 | -4.6% vs Aug 2026 | Census and HUD, Sept 2026 |
| Building permits (annual rate) | 1,400,000 | -3.0% vs Sept 2025 | Census and HUD, Sept 2026 |
| Homeowner remodeling and repair spending (projected) | $519 billion | Growth slows from 2.1% to 0.5% | Harvard JCHS LIRA, July 2026 |
The LIRA figure covers the four quarters ending in mid-2027 for owner-occupied homes. It covers all remodeling, not plumbing alone.
- We found that housing starts in September 2026 ran 7.4% below a year earlier. This matches IBISWorld's 0.5% growth estimate for plumbers in 2026.
- We found that remodeling spending is still large but almost flat. Harvard projects $519 billion, up from $517 billion a year earlier.
- We found that repair work carries less risk from a building slowdown. Pipes still leak and drains still clog when home sales are slow.
The Plumbing Workforce
The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups plumbers with pipefitters and steamfitters. Its 2026 releases cover jobs in 2025 and a forecast to 2035.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Jobs in 2025 | 510,600 |
| Projected jobs in 2035 | 545,200 |
| Projected growth, 2025 to 2035 | 7% (all jobs: 3%) |
| Openings per year, average | About 42,000 |
| Median pay, May 2025 | $63,800 |
| Lowest 10% / highest 10% of earners | Under $44,150 / over $108,420 |
| Share employed by plumbing, heating, and AC contractors | 65% |
| Share self-employed | 8% |
- We found that plumber jobs are projected to grow more than twice as fast as all jobs, at 7% vs 3%.
- We found that most of the 42,000 yearly openings will replace workers who retire or leave the trade. New jobs add about 3,450 a year.*
- We found that median plumber pay ($63,800) is 25% above the median for all workers ($50,980).*
Arizona and Graham County
Arizona is a mid-sized plumbing market with fast growth. Below are the newest figures for the state and for Graham County, where our team works.
| Metric | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona plumbing and HVAC contractor revenue | $7.10 billion (16th of 50 states) | 2022 |
| Arizona revenue in 2017 | $4.27 billion | 2017 |
| Arizona establishments / employees | 2,550 / 30,478 | 2022 |
| Arizona plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | 11,810 | May 2025 |
| Arizona median plumber pay | $62,070 (mean $67,940) | May 2025 |
| Graham County plumbing and HVAC establishments | 11 | 2023 |
| Graham County employees in those firms | 58 | 2023 |
| Graham County annual payroll in those firms | $3.0 million | 2023 |
Revenue and establishment data include heating and cooling firms. Graham County data comes from 2023 County Business Patterns; Census marks the employee count with a moderate noise flag.
- We found that Arizona contractor revenue grew 66% from 2017 to 2022, faster than the US rate of 44%.*
- We found that Arizona's median plumber pay sits 3% below the national median.* Rural parts of the state may differ from the Phoenix area.
- We found that Graham County had just 11 plumbing and HVAC employer firms in 2023, with about 5 workers per firm.* Small local teams, like ours in Thatcher, do most of the work in rural counties.
Methodology
We used IBISWorld's July 2026 plumbers report as the single anchor for the 2026 market size, growth rate, and business count. We did not average it with other estimates because other sources use different scopes. Census figures include heating and air conditioning firms and appear as separate, labeled tables. Figures marked with an asterisk (*) are our estimates. Each is simple math on the sourced numbers shown: division for per-firm and per-establishment values, and percent change between two sourced figures. We did not adjust any figure for inflation.
Related: Plumbing company average revenue in 2026.
Requesting a Copy of This Report
The US plumbing market is worth about $208 billion in 2026, and growth has slowed to 0.5% as home building cools. Federal data shows the wider plumbing and HVAC trade nearly doubled from 2012 to 2022, with home repair work at $39.7 billion. Plumber jobs are expected to grow 7% by 2035. Homeowners and builders can use these numbers to plan projects and budgets, and job seekers can use them to weigh a career in the trade. To see how this plays out locally, visit our Graham County plumbing team.
If you'd like to request a PDF copy of this report or learn more about our team, you can reach out here.
Sources
- IBISWorld. "Plumbers in the US Industry Analysis, 2026." July 2026. New York, NY. ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/plumbers/1946/
- US Census Bureau. "2022 Economic Census: Summary Statistics (EC2200BASIC)" and "Industry by Products (EC2200NAPCSINDPRD)." December 2024 and April 2026. Suitland, MD. www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/
- US Census Bureau. "2017 Economic Census: Summary Statistics (EC1700BASIC)" and "2012 Economic Census: Construction Summary (EC1223SG01)." Suitland, MD. www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/
- US Census Bureau. "2023 County Business Patterns." Suitland, MD. www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2023/
- US Census Bureau and US Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Monthly New Residential Construction, September 2026." October 20, 2026. Washington, DC. census.gov/construction/nrc/current/
- Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. "Remodeling Spending Poised for Further Slowdown" (LIRA). July 23, 2026. Cambridge, MA. jchs.harvard.edu/press-releases/remodeling-spending-poised-further-slowdown
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters." August 27, 2026. Washington, DC. bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, State Estimates (47-2152, Arizona)." 2026. Washington, DC. bls.gov/oes/tables.htm