By Mike Oddoye | Built lead systems for service businesses, not software demos
Most CRM software is built for companies with sales teams, not solo plumbers or small crews.
You don't need pipeline stages, opportunity forecasting, or team collaboration features. You need to know:
- Who called/texted you
- What job they need
- Whether you've followed up
- If they've paid you
That's it. And you shouldn't pay £150/month for that.
The Real Problem You're Solving
The leak: You're on-site fixing a boiler. Phone rings. You miss it. By the time you call back 3 hours later, they've already booked someone else.
Or: You send a quote. Customer says "I'll think about it." You forget to follow up. They hire someone else who DID follow up.
Or: Job's done. You send the invoice. Customer forgets. You forget to chase. 60 days later, you're still waiting for £600.
You don't need a CRM. You need a system that handles follow-ups automatically so leads don't fall through the cracks.
What Actually Matters in a Plumber CRM
Forget the feature list. Here's what you actually use:
1. Lead capture
- Form on website → automatic add to system
- Phone call → quick add from mobile
- WhatsApp/text → logged somewhere you'll remember
2. Automatic reminders
- "Follow up with Mrs. Smith about boiler quote"
- "Chase payment from job #247"
- "Check back with emergency customer in 3 days"
3. Quote tracking
- Who you've quoted
- What the value was
- Whether they accepted/declined/ghosted
4. Basic invoicing
- Send invoice
- Payment reminders
- Track what's paid/unpaid
Everything else is noise.
Option 1: The Free Setup (Google Sheets + Calendar)
Cost: £0/month Best for: Solo plumbers doing 5-10 jobs/month
The system:
Google Sheet #1: Leads Columns:
- Date received
- Customer name
- Phone/email
- Job type
- Quote amount
- Status (new/quoted/won/lost)
- Notes
Google Sheet #2: Jobs Columns:
- Job ID
- Customer name
- Job type
- Date completed
- Invoice amount
- Payment status
- Payment date
Google Calendar:
- Set reminders for follow-ups
- Block out booked jobs
- Schedule quote appointments
Pros:
- Free
- Simple
- You own the data
- Works offline
Cons:
- Manual entry
- No automation
- Easy to forget follow-ups
Reality: This works fine until you're doing 15+ jobs per month. Then you need something automated.
Option 2: Notion (The Solo Operator's Choice)
Cost: Free (personal plan) or £8/month (plus plan) Best for: Solo plumbers or small crews up to 20 jobs/month
Why plumbers love it:
- Clean, simple interface
- Mobile app that actually works
- Create custom databases
- Link jobs to customers to invoices
- Set up reminders
The setup:
Database 1: Customers
- Name, contact info, property details, job history
Database 2: Leads
- Date, source, job type, status, quote value, follow-up date
Database 3: Jobs
- Customer (linked), date, job type, notes, photos, completion date
Database 4: Invoices
- Job (linked), amount, sent date, paid date, payment method
Add automation:
- Notion can send you email reminders
- Or connect to n8n for SMS reminders and automated follow-ups
Pros:
- Cheap/free
- Customizable
- Great mobile app
- Can add photos and documents
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Still mostly manual
- No built-in SMS/email automation
- Not specifically built for trades
Real example: Mark in Newcastle uses Notion. Takes him 2 minutes per lead to log. Sets follow-up reminders. Tracks everything in one place. Costs him £0/month.
Option 3: Jobber (Built for Trades, But Expensive)
Cost: £59-149/month (depending on features) Best for: Plumbing businesses with 2+ people, 30+ jobs/month
What you get:
- Client management
- Job scheduling
- Quoting and invoicing
- Payment processing (extra fees)
- Client portal
- Route optimization
- Timesheets
Why it's popular:
- Actually built for trade businesses
- All-in-one (CRM + invoicing + scheduling)
- Good mobile app
- Client can approve quotes online
Why it might not be worth it:
- Expensive for solo operators
- Takes time to set up properly
- Learning curve
- You're paying for features you won't use
Reality: If you're solo and doing 10-15 jobs/month, you're paying £708-1,788/year for features you could get for £100/year elsewhere.
Option 4: ServiceM8 (Australia's Favorite, UK's Rising Star)
Cost: £30-70/month Best for: Established plumbing businesses, 20+ jobs/month
What you get:
- Job management
- Quoting and invoicing
- GPS tracking (great for crews)
- Forms and checklists
- Client portal
- Integrates with Xero/QuickBooks
Why plumbers choose it:
- Built specifically for trades
- Mobile-first design
- Quick job entry
- Automatic SMS updates to customers
- Good value for money
Downside:
- Still £360-840/year
- More complex than you need if you're solo
Option 5: The Automation Setup (OptiMAX Approach)
Cost: £10-50/month depending on tools Best for: Plumbers who want automation without expensive software
The stack:
Lead capture:
- Form on website → n8n catches it
- Adds to Google Sheet OR Notion
- Sends you instant notification
Auto-response:
- Customer fills form → immediate auto-reply
- "Got your message! I'm on-site but will call within 2 hours."
Automated follow-ups:
- Quote sent → automatic follow-up after 3 days
- "Just checking if you had any questions about the quote?"
- Job complete → invoice sent automatically
- Payment reminder after 7 days, 14 days
Tools needed:
- n8n (free, self-hosted) or Make/Zapier (£10-20/month)
- Google Sheets/Notion (free-£8/month)
- Twilio for SMS (pay per message, ~£10/month)
- Email service (free)
Pros:
- Cheap
- Fully automated
- You control everything
- Customizable to your exact needs
Cons:
- 2-3 hours to set up
- Requires some technical knowledge (or hire someone like us to set it up)
Reality: This is what I'd use. Once it's set up, it runs forever. Total cost £10-50/month vs £600-1,800/year for Jobber.
What About Field Service Management Software?
The big names:
- Housecall Pro (£60-120/month)
- Workiz (£80-150/month)
- mHelpDesk (£140+/month)
They all offer:
- Scheduling
- Dispatching
- GPS tracking
- Invoicing
- Payment processing
- Customer portal
My take: Overkill for most plumbing businesses unless you have 5+ vans and need dispatch/routing features.
If you're solo or 2-person crew, you don't need "field service management." You need lead tracking and follow-up automation.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
Beyond the monthly fee:
Payment processing fees:
- Most systems charge 2-3% per transaction
- On £50,000 annual revenue = £1,000-1,500/year in fees
Setup and training:
- 10-20 hours to configure properly
- Learning curve = less productive first month
Lock-in:
- Hard to move data if you switch
- Some platforms charge to export your data
Integration costs:
- Want to connect your accounting software? Extra fee.
- Need SMS notifications? Extra fee.
Reality: That "£60/month" CRM often costs £100-150/month all-in.
What to Choose Based on Your Situation
Solo plumber, 5-10 jobs/month: → Google Sheets + Calendar (free) or Notion (£8/month)
Solo plumber, 10-20 jobs/month, want automation: → Notion + n8n automation setup (£10-30/month)
2-3 person crew, 20-40 jobs/month: → ServiceM8 (£30-50/month) or build custom automation
Larger business, 5+ people, need routing: → Jobber or Housecall Pro (£100+/month)
Want someone else to set it up: → We build automated follow-up systems for plumbers. You tell us your workflow, we build it.
The Follow-Up System That Matters More Than Your CRM
Whatever tool you choose, you MUST have:
1. Instant lead response
- Form submission → auto-reply within 2 minutes
- "Thanks! I'll call you within 2 hours."
2. Quote follow-up
- Send quote → calendar reminder for 3 days later
- Text or call: "Any questions about the quote?"
3. Post-job check-in
- Job complete → text next day
- "Everything still working well?"
- (Also ask for Google review here)
4. Payment reminders
- Invoice sent → automatic reminder after 7 days
- "Just a friendly reminder, invoice #123 is due."
Most CRMs DON'T do this automatically. You need to add automation via n8n, Zapier, or similar.
Real Example: What This Looks Like
Steve, plumber in Cardiff:
Before:
- Using phone notes and paper
- Forgetting to follow up with 50% of quotes
- Chasing payments manually
- Losing 5-7 jobs per month to lack of follow-up
After (Notion + n8n automation):
- Every lead logged automatically
- Auto-response sent within 60 seconds
- Quote follow-ups happen automatically after 3 days
- Payment reminders sent automatically
Result:
- Converting 40% more quotes to jobs
- Getting paid 15 days faster on average
- Saving 3-4 hours per week on admin
- Total cost: £15/month
The Bottom Line
You don't need expensive CRM software. You need a system that:
- Tracks who contacted you and what they need
- Reminds you to follow up
- Sends automated messages when you're busy
- Helps you get paid faster
For most plumbers:
- Start with: Free Google Sheets or Notion
- When you're busier: Add automation (n8n + Notion)
- Only if you're established: Consider paid platforms like ServiceM8
Don't make CRM more complicated than it needs to be.
And if you want help setting up the automated follow-up system (the part that actually makes money), that's what we build at OptiMAX. You stay on the tools, we handle the tech.
Related: Job Management Software for Tradesmen | Plumber Marketing Guide | Sales Automation