Are Tradespeople Still Working During Lockdown?

New figures from Eureka! Research suggest that homeowners may struggle to get tradespeople to help them with maintenance projects or emergency call-outs for the foreseeable future.

The market research agency have been busy gathering the views of over 1,100 tradespeople in the Plumbing and Heating industry, with the support of membership bodies and brands across the sector.

Eureka! estimate that in the first few weeks of lockdown very few plumbers and installers have been working, the sector only operating at just 13% of what it would in normal circumstances.

As more and more DIY stores re-open their doors to retail customers though, there is a word of warning in the findings for well-intentioned homeowners.

Installers are rapidly finding new ways of operating safely, particularly those who feel comfortable offering essential ‘emergency’ services to the public. Less than half are offering a full emergency call-out service, with many being highly selective about who and what they respond to.

When considering what constitutes an emergency call out, only 17% of plumbers and heating engineers would consider responding to a homeowner’s DIY mistake or poor installation. This is particularly the case amongst more experienced tradespeople who said they would be unlikely to undertake this sort of job. 

Moving forward into the next phase of the pandemic, around half of installers confirmed that they would consider undertaking jobs - but only for existing customers that they have worked with before.

The risk of infection is naturally a source of concern for tradespeople and homeowners alike. To manage their own safety, installers are already adopting a 2 metre social distance when on a job and about 7 in 10 actively ask a householder to stay in a different part of a property. 

Partly to mitigate health concerns, the report also highlights that nearly 4 in 10 installers would now consider quoting for home improvement jobs using remote technology. A further one third said they would be looking to diagnose more plumbing and heating issues through technology – using video, phone or smart phone apps.

Download the full report with further analysis here

Dave Ruston, Director at Eureka! Research observes “Tradespeople have been understandably cautious about returning to customer’s homes without adequate safety measures and guidance in place. With their essential worker status, it will also be interesting to see how many take up COVID-19 testing and to what extent that is deemed necessary by homeowners as the social lockdown continues”

Source : Eureka! Research

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