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The full story

One call. A real plumber rings back in minutes.

No apps. No quote forms. No bidding. You ring 0800 BOOKED, talk for 90 seconds, and the first verified Auckland plumber to accept the job calls you straight back. Here's exactly what happens, start to finish.

End to end

From "something's leaking" to "plumber's on the way" in under 30 minutes.

Most jobs get a callback inside 15 minutes. Here's every step — including what happens behind the scenes while you wait.

1

You ring 0800 BOOKED 0:00

Sam, our voice assistant, picks up on the first ring. Day, night, weekend, public holiday. No hold music, no phone tree, no "press 1 for emergencies."

Why this matters: most plumbing jobs happen outside business hours — a burst pipe at 11pm, a blocked toilet on Sunday morning. A human receptionist can't staff that reliably. Sam can, and never sounds rushed.
2

Sam takes your details ~90 seconds

Sam asks four things: your name, your suburb, what's gone wrong, and how urgent it is. It's a normal conversation — not a form. If you're upset or panicked, Sam stays calm and keeps things moving.

Your data: the call is recorded so the plumber has context when they ring back. Only the plumber assigned to your job sees it. Call recordings are deleted after 30 days.
3

We match your suburb to a plumber instant

Auckland is split into suburbs. Each suburb has a plumber who owns it that month — they paid for exclusive access to jobs that come in from that postcode. As soon as you hang up, the job gets pushed to their phone via Telegram.

If your suburb doesn't have an owner yet: the job goes to the whole network as an open lead. The first plumber to accept wins it.
4

A plumber accepts usually < 5 min

The plumber sees your name, suburb, the job, and the urgency. One tap to accept, one tap to pass. If they pass, the job drops into a shared pool any licensed plumber in the network can grab.

Nobody in your suburb available? After 10 minutes the job goes network-wide with a nudge. We'll still find you someone.
5

They ring you back typically 15 min from your original call

The plumber who accepted rings you directly. They'll already know the basics from Sam's notes. They'll ask any follow-ups, give you a rough price and timing, and book a time to come out.

No callback within 30 minutes? You won't be left hanging. We text you with options — including direct numbers for nearby plumbers — so you always have a path forward.
6

Plumber turns up, fixes it per the booking

Same plumber you spoke to. Licensed with the PGDB, insured, and in uniform. You pay the plumber directly at their rates — we're not in the middle of the transaction.

After the job: we'll send you one text to rate the plumber. That rating goes into their profile and affects which suburbs they get priority for next month.
On the call

What Sam actually asks.

Sam's not trying to be a plumber. He's just making sure the right plumber calls you back with the right information. Four questions, conversational pacing, no scripts you need to read from.

  • Your first name (so the plumber knows what to call you)
  • Your suburb (so we route to the right plumber)
  • What's happening (so they know what tools to bring)
  • How urgent (so emergencies get prioritised)
Typical call · 84 seconds
Sam
Kia ora, you've reached Book a Plumber. I'm Sam. What's your name?
You
Hey, it's Peter.
Sam
Cheers, Peter. Which suburb are you in?
You
Mt Eden.
Sam
Ka pai. What's going on at your place?
You
Kitchen tap's burst, there's water everywhere.
Sam
That's rough. Have you turned the water off at the toby? Okay good. I'll get a plumber calling you back in the next few minutes — this is an emergency so you're at the top of the queue. Best number to reach you on is the one you called from?
You
Yep, that's it.
Sam
Sorted. Talk soon, Peter.
Edge cases

What if something goes sideways?

Real life: plumbers are in a roof cavity, your phone dies, the first bloke can't make it. Here's how we handle the weird ones.

Nobody accepts

We text you alternatives

If no plumber accepts within 30 minutes, you get a text with the three nearest plumbers and their direct numbers. You're never stuck in a queue.

Plumber can't make it

The job re-opens to the network

Ran late, truck broke down, whatever — the plumber can release the job back to us. It goes straight to the next available plumber and you get a text letting you know.

You miss the callback

They try twice, then text

If the plumber can't reach you on two tries, they'll send a text with their direct number. Call back whenever — the job's still theirs for 24 hours.

Service area

All of greater Auckland.

220+ suburbs covered across every region. From Helensville to Drury, Titirangi to Whangaparaoa.

Central
East
South
West
North Shore
Hibiscus Coast
What it costs

Free to call. Plumbers pay for the lead.

No booking fees, no service fees, no surge pricing. You pay the plumber at their normal rates — that's it.

If you're calling
$0 / call

0800 numbers are free for callers in New Zealand. From any landline or mobile. We pay the call cost.

  • No booking fee
  • No charge if nobody calls back
  • You pay the plumber directly, at their quoted rate
  • No surge pricing for after-hours
If you're a plumber
$49 / suburb / month

Own a suburb outright. Every qualified lead from that suburb is yours first. Pass on jobs you can't take, no penalty.

  • Exclusive suburb ownership
  • No bidding wars, no pay-per-click
  • Bundle 4+ suburbs for a discount
  • Beta pricing — free for the first 5 suburbs right now
Quick answers

Stuff people ask.

How is this different from Hipages or Builderscrack?

Those are quote-bidding marketplaces — you fill a form, five plumbers get your details, and they fight over you. Book a Plumber is a phone call to one plumber. Exclusive. No form, no bidding, no spam.

Is Sam really an AI?

Yes. Sam is a voice agent that listens, understands context, and takes your details like a receptionist would. You're talking to a human plumber from minute 2 onwards — Sam just handles the intake.

What if I have a complicated job?

Sam's job is to get enough detail so the right plumber rings you back. If it's complex — big bathroom reno, commercial backflow, gas compliance — the plumber will ask the technical questions when they call you.

Can I request a specific plumber?

Not at the moment. Book a Plumber is about speed and coverage — we match you with whoever owns your suburb that month. If you've got a favourite plumber, keep calling them direct.

Are the plumbers actually licensed?

Every plumber in the network provides their PGDB number when they sign up — we check it against the public register. Unlicensed tradies don't get listed.

What about emergencies outside Auckland?

We're Auckland-only right now. Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington are on the list for later in the year. If you call from outside Auckland, Sam will let you know and point you at alternatives.

Ready to test it?

Ring the number. It's free, it's 24/7, and the worst case is you hang up after 10 seconds.

Call 0800 BOOKED