Plumbing dispatch checklist for 1 to 5 truck shops
How to triage emergency and scheduled calls, assign the right tech and keep customers informed.
In a small plumbing shop, dispatch is usually the owner, a family member or one office person juggling a phone, a whiteboard and a group text. That works until two emergencies land at once and a scheduled water heater install is already on the board. This checklist gives you a repeatable way to take a call, decide how urgent it is, send the right plumber and keep the customer informed, without relying on memory.
1. Triage questions on every call
Ask the same questions in the same order, so anyone answering the phone can sort calls the same way.
- Is water actively leaking, and can the customer shut it off? Do they know where the main shut-off is?
- Is sewage backing up into the home, or is a fixture just slow?
- Is there no hot water, and is the water heater gas or electric? Is there a gas smell? A gas smell means the customer should leave and call the gas utility or 911 first.
- Is this a single fixture or the whole house?
- Is the property occupied, rented or commercial? Who can authorize the work?
Write the answers into the job record, not on a sticky note, so the plumber reads them before arriving.
2. Sort into urgency levels
Agree on three or four levels and what each one means for timing.
- Emergency now: active leak that cannot be shut off, sewage backup inside, no water to the property. Goes to the next available plumber, even if it means moving a scheduled job.
- Same day: no hot water, one toilet out in a single-bathroom home, a leak that is shut off but needs repair.
- Next available: slow drains, running toilets, dripping faucets, fixture replacements.
- Scheduled project: water heater replacement, repiping, remodel rough-in, estimates.
Post the levels where the phone is answered. When a customer pushes for faster service, the level decides, not who called loudest.
3. Collect job details before you assign
- Service address, gate or access codes, pets, and parking notes.
- Best phone number and whether the customer prefers a call or text.
- Fixture or equipment details: brand, age and fuel type for water heaters; location of the cleanout for drain calls if the customer knows.
- Photos from the customer, if they can send them. A photo of a water heater label or a leak can tell the plumber which parts to bring.
- Whether you have been to this address before, and what you did.
4. Assign the right plumber
- Match the job to skill and license. Not every tech is set up for gas work, sewer camera work or backflow testing.
- Check what is on each truck. A drain call needs the right machine; a water heater swap needs the unit and fittings.
- Look at where each plumber is now, not where they started the day.
- Keep one slot or one plumber flexible in the afternoon when you can, for emergencies that come in late.
5. Tell the customer what happens next
- Confirm the arrival window you can actually keep.
- Tell them what to do before the plumber arrives, for example shut off the water, clear the area under the sink, or keep people from using a backed-up drain.
- Send a short on-the-way message when the plumber leaves the previous job.
- If the window slips, tell the customer before it passes, with a new time.
6. Handle the bumped job
When an emergency moves a scheduled job, the bumped customer deserves a call, not a no-show.
- Call or message them as soon as you know, with a new time.
- Offer the next real opening, not a vague later.
- Note the reason in the job record so the plumber knows the customer has already waited.
7. Close the loop at the end of the job
- The plumber marks the job complete, adds notes and photos, and lists anything that needs a return visit or a quote.
- Office sends the invoice or confirms payment.
- If the plumber recommended further work, such as a water heater near the end of its life, create a follow-up with a date, so it is not forgotten.
- Send a thank-you and, if appropriate, a review request.
8. End-of-day dispatch review
Spend ten minutes at the end of each day on these questions.
- Did every job worked today get a status, notes and an invoice or reason why not?
- Are tomorrow's jobs confirmed, with parts available?
- Did any calls come in that were not returned?
- Were any arrival windows missed, and why?
Over a few weeks, the answers show where the real bottleneck is: missed calls, long drive times, parts runs or jobs running long.
Where software fits
The checklist works on paper, but it is easier when the triage answers, schedule and messages live in one place. Monaxion is CRM, scheduling and dispatch software for plumbing companies. It captures calls and texts in one inbox, keeps job notes with the address, and prepares confirmations and on-the-way messages that your team approves before they go out. To see your own dispatch flow in it, book a demo.
Published 2026-10-31 · General guidance only; follow the codes, labels and rules that apply where you work.
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