Plumbers install water, sanitation, drainage and heating pipes for houses and industrial sites. The tasks can include natural and manufactured gas and compressed air pipe installations.

Pipes may be welded, soft-soldered, hard-soldered, threaded and jointed using proprietary fittings. Pipe jointing by machine crimping may also be utilised.  Pipe bending may be carried out by hydraulically operated or hand operated bending machines and by applying heat (Black Mild Steel Pipe only) with the bending angles only being measured for machine made bends and the radii and angles being measured for heat made bends. 

The installation and fixing of the pipes to various building components is an integral component of the skill, as is the installation of terminal fittings, sanitary and heating appliances and components e.g. showers, basins, WCs, boilers, radiators and circulators.