Where to Find Good Plumbing Pictures for Your Website (Free and Better Options)
The best places to get plumbing photos for your website, which ones are free to use, how to avoid copyright trouble, and how to take your own photos that win more calls.
Every plumbing website needs photos, and most plumbers hit the same problem: where do you get good ones without paying a photographer or getting in trouble for copyright? Here's what works.
Don't grab photos from Google Images
It's tempting to search "plumber" on Google and save a picture. Don't. Most images online are owned by someone, and using them on a business website without permission can lead to a takedown notice or a bill. Stick to the sources below.
Free stock photo sites
These sites offer photos you can use on a business website for free:
- Unsplash: high quality photos, free for commercial use under the Unsplash License. Note that some images are marked "Unsplash+" and require a paid plan.
- Pexels: a large free library, covered by the Pexels license.
- Pixabay: free images and illustrations under the Pixabay Content License (see the Pixabay FAQ).
Always read the license on the site itself before using a photo, since the rules can change. And avoid photos with other companies' logos or vans in them.
Good searches to try: plumber, plumbing repair, water heater, pipe wrench, bathroom sink, kitchen faucet, pipes, drain.
The catch with stock photos
Free stock photos are fine to get started, but they have two problems:
- There aren't many good plumbing ones. You'll find lots of faucets and tools, and only a handful of real plumbers at work.
- Your competitors use the same ones. Homeowners can tell a generic photo from a real one, and real ones build more trust.
That's why the best plumbing websites mix a few stock photos with photos of their own.
The better option: take your own
You don't need a photographer. A modern phone takes photos that are more than good enough. Over the next few weeks, snap:
- Your van or truck, clean, with your name on it, parked in a nice neighborhood
- You and your team, smiling, in uniform, in good daylight
- Work in progress: under a sink, installing a water heater, fixing a pipe
- Before and after shots of repairs and installs
- Finished jobs: a clean new water heater, a new faucet, a tidy work area
Tips for better phone photos: - Shoot in daylight or with the lights on, and wipe the lens first - Hold the phone sideways for photos you'll use at the top of the page - Tidy the area before you shoot. Nobody wants to see a mess - Ask the homeowner first, and keep their face and address out of the shot
Make your photos work for you on Google
- Keep file sizes small so your site loads fast on phones. Most website tools shrink photos for you.
- Add a short description (called "alt text") to each photo, like "Plumber installing a new water heater in Columbus." It helps Google and visitors using screen readers.
- Add your best photos to your Google Business Profile too, and keep adding new ones.
Start with photos already in place
Our plumbing website template comes with free-to-use stock photos already in place, so your site looks finished on day one. As you take your own job photos, we swap them in. Open the live demo, then send us your details and we'll launch it on your domain, usually within a week.
More ideas for your site: the 10 things the best plumbing websites do.
