Top 12 Plumber Helper Skills to Put on Your Resume
In the competitive field of plumbing, standing out takes more than wrench skills and a good attitude. Showcasing top plumber helper abilities on your resume signals you can handle real jobsite pressure, support complex installs, and adapt when problems start hissing behind a wall.
Plumber Helper Skills
- PEX piping
- PVC/CPVC
- Soldering
- Brazing
- Pipe threading
- Hydro-jetting
- Drain cleaning
- Leak detection
- Fixture installation
- Welding
- Blueprint reading
- Trenchless technology
1. PEX piping
PEX piping is a flexible, durable plastic tubing for water supply lines. It installs fast, resists scale and chlorine, and shrugs off corrosion that chews up metals.
Why It's Important
PEX matters because it bends around corners, needs fewer fittings, and doesn’t pinhole or rust. Fewer joints mean fewer leaks and quicker rough-ins.
How to Improve PEX Piping Skills
To sharpen PEX installation and maintenance:
Use the right system: Match fittings and tools to the PEX type and method (ASTM F1960 expansion; F1807/F2159 crimp or clamp). Don’t mix parts across systems.
Cut clean: Use a sharp PEX cutter for straight, burr-free ends. A ragged cut invites leaks.
Mind UV: Keep PEX out of sunlight. If exposed, sheath or cover. UV degrades it faster than you think.
Support smart: Strap at the spacing the manufacturer calls for. Long runs need room to move and expansion loops where needed.
Chemical caution: Keep away from petroleum products, solvents, and pesticides. PEX chemical compatibility matters.
Thermal movement: Leave slack and use expansion techniques so temperature swings don’t stress the line.
Check your work: Inspect rings, sleeves, and expansion recoveries. Pressure test before close-up. Routine checks extend life.
How to Display PEX piping Skills on Your Resume
2. PVC/CPVC
PVC is a lightweight, versatile plastic for cold water and drains. CPVC is chlorinated PVC—handles higher temperatures, so it works for hot and cold distribution.
Why It's Important
It’s durable, resists corrosion and many chemicals, goes together quickly, and keeps costs down across supply and drainage systems.
How to Improve PVC/CPVC Skills
Better installs come from careful prep and correct joining:
Square cuts: Use a ratcheting cutter or fine-tooth saw with a miter box. Clean, square ends make tight joints.
Deburr and chamfer: Remove burrs and bevel the pipe edge. It helps the pipe seat and prevents wiping cement out of the socket.
Clean, then prime: Wipe off dirt and oils. Use the correct primer (many jurisdictions require purple primer) for the material.
Right cement: PVC cement for PVC, CPVC cement for CPVC. Apply evenly, full depth. Push, twist a quarter turn, and hold.
Support properly: Use hangers made for plastic pipe. Follow spacing charts to avoid sag and stress.
Allow for expansion: Use expansion joints/loops on long runs. Plastic moves—plan for it.
Test: Inspect every joint. Perform pressure tests per code and manufacturer instructions before covering.
How to Display PVC/CPVC Skills on Your Resume
3. Soldering
Soldering joins copper pipes and fittings by heating the joint and pulling molten solder into the capillary gap, creating a durable, watertight seal.
Why It's Important
A reliable solder joint means leak-free copper lines for potable water, heat, and more. Clean, consistent, code-compliant work keeps systems tight.
How to Improve Soldering Skills
Prep is king: Bright metal on pipe and fitting—emery cloth, brushes. No shine, no seal.
Flux lightly: Even, thin coat. Too much burns and gums the joint.
Heat the fitting: Warm the cup, not the solder. Let capillary action do the pulling.
Feed correctly: Touch solder opposite the flame. When it flows, circle the joint. Use lead-free solder for potable water.
Cool slowly: Don’t quench. Wipe gently with a dry rag if needed; let it set naturally.
Safety: Flame cloths, fire watch, and a charged extinguisher nearby. Check combustibles.
For deeper guidance, look to the Copper Development Association, trade training materials, and practical demonstration videos from reputable trade educators.
How to Display Soldering Skills on Your Resume
4. Brazing
Brazing joins metals with a filler that melts above soldering temperatures, flowing into tight gaps and solidifying into a strong, leak-resistant joint—common with copper in high-temp or high-pressure work.
Why It's Important
It produces tough, long-lasting connections where soldering falls short, delivering reliability for demanding service conditions.
How to Improve Brazing Skills
Immaculate surfaces: Clean to bright metal. Oxides kill flow.
Fit-up matters: Snug, consistent capillary gap. Big gaps weaken joints.
Correct flux and filler: Match base metals, service environment, and code requirements.
Even heat: Torch sizing and flame control so the joint—not the rod—does the work. Draw filler toward heat.
Nitrogen purge (when applicable): Prevents oxidation scale inside copper tubing.
PPE and ventilation: Gloves, eye protection, and fresh air.
Practice: Scrap pieces reveal mistakes before the job does.
Authoritative references include the American Welding Society, the Copper Development Association, and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association.
How to Display Brazing Skills on Your Resume
5. Pipe threading
Pipe threading cuts spiral grooves at the pipe’s end so fittings can screw on, compressing sealant into the root and creating a tight, serviceable joint.
Why It's Important
Threaded joints build reliable systems for water, gas, and process piping, and they allow disassembly for service.
How to Improve Pipe Threading Skills
Choose the right die: Match size and material. Dull or wrong dies chew threads.
Cutting oil: Plenty of proper cutting oil keeps heat and chatter down and extends tool life.
Secure the work: Vise it tight. Movement ruins alignment.
Machine technique: Maintain steady feed, back off intermittently to break chips, and ream after cutting to remove the internal lip.
Inspect: Clean threads, remove burrs, and gauge if needed. Aim for clean crests and roots.
Seal correctly: Use appropriate thread sealant or tape for the medium. Two to three exposed threads after makeup is typical for NPT.
Keep learning: Training from the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association and hands-on mentorship tighten your results.
How to Display Pipe threading Skills on Your Resume
6. Hydro-jetting
Hydro-jetting blasts high-pressure water through sewer or drain lines to cut through grease, roots, and scale, restoring full flow.
Why It's Important
It clears heavy buildup thoroughly, scrubs pipe walls, and often prevents repeat clogs better than snaking alone.
How to Improve Hydro-jetting Skills
Dial in pressure and flow: Match the pipe size, material, and blockage. More pressure isn’t always better—control wins.
Nozzle selection: Penetrators, spinners, and root-cutting heads each have a purpose. Pick strategically.
Maintain gear: Inspect hoses, nozzles, reels, and pumps. Small defects become big failures under pressure.
Use a camera: Pre- and post-jet CCTV checks confirm the problem and prove the result.
Safety and controls: PPE, good footing, controlled return pressure, and awareness of possible backflow or blowback.
How to Display Hydro-jetting Skills on Your Resume
7. Drain cleaning
Drain cleaning removes clogs and buildup from fixtures and lines using hand tools, augers, cameras, and sometimes high-pressure jetting.
Why It's Important
Prevents backups and odors, protects property, and keeps systems humming without surprise overflows.
How to Improve Drain Cleaning Skills
Diagnose first: Hair, grease, scale, roots, foreign objects—cause informs method.
Pick the proper tool: Hand augers for small traps, drum or sectional machines for longer runs, jetting for grease/scale. Camera when in doubt.
Go easy on chemicals: Avoid harsh drain openers that damage piping and PPE. Enzyme-based maintenance is gentler and effective over time.
Maintenance routines: Hot water flushes, enzyme dosing, and periodic cleaning through a cleanout prevent returns.
Safety: Gloves, eye protection, GFCI on powered equipment, and good machine control to prevent cable kinks and kickback.
How to Display Drain cleaning Skills on Your Resume
8. Leak detection
Leak detection finds and pinpoints water escapes in supply or drainage systems to stop waste, damage, and mold before they spiral.
Why It's Important
It saves water, cuts bills, avoids rot, and keeps buildings healthy.
How to Improve Leak Detection Skills
Start with eyes and ears: Look for staining, corrosion, swelling materials. In quiet rooms, listen for hiss or drip.
Toilet dye tests: A few drops in the tank; color in the bowl without a flush means a running flapper or seal.
Meter/pressure checks: Close fixtures and watch the meter. Isolate branches to narrow the hunt.
Thermal imaging: Temperature differences can reveal hidden hot or cold line leaks.
Acoustic tools: Frequency listening equipment helps locate pressurized leaks under slabs or behind walls.
Moisture meters and electronic sensors: Confirm damp zones and track migration.
How to Display Leak detection Skills on Your Resume
9. Fixture installation
Fixture installation means setting and connecting sinks, toilets, faucets, valves, and accessories to supply and drainage—aligned, sealed, and code compliant.
Why It's Important
Good installs prevent drips, wobbles, cross-threaded connections, and call-backs. Comfort and safety hinge on the details.
How to Improve Fixture Installation Skills
Know the system: Understand rough heights, trap arm limits, venting basics, and supply layouts before unboxing the fixture.
Use quality tools: Basin wrenches, torque-limiting drivers for tank bolts, proper hole saws for materials you’re cutting.
Follow manufacturer specs: Gasket orientation, torque values, sealant types—don’t guess.
Seal smart: Thread tape and dope where appropriate; plumber’s putty vs. silicone depending on surface and manufacturer guidance.
Measure twice: Layout, clearances, and level. Dry-fit before committing.
Code awareness: Local plumbing codes and standards (IAPMO and similar bodies) guide air gaps, backflow, and materials.
Keep learning: Trade publications, reputable how-to resources, and feedback from veterans sharpen your craft.
How to Display Fixture installation Skills on Your Resume
10. Welding
Welding fuses metal parts—often for steel or iron piping, hangers, and custom brackets—using heat and sometimes pressure to form a single, strong piece.
Why It's Important
When threaded or grooved connections won’t do, welding builds durable, rigid systems and repairs.
How to Improve Welding Skills
Repetition: Practice beads in multiple positions and on different materials. Consistency comes from time under the hood.
Master the fundamentals: Polarity, travel speed, stick-out, shielding gas, and joint prep. Know SMAW, GMAW, and GTAW basics relevant to piping.
Mentorship: Learn from certified welders. Small adjustments in angle and pace change everything.
Safety first: Proper PPE, ventilation, fire prevention, and adherence to safety rules from bodies like OSHA.
Quality gear and consumables: Good wire/rod, clean gas, calibrated machines—your welds show the difference.
Consider formal coursework and materials from MillerWelds, the American Welding Society, and communities such as WeldingWeb for peer insights.
How to Display Welding Skills on Your Resume
11. Blueprint reading
Blueprint reading means interpreting plans, elevations, isometrics, and schematics to locate fixtures, pipe routes, sizes, and elevations as designed.
Why It's Important
It keeps installation accurate, prevents clashes with other trades, and ensures work follows the spec and the code.
How to Improve Blueprint Reading Skills
Learn the language: Line types, scales, symbols, and abbreviations—get fluent.
Memorize plumbing symbols: Fixtures, valves, vents, slopes, cleanouts, and equipment markers.
Practice with real plans: Study sample sets and do takeoffs, mark routes, and identify conflicts.
Take a course: Plumbing-focused plan reading classes sharpen what to look for and what to ignore.
Use tutorials and videos: Visual walkthroughs of common plan sets help ideas stick.
Ask questions: Foremen and designers can decode quirks in specs and details that aren’t obvious.
How to Display Blueprint reading Skills on Your Resume
12. Trenchless technology
Trenchless technology installs or rehabilitates underground pipes without long open trenches—methods like pipe bursting, cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) minimize surface disruption.
Why It's Important
It saves time, reduces restoration costs, and keeps traffic and landscaping mostly intact.
How to Improve Trenchless Technology Skills
Know the methods: Match soil, depth, and pipe materials to the right technique—CIPP liners, bursting heads, or bores.
Train intentionally: Hands-on training and manufacturer certifications raise success rates dramatically.
Maintain equipment: Calibrate curing systems, inspect cables and winches, and verify resin specs and batch logs.
Locate and verify: Call 811, use locators, and pothole with vacuum excavation to expose utilities before committing.
Document: Pre/post CCTV, pressure or leak tests, and thorough reports build trust and reduce disputes.
How to Display Trenchless technology Skills on Your Resume
