NEVER PUT UP AN 'UNDER CONSTRUCTION' PAGE. DO THIS INSTEAD.
An 'under construction' page tells customers you're not ready for them. Here's what to do instead when your plumbing website isn't finished yet.
Please. I am begging you.
If you're working on a new website for your plumbing business, do NOT put up an "Under Construction" page.
You know the ones. Little hard hat icon. Maybe a cartoon construction worker. Some text that says "We're building something great! Check back soon!"
This is the worst possible thing you can have on your domain.
And I'm gonna tell you why.
What an "Under Construction" Page Actually Says
You think it says: "Hey, we're working on something awesome. Hang tight."
Here's what it actually says to a homeowner with a burst pipe at 11pm:
"This plumber doesn't have their act together. Moving on."
They're not coming back. Not "soon." Not ever. They've already called the next plumber on Google.
Your "under construction" page isn't a placeholder. It's a customer repellent.
somebody please make it stop
The Real-World Cost
Let's do some quick math.
Say your domain gets 10 to 15 visits a month (even a brand new domain gets some traffic from people typing in your URL directly, or from your Google Business Profile).
Every single one of those visitors hits your "under construction" page and leaves. That's 10 to 15 potential customers per month seeing a dead end.
If even 3 of them would have called you (and at least some would), and your average job is $350...
That's $1,050 per month you're losing while you wait for your "real" website to be finished.
How long has that "under construction" page been up? A month? Three months? Six?
Yeah. Do that math. It hurts.
What to Do Instead
Here's the thing. You don't need a finished website to start capturing leads. You need a one-page landing page that does the bare minimum. (We cover whether a one-page website is enough for a plumber in a separate post.)
And the bare minimum is way easier than you think.
### The Minimum Viable Plumbing Website
One page. That's all you need while your full site is being built. Here's what goes on it:
1. Your business name and logo
Even if the logo is simple. Even if it's just text. People need to know who you are.
2. A clear headline
"[Your City]'s Trusted Plumber. Available 24/7."
Not fancy. Just clear.
3. Your phone number (big, bold, [clickable](/blog/plumber-website-click-to-call))
This is the most important element on the page. Make it impossible to miss. On mobile, make it a click-to-call link.
4. Your service area
"Serving Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and surrounding areas."
5. A list of your main services
- Drain cleaning
- Water heater repair & installation
- Emergency plumbing
- Leak detection
- Pipe repair
Bullet points. That's it.
6. Your Google review rating
"Rated 4.8/5 on Google." If you have reviews, show them.
7. A simple contact form
Name. Phone. Problem. Submit.
That's the whole page. You can build this in an hour. It's not perfect. It's not your final website. But it's a million times better than "Under Construction."
Why This Works
A simple one-page landing page does everything a homeowner needs:
- Tells them what you do (check)
- Tells them where you work (check)
- Gives them a way to contact you (check)
- Builds some trust with reviews (check)
That's literally all a panicking homeowner needs to make a call. They don't need animations. They don't need your company history. They don't need a blog.
They need to know you're a plumber, you're nearby, and they can reach you right now.
Your one-page landing page delivers all of that.
"But My Website Will Be Done in 2 Weeks"
Cool. Put up the landing page anyway.
Two weeks is 14 days. That's potentially 5 to 10 visitors who would've seen "Under Construction" and bounced. Instead, they see a real page with a real phone number and a real contact form.
Even if you only get ONE call from it... was it worth the hour it took to set up?
A $350 job from 1 hour of work. That's $350/hour. I think that's worth it.
"But My Web Designer Said Not to Touch Anything"
Some web designers tell clients to leave the "Under Construction" page up while they build the site. "Don't worry about it. We'll launch when it's ready."
This advice is bad. It's lazy. And it costs you money.
A good web designer would set up a temporary landing page while they work on the full site. If yours didn't... that tells you something about how much they understand your business.
The website they're building for you is supposed to generate leads. An "Under Construction" page actively prevents lead generation. Why would you accept that for even one day?
How to Set Up a Quick Landing Page
If you're on WordPress, install a "coming soon" plugin that lets you customize the page. Don't use the default "coming soon" page. Build a simple one-pager with your info.
If you're on Squarespace or Wix, you can build a one-page site in about 30 minutes. It's not permanent. It's a bridge.
If you don't want to deal with any of this, let us handle it. We can have a professional one-page landing page up for you in 24 hours while we work on your full site.
No hard hat icons. No cartoon construction workers. No lost customers. While you're setting up that landing page, make sure you've also claimed your Google Business Profile. It's free and gets you visible on Google Maps immediately.
The Bottom Line
An "Under Construction" page is a closed door. A landing page is an open one.
One turns visitors away. The other turns them into customers.
It takes an hour to set up. It costs you nothing. And it starts generating leads immediately.
There is zero reason to have an "Under Construction" page on your domain. Ever. If you have one up right now, take it down today and replace it with something that actually works.
Get a free website audit and we'll help you set up a proper landing page while we build your full site. Or check our pricing to see how fast we can get you a complete website.
P.S. I just checked. Right now, today, there are plumbing websites with "Under Construction" pages that have been up for over a year. A YEAR. That's potentially hundreds of lost customers. Don't be that plumber. Even a crappy one-page site is better than telling the world you're not ready. Let's get you online for real.