Zebra Plumbing

Raising the Standard for Residential Plumbing

Zebra Plumbing was founded with a clear mission. After years working in domestic plumbing, Byron Slabbert was tired of seeing homeowners let down by unclear pricing, poor communication and average workmanship. He launched Zebra Plumbing to raise the bar for service and professionalism in the industry.

“From day one, our values were simple. Do great work and treat people right. That means turning up on time, being upfront with pricing and taking pride in every job,” said Slabbert.

Operating across Melbourne’s inner eastern suburbs, Zebra Plumbing serves residential customers with everything from emergency callouts to ongoing plumbing maintenance. The team prides itself on transparency, quality, and creating a customer experience that earns trust and repeat business.

Searching for the Right System

When the business started, Slabbert tried two other job management systems - FieldPulse and ServiceM8 - but both fell short.

“They solved half the problem but always needed workarounds. Eventually, I realised that ‘just OK’ wasn’t going to cut it. We needed the best tool to grow the right way,” said Slabbert.

Cost was a barrier initially, but when the business matured, Slabbert invested in Simpro and never looked back.

Simpro Makes the Complex Simple

With Simpro in place, Zebra Plumbing quickly saw major improvements across quoting, scheduling, field operations and finance.

“We can quote most jobs on-site in under a minute thanks to prebuilds,” said Slabbert. “That used to take 15 to 45 minutes.”

Once a job is complete, invoicing is instant. Payments are typically made the same day, and customer communications are automated through Simpro’s SMS functionality, which includes a Google review prompt and quote follow-ups by text.

Simpro Mobile has been particularly impactful for the field team. Technicians now complete four jobs per day instead of three, average job value has increased from $800 to $1,500, and pricing is far more consistent.

Built for Speed and Clarity

Zebra Plumbing’s workflows are built for precision and visibility. From quoting and prebuilds to job notes and reporting, everything is tracked in Simpro.

Key features and outcomes include:

• Prebuilds and scripts speed up quoting and standardise materials and labour across jobs
• Technicians view only one job at a time to stay focused and reduce stress
• Quotes and invoices are generated and sent on-site, with no admin backlog
• Simpro Mobile allows real-time price adjustments and ensures consistency
• Integration with Xero, Stripe and Podium supports finance and review automation

The system has also helped improve customer experience and internal accountability.

“We love being able to look up a client’s history instantly—who attended, what was done, and when. Even if it was years ago, it feels like the job happened yesterday,” said Slabbert.

A Platform That Powers Performance

Simpro has become the foundation of Zebra Plumbing’s efficiency, scalability and reputation. It simplifies admin, enhances visibility, and supports both growth and customer retention.

These are the results so far:

• 20x faster quoting, from up to 45 minutes down to less than one
• Instant invoicing and same-day payment for 90 percent of jobs
• Profitability has doubled, reaching 70 percent
• 25 percent increase in field productivity, with 4 jobs completed daily per tech
• Higher customer satisfaction and repeat business due to consistency and transparency

Looking Ahead

Zebra Plumbing continues to grow, with plans to refine its use of BI reporting and explore additional automation opportunities. For Slabbert, the goal is simple—build a business that sets the benchmark in the industry.

“I started Zebra Plumbing to show how good plumbing service can be. Simpro helps us deliver on that promise every day.”