The 3 Biggest Mistakes Plumbing Business Owners Make (and How to Fix Them Fast)

Hey, plumbing pro—let’s get real.

Running a plumbing business is hard. Most of us started our companies thinking we’d make more money, work less, and build a better life for our families.

Instead, we end up working longer hours, making less money, and wondering where the freedom we were promised went.

Sound familiar?

In this episode of Potty Talk, we break down the top 3 mistakes that nearly every plumbing business owner makes (yes, we made them too)—and more importantly, how to fix them before they kill your business.

Mistake #1: Pricing Based on Fear Instead of Facts

This one’s a killer.

When we started, I was terrified to charge what we were actually worth. I thought:

“It’s just me and a truck—I can’t charge what the big companies charge.”

So I did what most new owners do:

• Based pricing on what my old boss charged (and undercut it)

• Asked around the supply house what others were charging

• Made up numbers that “felt” fair

But here’s the truth:

Pricing by emotion instead of numbers is the fastest way to go broke.

If you don’t know exactly what it costs to operate your business—including overhead, materials, truck expenses, insurance, taxes, AND profit—then you’re guessing.

And guessing = losing money.

That’s why in the Success Academy, the very first thing we teach is how to calculate your Honest Hourly Rate—so you stop pricing like a plumber and start pricing like a CEO.

Fix it: Know your numbers. Price for profit. Trust the math, not your feelings.

Mistake #2: Hiring Out of Desperation

Ever waited until you’re completely swamped to start looking for help?

That’s hiring out of desperation—and it costs you big time.

• You take on the first warm body who applies

• You don’t vet, train, or onboard properly

• The good jobs get screwed up

• You end up back in the truck… again

Or worse—you don’t hire at all because you tell yourself:

“No one is as good as me. I can’t trust anyone to do it right.”

And that’s why you’re still answering phones, doing installs, running calls, AND trying to grow the business.

Here’s the mindset shift:

You’re not just running a plumbing business—you’re running a recruiting machine.

Fix it: Always be recruiting. Even if you’re not hiring today, you need to be talking to potential techs every week so you’re ready when the work ramps up.

Mistake #3: Wearing Every Hat in the Business

Let me guess—you’re the:

• Plumber

• Dispatcher

• CSR

• Bookkeeper

• Parts runner

• Janitor

Look, we get it. In the beginning, you do what you have to. But if you stay there, you’ll never grow.

You are the bottleneck.

And here’s the hard truth: the worst person to answer the phone is you. The worst person to price the job? You. The worst person to handle customer service? Still you.

Why? Because you’re too close to it. You make emotional decisions. You give discounts. You overpromise. You try to do everything perfectly—and end up doing nothing efficiently.

Fix it: Start handing off hats. If you’re busy enough for 4 calls a day, you’re busy enough to hire someone and get out of the truck.

Bonus tip: If your wife is in the business with you, she’s the perfect person to run the office and answer the phones. Women are naturally more empathetic, organized, and better on the phones. Give her that seat and stay out of it!

Stop These 3 Mistakes and Watch Your Business Thrive

We’ve coached hundreds of plumbing business owners through these same issues. Once they stopped:

❌ Pricing based on fear
❌ Hiring reactively
❌ Wearing all the hats

…and started building systems, training their team, and thinking like a CEO—their profits, freedom, and family life exploded.

Ready to Stop the Struggle and Start Thriving?

Here are your next steps:

Join my FREE Skool Community – You’ll get access to training, tools, and conversations with other serious plumbing business owners.

Book a Call with My Team – We’ll help you figure out what’s holding you back and exactly how to fix it.