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Why are Plumbers So Expensive?

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When we go fill our vehicle up with gas, it’s expensive. When we go to the doctor, we’re always surprised of how expensive it is. Rising prices are a reality. For plumbing specifically, you don’t hire a plumber very frequently. It might have been five years ago when, when you had the plumber in your home last time. So your perception of what it’s going to cost today might be based on what it cost five years ago or 10 years ago.

There’s a wide range of expertise out there when it comes to plumbing. So, you may not be comparing apples to apples all the time. A plumber that’s in a one truck operation, that’s just working out of his home is probably going to be less expensive, but he may not be insured! He may not be available. He may not have warranties on the project. So, make sure that you’re comparing apples to apples whenever you’re thinking of pricing. Just because a company gives you a quote twice as much, doesn’t mean that they’re ripping you off. The question to ask is what’s included in that cost and making sure that you break that down and understand what the value points are.

And we’re currently in a time where demand is high for plumbers, and there’s just not many skilled people out there to do the work. And so therefore that raises the costs of a company to provide that service because there’s just such a high demand and not much supply of competence. So, they have to train people and all those costs get rolled into the business. So that does increase the cost as well.

A company that wants to keep good, competent plumbers on hand has to pay them enough that they’re happy.

So…is this is a good time to become a plumber?

Absolutely. At Wisler Plumbing and Air we have an apprenticeship program. So you don’t have to have experience to come to work for us. We’re looking for humble, hungry, and smart people to join our team. And we provide training for them and get them in a career that’s going to be very fulfilling for years to come.

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There are several benefits to a career in plumbing, and at Wisler Plumbing and Air, we’re always hiring. If you’re interested, you can check out WislerJobs.com. Keep reading for a few of the reasons you might want to consider it.

Stability

Plumbing is a very stable career. I don’t want to say it’s economy proof, but it’s definitely economy resistant. We provide essential services.  That’s creates a lot of stability, no matter what is going on in the world.

We’re Problem Solvers

When you go into someone’s home, it’s usually because they’re experiencing a problem. They’ve got a leak or no hot water. Maybe the toilet isn’t working. It can be a very scary and frustrating situation for a homeowner.

When you solve their problems, you get to be the hero. You can take someone’s major concern and resolve it. It’s a direct impact that changes lives in that moment.

It’s Hands-On

Plumbing is very hands-on and is typically an outside job. Some can’t imagine sitting at a desk inside all day, so the trade can really speak to those who don’t like to be cooped up.

And Ever-Changing

Unlike a factory job where you do the same thing over and over, plumbing is ever-changing. Each home is a little different, each client is a little different, and there are new technologies coming out regularly within the industry. That’s a tremendous learning opportunity. When someone is learning, generally speaking, that increases their value and income potential. So that can be very exciting as well.

Like I said at the top, we’re always hiring. And most of our plumbers come to us with zero experience. We teach them the trade and increase their value at a career level, then they reap the income rewards.

If you’re looking to get into the trade, go to WislerJobs.com and start the process there. For anything else, call us at 540-483-9382.

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During an interview, we are looking for drive, humility, and communications skills. If someone is focused on learning and asking questions about training and careers at Wisler Plumbing and Air, that’s music to our ears.

Maybe lay out your goals for us and then ask: How can your organization help me achieve my goals? What does a career path look like?  We’re looking for an individual that knows how to ask questions.

Someone with good communication skills isn’t going to ask inappropriate or condescending questions or ask anything that’s too personal. We’re looking for questions that indicate an individual isn’t overbearing and is going to have a good first impression with our customers and team.

We are always actively hiring. If you’re interested, go to wislerjobs.com to apply. You’ll then meet Debbie, who is our acquisition team member. For all other questions, you can reach us at 540-483-9382.

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At Wisler Plumbing & Air, we are always hiring and looking for great people to add to our team. In fact, no experience is necessary. Why do we say that?

We’re mainly talking about our in-field teams. Whether it be HVAC or plumbing, maintenance, service, or installers, we’re simply looking for phenomenal individuals that are willing to learn.

Both plumbing and HVAC can be very diverse trades. There is new construction plumbing, industrial plumbing, drain cleaning, and residential plumbing. Someone might have experience working in new construction, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to our niche, which is residential service, repair, and installation. Just because someone has experience, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be competent in our organization.

I like to use McDonald’s as an example. One of the things they’re known for is their consistency. More than likely, they’re not going to hire someone with experience in their specific processes. So, after they hire someone, they are going to train them in their processes. For example: the exact amount of pickles to put on the cheeseburger.

For us, it’s much easier to maintain our standards if we train after we hire. Someone may have experience installing water heaters a certain way for 10 years, and it can be very challenging for that individual to break those habits and uphold the different standards we have.

When it comes to our call center, bookkeeping, admin staff, and managers, we will train. However, we do look for people that have customer service, admin, or management experience in the support staff. Yes, we will train on our processes, but we look for some foundational experience to set them up for success.

Like I said, we are always hiring. We have several positions open, and I would encourage anyone that is interested to go to wislerjobs.com to fill out an application and start the process. And if you’d like a trained and competent team in your home, you can reach us at 540-483-9382.

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As an organization gets older, we gradually weed out the things that don’t work and hold on to the things that do. That’s how the Wisler Way has come about and solidified over the years. If I had to describe the details, we’ve really tried to get as good as we can at finding people who are passionate about the same things that we are, especially in the absence of an abundance of tradespeople. That doesn’t mean that we’re always 100% aligned with each other, but there’s a common thread that helps us share the same goal and purpose every day.

We’re very much about investing in people, changing lives, and changing family’s lives. This organization is really just a vehicle for us to develop, grow, and achieve certain goals. Therefore, we support the investment in training and schooling as much as possible to impact the people within our team. We also have very high standards in writing posted around the office. We try to make sure that we don’t compromise those standards because they’re a large part of the reason why we’re successful. If I would ask a team member if they’d prefer that we lower our standards, they’d generally respond with a resounding no. They can appreciate the value of being in a high-standard environment.

We’re a growing organization, and it’s part of our mission statement to grow profitably. One reason why we do this is because we want to provide opportunity for ourselves as well as anyone who might be joining our organization. If we bring in people who are behind our mission, invest to help them grow and develop, and maintain high standards, there will be plenty of opportunity that presents itself. Of course, it can become monotonous to come to work and do service calls every day, but I find myself constantly trying to look at the big picture and think about the greater purpose at play. Team members have the ability to gain a promotion or learn more about what it means to be a husband, father, wife, or mother. That’s just part of the impact of working for a good organization.

If you have any questions, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air by contacting us online or giving us a call at 540-483-9382.

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I’ve been a master plumber ever since I was 19 years old. One of the stipulations for obtaining a master plumber’s license is that you have to wait until after you’re 18. Because I grew up in the plumbing trade and had my experience and schooling done well before then, I sat for the journeyman plumber’s test as soon as I could. You have to hold your journeyman’s license for one year before taking the master’s test, which is what I did. (Just a quick note: when I use the terms ‘journeyman’ or ‘tradesman’, these are the names used by the state for licensing purposes.) You’re required to have 4 years of practical on-the-job experience combined with 240 hours of class time. If you have more field experience, each additional year takes off 80 hours of class time.

One of the more attractive aspects of becoming a tradesman is the fact that there are fewer licensed tradesmen now than ever. It’s a tremendous opportunity for someone to get certified, especially now that many companies are willing to pay your way to obtain a license (like we do). If you were to get a certificate for something like nursing, you’d generally have to pay for the schooling yourself and do it on your own time.

In the state of Virginia, tradespeople can work under the company owner’s license or supervisor’s license. However, we view certification as an accomplishment and a credential that makes employees build confidence. We encourage all of our team members to get their license, even though they don’t need to obtain one to be in a service truck. When they go to a customer’s home they can say they are a licensed plumber or HVAC technician, which feels really good.

Many people might have been in the trade for 10 or 20 years but they just haven’t made it a priority to sit for the test. We have a gentleman here who just got his license after doing plumbing for 30 years. When you talk to him about it, you can tell that it’s an accomplishment in which he takes immense pride. I’m sure it’s something that he’s wanted for a while.

If you’re interested in getting into the industry, the first step is generally joining a company with an apprenticeship program. Then you’ll be able to build on-the-job training and get enrolled in classes. At our company we hire apprentices, put them through training, and give them the platform to learn the trade. Because we are accredited, any in-house training will go towards the 240 hours of class time. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to WislerJobs.com. If you need help with your plumbing or HVAC, just give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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