What does a plumbing company owner do day to day?

A buyer who has worked as a plumber may picture owning the business as doing the same work with a bigger truck. The work usually changes more than that. Less of the day is spent fixing pipes and more is spent keeping other people productive and customers satisfied. It helps to picture the role honestly before you spend time on any one company.

Dispatch, estimates and emergencies

Someone decides who goes where each morning, and shuffles the day when a burst pipe or a failed water heater comes in. Someone also visits customers, writes estimates and follows up on the ones that went quiet. In a small shop that someone is the owner. Ask the seller to walk you through a normal day and a bad one, including who answers the phone after hours.

People and supplier accounts

Hiring plumbers and apprentices, training them and keeping them is a standing job. So is managing the accounts at supply houses, tracking what is ordered for each job and making sure materials are not lost between the truck and the invoice. A buyer should ask who currently holds each supplier relationship and whether accounts stay with the company after a sale.

Money, paperwork and complaints

Invoicing, collecting from builders and property managers, paying staff and suppliers on time and answering for work that went wrong all fall to the owner. Many owners find this the least expected part. If you are weighing a purchase, our guide on buying a plumbing contractor shows how to check which of these tasks the business has already organized.