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How To Grow Your Plumbing Business SO FAST In 2026 It Feels Illegal

📅 July 10, 2026 ⏱️ 1:07:24 🎤 Jered Williams, Eddie Barker

Chapters

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  • 0:00
    Gross Margin & Efficiency
    Jared and Eddie introduce the episode's focus: improving gross margin, labor, and material efficiency in a plumbing business.
  • 1:44
    Technician Sales Skill
    The hosts discuss the high value of technicians who can effectively sell higher-priced solutions, rather than just basic repairs, to boost revenue.
  • 3:06
    Manager's Role & Metrics
    They emphasize that general managers should be bonused on gross margin, as they control labor, materials, and subcontractor efficiency, which directly impacts profitability.
  • 3:24
    Improving Labor Efficiency
    Strategies for reducing technician idle time and increasing productive, billable hours are explored, including effective task estimation and managerial oversight.
  • 4:49
    Flat Rate vs T&M
    The discussion covers the challenges of transitioning technicians from time-and-materials to flat-rate pricing, highlighting the need for accurate time and material estimation.
  • 5:32
    Selling Value, Not Price
    The hosts advocate for technicians to offer a range of relevant options, including higher-value solutions, to increase close rates and average job size, challenging the 'new vs old' mindset.
  • 6:49
    Commission Structures
    They analyze different commission structures, pointing out the pitfalls of revenue-minus-materials and piece-rate models, and advocating for uncapped earning potential based on skill.
  • 7:44
    Optimizing Material Costs
    The conversation shifts to material efficiency, focusing on accurate price book updates, strategic negotiation with suppliers, and streamlined inventory management.
  • 8:46
    Advanced Material Strategy
    Jared and Eddie discuss advanced inventory management, including supply house stocking and just-in-time material replenishment, to further enhance efficiency.
  • 10:05
    Commission's Material Impact
    The hosts share how implementing a proper commission structure drastically improved material efficiency by incentivizing technicians to select higher-material-cost tasks.

Speakers

J
Jered Williams
Host
E
Eddie Barker

Key Takeaways

✦

Empower your general manager with gross margin-based bonuses, as their control over labor, materials, and subcontractors directly impacts your profitability.

✦

Minimize technician idle time by implementing clear processes for material acquisition and van stocking, ensuring they spend more time on billable work.

✦

Train technicians to accurately estimate job times and material needs in a flat-rate system, adjusting estimates based on past performance to ensure profitability.

✦

Encourage technicians to offer customers a range of relevant options, including higher-value solutions, rather than just the cheapest fix, to increase average job size and close rates.

✦

Implement a commission structure that incentivizes technicians to sell higher-value jobs and materials without an earning cap, aligning their financial goals with the business's profitability.

✦

Strategically negotiate with your supply houses for better material pricing and payment terms by demonstrating consistent payment and substantial order volumes.

✦

Regularly update your price book to reflect current material costs, ensuring that your pricing accurately accounts for supply fluctuations and maintains desired profit margins.

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