Episode Details
Back to EpisodesHow We’d Start a Plumbing Company From $0 in 2026
Description
If John Wilson and Jack Carr lost everything and had to start a plumbing company from scratch, what would they actually do?
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John and Jack break down exactly how they’d build a plumbing business from $10,000 to $1 million in revenue using everything they’ve learned as home service operators.
They compare two different paths: staying extremely lean by subcontracting work and proving demand before spending money, or hiring early and building the operation one truck at a time. They cover how they’d land their first customers, where they’d spend their first marketing dollars, when they’d hire, what jobs they’d target, and how they’d build toward four productive trucks.
John also explains why he’d eventually use a small acquisition to accelerate the business, including examples of companies he’s previously acquired with very little cash down.
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In This Episode
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• How to start a plumbing company with $10,000
• Getting your first customers without a big marketing budget
• Subcontracting vs. hiring your first plumber
• Why John would prioritize revenue before investing
• Using Facebook, Nextdoor, referrals, and LSAs to generate leads
• The plumbing jobs Jack would target first
• When to add your first truck and technician
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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/
Jack Carr
https://x.com/thehvacjack
Owned and Operated
https://www.ownedandoperated.com/
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Sponsors
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Service Scalers
Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast
Yelp
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More Ways To Connect with O&O
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC
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