# How Did You Get Started?



## PlumbingZone (Feb 10, 2016)

How did you get started in the trade?

Share your story!


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## canuck92 (Apr 1, 2016)

Well, i was 19 years old and in the drive through line at Tim hortans ordering my morning coffee, i realized i was going no where in life making crappy food at a sh*tty restraunt, I saw a plumbing van with a phone number on the side and gave it a call. I started work the next day.


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## Qplumb (Dec 19, 2015)

Grew up plumbing with my dad, I'm a second generation plumber. When I was 16 I got my GED and went to trade school for an 11 month heating & air course. Found an ad in the paper looking for a plumber/ heating & air guy, called and got hired over the phone. Plumbed new houses for the next 3-4 years, never did do any heating & air. I don't know why he had heating & air in the ad but basically forgot most of what I learned and only do plumbing now. At 24 I got my master plumbing license and started my own company, 2 years later I was out of business and working for someone else again . I was good at plumbing, bad at business. Learned a lot more from failing than I ever Did from success. Now I've been back in business for myself for 5 years and it's going great!


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## heaan (Oct 23, 2012)

Went to prison and didnt want to do laundry or janitorial for 35 cents an hour. The construction crew made 85 cents an hour so i told them i knew plumbing and trained myself


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## wharfrat (Nov 1, 2014)

It's in me blood


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Enrolled in college right out of high school, was delivering pizza for a job. My brother (younger) convinced me to switch to night school and hire on with him at a local hospital construction job. The mechanical contractor offered me pipe fitting, hvac or plumbing helper jobs and I took the plumbing opening. That was 1985. I abandoned night school about 1991 and haven't regretted it one bit. Approaching 20 years in business and every day in this trade has been awesome. Ok, not every day. Regardless I love my career.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

I didn't go to high school, as I had plans to go into the import/export bidness. That plan ran into some obstacles, so I started at a plumbing supply house when I was 16. Went to work for a plumber when I was 18. I knew that I couldn't work for anyone, so I set a goal to have my own business as soon as the law allowed.


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

When I was like 2. I got my head stuck in a 4" fitting my dad had laying around in the back yard... From that point on, I knew what the future held for me.


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## Eddy k (Jan 30, 2015)

Out of high school new I was not college material, went to sign up for a carpenters class at local trade school, class was full so I said ok I will take the plumbing class, that was in 86.


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## Cajunhiker (Dec 14, 2009)

Crawling under houses with my dad as a kid.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

In USAF 1975 trained as a fireman, but because of hearing loss told I could get discharge or cross train into another field put in to be a electrician,
but the USAF sent me to the plumbing shop because I already had been to school had to learn on the job, :whistling2:


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## Eddy k (Jan 30, 2015)

Kinda funny how some of us fell into the trade and it ended up being a good thing.


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## Mr-Green (Apr 29, 2013)

I found a program through the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters that promised a great career and training for veterans and then they placed me in a plumbers local where I began my apprenticeship. I graduated and got my plumbers license. the end.:laughing:


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

I went to a vocational high school, my dad was a gas fitter, and had a friend who is a a plumber and I started working with him on weekends and on school/summer vacations. Started at age 13


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## Mr-Green (Apr 29, 2013)

plumbdrum said:


> I went to a vocational high school, my dad was a gas fitter, and had a friend who is a a plumber and I started working with him on weekends and on school/summer vacations. Started at age 13


I thought all plumbers were gasfitters, is that wrong?


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## Roto-Rooter (Jan 31, 2015)

Dad got the Roto-Rooter Franchise when I was 2. I have just grown up doing it. Now 64 years later still at it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## cesspit (Dec 30, 2013)

Nepotism.


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

Mr-Green said:


> I thought all plumbers were gasfitters, is that wrong?


In MA, a Plumber is a gas fitter, but you can also just hold a gas fitter license.


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## Gunnar (Jan 5, 2014)

Framed houses for 10 years and was sick if working outside in the winter. Always wanted to give plumbing a shot so I left the framing making 30$ and hour to work for 10$ an hour, it was tough but the best decision I ever made


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## celtic1 (Dec 16, 2008)

*Learned the trade in*

PRISON


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

celtic1 said:


> PRISON


Big damn deal. Hey, you never did do a Introduction.......


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

Grandfather started plumbing business and put his three sons to work, during high school Summer's I would "help" for some money. After I graduate school I just kept working for my dad. Pay was good and I started to enjoy it. 15 years later I'm a master plumber and starting to make the real $$


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

I was working for a company making the medals,ribbons, ribbons racks trophies and any other rewards for the military needed. Just finished doing a huge order of Purple Hearts shortly after we slowed down a lot. One Monday I come in to work at 4:00 to be met by the owner, night supervisor, and the day supervisor."sorry man no more work for second shift. I would like to keep you and 3 other guys. If you want to work tell me and you'll start tomorrow morning." I was going to school in the morning so I couldn't do that. I was sitting in the usn recruiting office when I decided to give my friend a call. I knew his dad owned some kind of company, but no clue on what it was. I ask if he had work for me and if he could guarantee at least 40 hours of work. I also told him I didn't know a dang thing about anything you do and don't know how to use any tools. His reply was ok cool show up tomorrow after school. I can guarantee 60 hours of you want them and if you don't know anything or how to use tool that great I'll show you and mold you to what I want... That was 9 years ago


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## thumper (Aug 19, 2011)

After High School I went to college as a liberal arts major. switched to Electrical Engineering and then to Civil Engineering all the while working fulltime at a gas station. Eight years later and no degree I knew I couldn't be a student for life(that and getting probation for poor grades in Engineering courses).
I was thinking about being an electrician, but I get shocked easily. I saw that our Local had openings for plumbing apprenticeship program and got hired by one of the busier Companies. Its been busy for the last 23 years! Best decision I ever made. My family and friends all love me.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

I grew up around the industry of service plumbing and drain cleaning. My father and my Uncle both owned their own shops. Ever since I was 7 years old I used to go on service calls with either one of them. In my teens I worked with them part time during Spring Break and summer break. 

Thing was I really liked learning a lot of different things while I was in High School. I self taught myself computer programing by hanging out in the computer lab hours before the first bell, during lunch and after school till they chased us out to go home. I also took electronics classes, as well as a computer repair class which was offered during my Jr and Sr year as a 4 period off campus class at DAVEA (DuPage Area Vocational Education System) During my Freshman and Sophomore years, I took small engine repair, Auto Shop, Metal Shop, and Wood Shop. 

Thing that really interested me at the time was electronics. It enthralled me so much I joined the Army as a 29E Electronic Radio Repair. When I got out of the Army and got back home the market with flooded with everyone wanting to get into electronics. Every place I applied for asked me if I had a college degree. I told them no I do not, but I do have military experience. Which they replied that doesn't matter. So I ended up working at a place designing and building test fixtures for switching power supplies at minimum wage. 

While working this minimum wage job in electronics, I was not just a test fixture engineer, I was also a bench technician, field technician, electrician, machinist, and sometimes a plumber. One summer I went away for a 2 week drill with the Army Reserve, and when I came back they had moved my original position of Test Fixture Engineer down to their manufacturing plant, the guy that hired me was let go. The owners and my new boss called me into a meeting and informed me they will keep me on since I was a very good tech, and a jack of all trades. Thing is my agreed raise that was promised me left when my first boss left since it was a verbal agreement (lesson learned). 

As time went on I ended up with a fiancée, and we ended up having a baby. Problem was I was living in a run down apartment complex with a gang problem and stabbings happen on a weekly basis. So I went to the bosses, told them they need to give me a raise so I can move to a better place. They told me the money they saved not paying me they hired a new Engineer with a PHD. So I called my father told him he is going to be a grandfather, and I need to come to work for him. I have been doing plumbing and drain cleaning ever since.


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## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

3rd gen. here, started riding with Dad handing him tools in 1964 (10 yrs. old), went from there, the rest is history...


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Lol I turned 16 got a car and figured out really fast I needed money for gas beer and dates. The local plumber needed a grunt, I fit the part and loved it from day one. Never thought about doing anything else.


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

Third generation Union plumber. Is there another way to make a living?


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## CT18 (Sep 18, 2012)

Out of high school i enrolled to go to the local automotive vocational since i liked working on cars and had just started a job at a Ford dealer. I was on my buddies parents boat on a Friday night and his brother in law was there who was a plumber. He and i got to talking, he told me how he was a mechanic for 10 years and got out to do plumbing. He talked me into leaving auto classes and got me in as an ape doing residential. After 2 years of working for that guy i was playing softball and a union plumber was on the team and he helped get me organized. That was back in 89, been a member of local 98 ever since. I am in the CAD design end now since 2005.

It was a rough ride here in Michigan back around 2008 so i headed out to Chicago in 2010 for a few years for work. I remember talking to my business agent and he said we have almost 65% of working members out of work. I loved it out in Chicago but my daughter was home sick and never adjusted to the move, so when we had the chance we came back in 2012. Knock on wood have been busy since.


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