Day in the life of
Plumber – Gerald Carpenter
My name is Gerald Carpenter, I’m a professional plumber in the 3rd generation.
My Typical Day
A typical day at work for a self-employed plumber usually starts from going to the first client on the list. When you already have a trusting user base after a couple of years of good work, you start receiving enough calls to create a daily schedule and complete as many orders per day as you want. Still, it’s always important to expect an urgent call from a good customer and be ready to come quickly for a higher fee or offer another professional who would do the job as well as you would.
Most orders that I get involve plumbing installation, which isn’t a dirty process at all, but sometimes people call me to fix terribly damaged waste pipes that can take the entire working day to fix. It’s also a very dirty job that requires experience and skills from you to stay clean by the end of such a working day.
Pros
I love my job for the opportunity to stay independent and have a good work-life balance. When I come home after work I don’t have to think about it as it always stays in the homes of my clients. The median income of a US plumber is $55,000, but you have an opportunity to raise it up to $75,000 if you advertise your service well enough.
Cons
Being a plumber requires a lot of physical work, which can be very tiresome, but will help you burn calories for sure. And, of course, a plumber can’t work remotely no matter what weather and epidemiological situation are out there. You should also be ready not only to work with heavy pipes but with difficult people too. Finally, if you make a mistake, it may cost people a lot of money and stain your reputation, so it’s important to know every little aspect of your job and stay attentive no matter how annoying your clients are today.
Advice to aspiring Plumbers
The shortest way to become a plumber is to get a high-school diploma of GED, attend vocation training and plumber apprenticeship, and pass an exam to get a plumbing license in your state. That’s how most people become professional plumbers. However, you can get into business if you have a degree in engineering too. That’s how I started my path and it helps me a lot. I got a grant to study in a college, so I would not recommend you to invest your own money in college education if you are planning to become a plumber.
Finally, the best advice I can give guys who want to become plumbers is to gain as much practical experience as possible as it’s the most valuable resource you can have as a professional.
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Plumbers
assemble, install, or repair pipes, fittings, or fixtures of heating, water, or drainage systems, according to specifications or plumbing codes.
The Builder
