Plumbing and heating, mostly in old houses.
We do the ordinary jobs, faucets and toilets and water heaters, same as anybody. What we’re known for is the work in houses built before 1950.
What we do
Labor is $145 an hour after a $95 trip, billed in quarter hours. Parts at cost plus a fair markup, itemized. How we bill, in full.
Old houses need a different kind of plumber
Most plumbers are trained on PVC and PEX in new construction. Old houses use lead-and-oakum joints on cast iron, threaded galvanized steel, sweat copper from three different decades, and the occasional mystery from a 1970s homeowner with a hacksaw.
Knowing what’s likely behind a wall before you open it is most of the job. It’s the difference between a small hole in the plaster and a big one.
Asked on the phone.
Do you work on steam boilers?
Yes. One-pipe and two-pipe steam, and hot-water boilers. Steam is a big part of our winter.
Do you work outside Milwaukee?
We cover the city plus Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Wauwatosa, West Allis, Cudahy, St. Francis and South Milwaukee.
Do you do new construction?
No. We’re a service and repair shop. We do remodels in existing houses.
Tell us about the house. We’ll guess the rest.
Call the shop. If Mike’s on a job, Stan picks up.
The old-house plumber’s site, built in seven days.
Sixteen pages: house types drawn by hand, three generations of the family, an honest hourly rate explained, and a lead service line page written for Milwaukee.