1 – Q) Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
A) McDowd Plumbing is a family-owned plumbing company based in Austin, Texas, providing reliable, affordable, and 24/7 plumbing services for homeowners and property managers. We handle everything from emergency plumbing repairs and leak detection to drain cleaning, trenchless sewer repair, water heater installation (tank and tankless), and water treatment solutions for Austin’s hard water.
While our business is based in Austin, we proudly serve a wide area including Liberty Hill, Georgetown, Bee Cave, Round Rock, Bertram, West Lake Hills, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs, Hutto, Jonestown, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Spicewood, and more. At this stage, we operate as one business with a broad local service area rather than separate city offices.
2 – Q) Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
A) McDowd Plumbing is a family owned plumbing company here in Austin,TX. Rob is a Master Plumber with over a decade of hands-on experience in residential and emergency plumbing. He holds a Texas Master Plumber License as well as Rinnai tankless water heater certification and NITC medical gas certification, which means our customers benefit from industry-leading technical expertise on every job. Rob is dedicated to working for himself—not as another cog in the machine—and delivering plumbing solutions with a friendly, down-to-earth touch. Rob takes pride in being fully licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing. Examiners.
3 – Q) What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
A) McDowd Plumbing started with a simple but powerful dream: to build something from the ground up that we could be proud of. We wanted a business that would give us flexibility for our future family, fewer long commutes, and the ability to balance work and life in a healthier way.
4 – Q) What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
A) 1. Build on your strengths and experience.
Start a business in an area where you have real skill or a deep willingness to learn. Rob spent years refining his plumbing expertise before McDowd Plumbing ever existed, which gave us a strong foundation.
2. Lead with integrity and accountability.
Do what you say you’re going to do, stand by your work, and own your decisions. Our core values—integrity, accountability, customer satisfaction, and feedback—guide every job we take on.
3. Treat every customer like a long-term relationship, not a one-time transaction.
Approach each project as if you’re working on your own home. Focus on neatness, professionalism, and going the extra mile. That’s how you build trust, word-of-mouth, and a reputation that lasts.
5 – Q) What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
A) 1. Technical competence in your field.
Whether it’s plumbing or any other industry, you need real competence. Certifications, licenses, and years of practice matter when people are trusting you with their homes and safety.
2. People skills and clear communication.
Being down-to-earth, approachable, and able to explain things clearly turns stressful situations—like plumbing emergencies—into experiences where customers feel informed and cared for.
3. Discipline and reliability.
Showing up on time, honoring warranties, being available in emergencies, and consistently doing neat, honest work are skills that separate businesses that last from those that don’t.
6 – Q) How many hours do you work a day on average?
A) As a growing, hands-on service business, our days are full. On a typical day, it’s around 8–10 hours of work, balancing scheduled appointments, emergency calls, estimates, and behind-the-scenes tasks like paperwork, planning, and follow-ups. During busy periods or when emergency calls come in, those days can stretch even longer—but that’s part of the commitment when you offer 24/7 emergency services.
7 – Q) To what do you most attribute your success?
A) We attribute our success to a combination of integrity, skill, and genuine care for our customers. From day one, we decided that every job would be done as if it were for our own home—neat, thorough, and honest. Our Master Plumber license and certifications provide the technical foundation, but it’s our values—integrity, accountability, customer satisfaction, and openness to feedback—that truly set the tone for how we operate and grow.
8 – Q) How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
A) Our marketing focuses on local visibility and trust. We highlight what matters most to homeowners. Referrals and word of mouth have always been our go to but recently we have started investing in digital marketing special search engines, AI an voice optimization.
9 – Q) Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
A) McDowd Plumbing was built the way many trades businesses are: from the ground up through our own resources and hard work. We focused on keeping overhead lean, doing excellent work, and reinvesting what we earned back into tools, equipment, training, and growth.
10 – Q) What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
A) For us, long-term success comes down to:
• Doing consistently excellent work – Every repair, installation, or emergency call is a chance to prove our reliability.
• Standing behind what we do – Our warranties on services like drain cleaning and water heater installations show that we’re willing to back up our work.
• Building trust in the community – We plan to stay engaged locally—through community involvement and, eventually, charitable or discounted services—because we see ourselves as part of the communities we serve, not just a service provider.
11 – Q) Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
A) In 5–10 years, we see McDowd Plumbing as a well-established, go-to plumbing company across the greater Austin area, known not just for technical expertise, but for being the team people genuinely like having in their homes.
We aim to:
• Grow our team while maintaining our family-owned feel and values.
• Expand service capabilities and continue offering advanced solutions like trenchless sewer repairs, tankless water heaters, and whole-home water treatment
• Be more active in community and charitable efforts, using our skills to support good causes and neighbors in need.
12 – Q) Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
A) We especially admire businesses that are rooted in their communities and built around strong values, whether they’re in trades, environmental services, or nonprofits. Companies that:
• Prioritize integrity over shortcuts
• Invest in professional training and certifications
• Give back through community involvement and service
Those are the kinds of organizations that inspire how we run McDowd Plumbing and how we want to grow over time.