Some plumbers avoid drain cleaning, and that’s just fine with Rich Stob, who has embraced it ever since he started working for his dad and Stob Plumbing. Drain cleaning accounts for roughly 30 to 35% of the company’s revenue. A lot of that drain work comes from cleaning drain tiles for management companies that maintain condominium and apartment complexes.
“My father and I decided to pursue the drain cleaning side of the business because I knew how to do it and I like to do it,” Stob explains. “And it’s lucrative, too — probably the most lucrative service we provide. I think you have to offer customers drain cleaning because every day people call with blocked drains. It’s a needed part of the plumbing profession. I’m not too proud to do that kind of work. A lot of guys just don’t want to get dirty, but I don’t get that. Cleaning drains hasn’t killed me yet.”
Stob believes many plumbers don’t clean drains because they don’t know how. As such, both of his technicians have received comprehensive training, which boosts efficiency as well as minimizes equipment breakdowns, he says.
Read more about Stob Plumbing in the September 2025 issue of Cleaner magazine.
