How a Plumber Who Started at 19 Sells & Installs $800K a Year | Payton Sword

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/4b0wLaZ or call us at: (214)-453-1591 He started plumbing at 19. Last year he sold $800,000 in residential plumbing — and installed every job himself. This is his exact playbook. Payton Sword is a plumbing technician at Steve Huff Plumbing, Heating & Air in Kingsport, Tennessee — and a 4x Crown Champion at CertainPath. Last year he sold roughly $800,000 in residential plumbing. No sales/install split: every technician at Steve Huff sells the work and does the work. Payton was hired at 19 — at the same shop his dad worked for back in 1996 — and trained for 15 months before getting his own truck. Today the shop's 12 plumbing techs train four days every month: full service-call roleplays, homeowner personalities, and DISC profiles. In this episode, Payton walks Bob Houchin through his entire service call: the drive-time research, the at-the-door credibility statement, the whole-house safety inspection he never asks permission to run, four options with everything on top, presenting the top option and going silent, the authority close — and getting the job done the same day. If you run a plumbing company — or you're a tech chasing Crown Champion numbers — this is the most actionable hour you'll watch this year. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Meet Payton Sword (Steve Huff Plumbing, Heating & Air) 00:32 – The $800K Reveal — Sold AND Installed 01:12 – Hired at 19 (The Same Shop His Dad Worked For) 03:04 – Why the Shop Trains Four Days a Month 06:36 – Researching the Call on the Drive 08:32 – Reading the Home from the Driveway 13:00 – The Credibility Statement 15:57 – The Whole-House Safety Inspection 17:10 – Builder-Grade vs. Professional Fixtures 20:13 – Educating, Not Scaring: The Shutoff Valve Talk 22:48 – Water Heaters & the Tankless Conversation 26:38 – Whole-House Repipes: Finding the Pain Point 29:21 – Slow Drains & the Camera Diagnostic 32:27 – Reviewing the Inspection: Good, Yellow, Red 34:04 – Four Options — Everything on Top 37:26 – Present the Top Option. Then Wait. 41:45 – The Decision-Maker Question 44:56 – Financing Without Pushing 47:41 – “I Should Get Another Bid” 48:38 – The Authority Close 53:50 – Advice for New Plumbers: Never Get Complacent About the Show The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. Meet the Host Bob Houchin has spent 20+ years immersed in the home services industry — listening to, learning from, and serving the people who run it. As host of The Successful Contractor, he's interviewed hundreds of the brightest minds in the trades. Beyond the mic, Bob is a Senior Strategist at CertainPath, building the training, onboarding programs, keynotes, and playbooks used by 1,200+ residential service companies. His motto: smart contractors learn from their mistakes; wise contractors learn from the mistakes of others. About CertainPath CertainPath is a business coaching and training organization that has built successful home service businesses for more than 25 years. We serve 1,200+ member companies across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing with professional coaching, training for every role, software solutions, and a vendor partner network that delivers millions in member rebates every year. Doubling your sales with a 20% net profit and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible. With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. Connect CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com FOLLOW CERTAINPATH: Facebook:   / certainpath   LinkedIn:   / certainpath   Instagram:   / certainpath   #Plumbing #PlumbingSales #HomeServices #SalesTraining #ContractorBusiness #TheSuccessfulContractor #CertainPath