A commercial plumbing CEO picks which general contractors, building owners and kinds of projects the company goes after. They make sure it has the bonding, people and cash to build them, and growth and profit are the scorecard the owners or board hold up.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, plumbing and HVAC contractors · BLS, May 2025
Lead the strategic vision and operational execution for a premier commercial plumbing firm. Build and nurture high-level partnerships and alliances to drive profitable growth and market expansion. Ensure that all business operations align with the overall mission and strategy of the company.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Define and execute the company's strategic direction in the commercial plumbing sector.
Foster and maintain relationships with key partners, clients, and industry stakeholders.
Oversee profitable operations and ensure efficient allocation of resources.
Champion organizational culture and innovation while upholding operational excellence.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct strategic review meetings with the executive team and department heads.
Engage in high-level negotiations and partnership discussions with industry leaders.
Monitor key performance metrics and optimize business operations daily.
Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and client meetings.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Annual Revenue Growth: Achieve a minimum increase of 15% year-over-year.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain an average rating of over 4.8 stars.
Operational Efficiency: Ensure cost variance does not exceed 10% of forecasted budgets.
New Partnership Development: Secure at least 5 strategic alliances per fiscal year.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in Business Administration or related field.
Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in a senior executive role, with a strong background in operations.
Exceptional strategic planning, negotiation, and communication skills.
Proven ability to manage large teams and drive organizational growth.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience working in the commercial plumbing or home services industry.
Demonstrated success in completing significant business turnarounds and market expansions.
Experience in forging strategic alliances and partnerships within the industry.
A history of maintaining profitable operations in a competitive market.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to travel frequently to meet with partners, clients, and industry stakeholders.
Capacity to work extended hours during critical project phases and business meetings.
Must be able to sit, stand, and work at a computer for extended periods.
Occasional visits to job sites with a comfortable travel schedule.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with flexibility based on business needs.
Some international and domestic travel expected for industry events and partner meetings.
Primarily office-based with regular site visits scheduled as necessary.
Occasional on-call duties during critical periods or unexpected business challenges.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $180,000 - $250,000 USD per annum, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus structure available.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401k plan with company matching and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster an innovative, growth-oriented environment where leadership is empowered to drive change and excellence. Our culture emphasizes collaboration, continuous learning, and a shared commitment to exceptional service. We value diversity, creativity, and the passion that every team member brings to our journey towards industry leadership.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A CEO here sells the company's capacity to builders and owners months before any pipe goes in. These choices set how big that capacity can get.
Bonding sets the size of job you can bid
Federal construction contracts above 150,000 dollars need performance and payment bonds. Some general contractors want bonds from subs on private jobs too. The surety sets a limit for any one job and for your whole backlog. The CEO keeps that bond line strong and plans growth around it. A big win with no bond behind it is a job you can't sign. Source: eCFR: FAR 28.102-1, performance and payment bonds for construction.
Your size sits near the small business line
SBA counts plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors as small when average annual receipts are 19 million dollars or less. At roughly 20 million in yearly sales, you are already near or over that line. Growth can end your right to bid small business set-aside contracts. Before you chase that work, ask your CFO how SBA averages receipts and where you stand. Source: eCFR: 13 CFR 121.201, SBA size standards by NAICS code.
Idaho public work takes its own license
Idaho makes it unlawful to act as a public works contractor without a public works license. The law counts subcontractors and specialty contractors. A narrow exemption covers subcontracts under 100,000 dollars, done under the direct supervision of a prime with one of the top license classes. If Idaho cities, counties or other public bodies are in the plan, get licensed before you bid. Source: Idaho Code 54-1902, public works contractor license required.
General contractors and building owners buy differently
New buildings and tenant improvements usually come through general contractors on hard bids, with retainage and the GC's schedule. Water heater, pipe and fixture replacements for building owners are often negotiated. They pay sooner and come back. Choose the mix on purpose, and give each side its own leader and price targets.
Backlog is next year's payroll
Signed work you haven't built yet tells you how many plumbers you'll need and when. Review backlog month by month with operations, not just the total. A thin stretch a few months out is the time to bid harder or sell more owner work, because licensed journeymen are hard to win back once they leave.
How much commercial plumbing CEOs make
The closest BLS group for commercial plumbing CEOs is chief executives. Chief executives who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $174,130 a year ($83.72 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 760 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for plumbing and HVAC contractors.
Hired CEOs at contractors this size often get a base salary and a profit-based bonus. Link the bonus to profit on finished jobs rather than revenue, and decide early whether profit share or equity is on the table.
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$174,130$174,130 median Middle half $93,740–$271,790 10th–90th $70,780–$421,320
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$70,780
$93,740
$174,130
$271,790
$421,320
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS reports plumbing and HVAC contractors together, residential and commercial. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Reads a WIP schedule and a surety's bonding letter without help
Has won and negotiated work with general contractors and building owners
Has built a leadership team that runs the company without them in the room
Turns a strategy into a yearly plan with a named owner for each goal
Stays calm in hard talks with sureties, banks and large customers
Teach these on the job
Your estimating process and bid-review routine
Local code adoptions and permit habits in your markets
The union agreements or open-shop wage plans you already run
Your safety program and customer prequalification forms
Introductions to your key engineers, GCs and supply houses
The CEO lives in reports more than field apps: job cost and WIP reports from the accounting system, a backlog forecast, and the bid log from estimating. Name your systems in the ad, for example Procore paired with a construction ERP, so candidates know what they'll read every Monday.
Commercial plumbing CEO interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Customer concentration
One general contractor brings in a large share of your revenue and now wants you to accept slower payment terms. What do you do?
A strong answer: Models the cash impact, negotiates rather than accepts, weighs the relationship against the risk, and starts building other customers so one contractor can't set your terms.
Behavioral · Removing senior leaders
Tell me about a time you decided a senior project manager or estimator had to go even though general contractors liked working with them.
A strong answer: Used facts like margin fade, rework or safety, gave clear expectations and a fair chance, made the call, handled the exit with respect, and personally covered open jobs and contractor relationships.
The template's four targets are a first draft. Replace them with numbers your board and surety will believe, built from your own history.
Annual Revenue Growth
Compare earned revenue year over year from the CFO's percentage-of-completion reports, not billings. Split it between hard-bid work for general contractors and negotiated work for building owners.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Average the closeout survey scores from every customer each quarter. List the jobs that pulled the average down, with the reason and what changed afterward.
Operational Efficiency
Compare each job's cost at completion with its estimate, and overhead with the yearly plan. Watch for jobs that fade, where margin shrinks as the work goes on.
New Partnership Development
Keep a list of each new alliance with the date it started and the first job it produced. Review the list each quarter and drop any with no work behind them.
Career path
Project managerRuns large jobs and learns how a bid turns into profit or loss.
General managerLeads estimating, projects and crews for a branch or the whole company.
Should a commercial plumbing CEO push into design-build work?
Design-build and design-assist let you shape the system early, pick the products and price with fewer surprises. They also put design risk on you. You need an engineer on staff or a partner firm, and you should ask your broker whether your policies cover design work. Start with repeat customers and building types you know well, such as offices or schools. Take on hospitals or labs later.
How much does a commercial plumbing CEO make?
Chief executives who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $174,130 a year ($83.72 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $93,740 and $271,790 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
The template asks for a star rating. How does that work for commercial plumbing?
Few general contractors leave public star reviews. Most of your feedback has to come from a short closeout survey on a one-to-five scale. Building owners on replacement work are more likely to post online. Use the same questions at the same stage of every job, so scores compare fairly. Never trade a gift or discount for a review.
Which partnerships count toward the template's alliance goal?
Count relationships that change where your work comes from. Examples: a general contractor that invites you to every bid for one building type, an engineer who brings you in for design-assist, a property manager who sends you every replacement in a portfolio, or a maker that trains your crews. A trade show booth isn't an alliance unless work follows it.
What should owners or a board ask a commercial plumbing CEO each quarter?
Ask for backlog by month and by customer, the margin on open jobs compared with the bid, and how much bonding room is left. Ask which project managers and field supervisors could step up if one left tomorrow. Ask about any job where the general contractor is behind on paying. These questions show trouble months before the year-end statements do.
