Ward Plumbing and Septic Team

Meet Our Team

Most folks don't think about a plumber until they need one. Now imagine this situation:

It's Christmas day, and you have a house full of company. After a filling and delicious dinner, everyone needs to make a stop at the bathroom - that is, until the commode overflows and brown sludge gurgles up from the shower drain.

With a rubber plunger in hand, the man of the house tears through the living room and runs out to the buried septic tank. It's now dark, and he can't find the tank, which is most likely a blessing. He shouts to an 80-year old guest, "You get the last flush."

At this point, everyone says their quick goodbyes and wishes you good luck.

As you ponder this miserable situation, you frantically scroll through your phone to find help. That's when you realize you desperately need a plumber. When he arrives the following morning and empties the septic tank, you can't thank him enough, and you are almost happy to pay the bill.

Plumber, Skip Ward of Sudlerville, was not involved in this episode, but he's seen plenty of them through his years of experience. He was first exposed to the trade as he watched both his father and uncle work diligently at it.

He soon decided that he would follow in their footsteps, and he began the long and arduous process of becoming a master plumber.

He started as an apprentice while he learned the ins and outs of trade that took him four years to complete. Additionally, he had to attain the next level of education - one he passed with flying colors.

After two years as a journeyman, he was ready to move ahead and obtain a Master Plumber's license that required yet another test. "The test was tough," Ward remembers. "It had lots of involved math problems and calculations that you would need to use for pipefitting and other related jobs."

After passing the test and obtaining his Master Plumber's license, he launched his own business in 2009. And as he built it up, he experienced growth and expanded his staff to eight people - four technicians, three apprentices, and an office manager.

"Plumbing is a highly regulated business," Ward says. "It's regulated by both the state and county and requires a different license for each. Not to mention, he needed another to work in the city of Annapolis as well.

Since his company now has another division that he calls his excavating crew, he is licensed to work on sewer issues and empty septic tanks that, of course, require a septic license too. "Sometimes, I think I have more education than a college grad - I just get a lot messier," said Ward.

Due to his highly specialized business, he faces challenges on occasion but won't quit until he tackles them. "We come across a lot of issues in this field of work," Ward says. But as a team, we develop strategies on how to best solve the problems at hand.

"We come up with a game plan," he remarks, and we get the job done. As the saying goes, "Two heads are better than one, so we figure it out as a team."

Some of the challenges a plumber faces are fixing leaky pipes or installing new ones, opening up clogged drains, and installing or replacing water heaters.

Pleasing his customers is one of his highest priorities, and so far, he has been fortunate to have a golden reputation.

"Every customer is different, so you have to read them and make them happy." If you check out his Facebook page, it's apparent that he is very successful with his regulars and one-off jobs too. Comments include replacing a whole house water filter, a toilet replacement, and a pressure tank switch-move with a new pipe and well cap. He goes the extra mile. That's obvious."

One customer commented on his team's replacement of a leaky water pipe that required removing a bush and digging seven feet to reach the line. Upon the job completion, these are the things that make the difference and separate the good from the best," - personally, I strive for the best, said Ward.

Skip's team also includes his office manager, Fran Harrell, who is essential to the business. She is the glue that holds the team together and has worked there full-time for seven and a half years. She may be the only female in the company, but she handles the bills, bookkeeping and wears the pants. In her words, she "does all that good stuff. She, too, is knowledgeable on the trade and keeps track of scheduling." There are so many different moving parts to keep track of, said Harrell. "Those guys are always going through the mud. Sometimes they have to deal with some nasty business. So, I couldn't be happier with my position behind the desk. They'd have to yank me out of here. I love it. We are like family."

Harrell also states that a college education is typically considered the best path to a successful career. Still, the trades are not always respected," she says; people are afraid of getting their hands dirty, but someone has to do it."

However, Ward's business continues to experience growth and is financially lucrative. At this point, Ward's success enables him to give back to the community. He sponsors the two baseball teams his sons, Zachary and Rhett, play on and has donated money to the North Caroline High School Band to buy band uniforms. Likewise, he's contributed to the Queen Anne's County Fire Department by supporting its sub-sales.

"I can tell you this, only days after Ward began advertising with me, my septic tank exploded. I knew I would get Ward business through the advertising campaign but hadn't expected it to happen that way. I called on a Sunday, and Skip arrived first thing Monday morning. He saved the day, and I was able to go about my business. I couldn't give him a higher recommendation as a top plumber and septic professional."

"These guys are beyond awesome! They've completed two major emergency jobs at our house this year. 2020 is the year from hell. They were the hardest working, reliable, and professional men we have ever had the chance to meet (and my hubby has a lot of experience with people in this business)! They are friendly, clean, honest and incredibly hard-working and their prices are very competitive. I can't say enough good things about them."