In Episode 27 of Home Service Headquarters, Jack Schnettler sits down with Max Hicks, owner and founder of Reliant Plumbing, to talk about his journey from starting in the plumbing trade at 16 to building a multi-location plumbing company across Texas. Max shares how getting laid off pushed him to start Reliant,what those first days looked like, and how the company grew from a single truck into a business with approximately 60 vehicles, 80–85 employees, and $26 million in revenue across its locations. In This Episode How Max got started in plumbing at 16Why getting laid off led him to start his own businessHow Craigslist, Google, and simple marketing helped launch Reliant PlumbingThe turning point that took Reliant Plumbing from about 10 trucks to nearly 30What rapid growth taught Max about management and processesWhy communication and consistency are critical for retaining employeesHow developing employees helped Reliant Plumbing expand into new marketsWhy Max is focused on strengthening the business before its next major growth phaseReliant Plumbing's plans to expand into Houston From One Truck to Multiple Locations Max didn't start Reliant with a large team or a complicatedplan. He focused on getting customers, doing good work, and building the business one step at a time. As Reliant grew, Max learned that bigger doesn't always meaneasier. Rapid growth exposed weaknesses in management, training, compensation, and processes — and forced him to build the structure needed to support the company. The Importance of Communication A major theme throughout the conversation is communication. Max believes employees need consistency, reliable pay, and the ability to get support from the office when they need it. As the company grew, he also learned the importance ofaddressing problems instead of ignoring them and putting the right people in the right management roles. What's Next for Reliant? After years of significant growth, Max is using 2026 to strengthen and restructure the business before its next expansion. Houston is the next major target, with plans to enter the market in 2027. For Max, sustainable growth means making sure the people,management, and processes are ready before taking the next step. Connect with Max Hicks 🌐 Website: https://reliantplumbing.com/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReliantPlumbingTx 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reliant_plumbing_tx/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/reliant-plumbing-tx 📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@reliantplumbing Home Service Headquarters Real conversations with home services pros and business owners. Learn how they built their businesses, overcome challenges, and found success, one job at a time. 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HomeServiceHeadquarters 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@homeserviceheadquarters 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeserviceheadquarters/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomeServiceHeadquarters 🌐 Website: https://homeserviceheadquarters.com 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications to catch our weekly episodes! Home Service Headquarters is sponsored by Project 2 Payment, helping home service businesses manage CRM, scheduling, estimates, invoicing, payments, and customer management from one platform. https://project2payment.com/
