Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Nerdin.
Hi Tyler, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I didn’t start Mountain Man Plumbing because I wanted to build a big company.
I started it because I wanted to do the work the right way and still recognize myself at the end of the day.
I’ve been in the trades most of my adult life. I learned plumbing the way a lot of people do, long days, problem solving on the fly, and figuring things out in real houses with real consequences. Over time, I worked in different corners of the industry, including commercial maintenance and resort work, and I got really good at fixing things.
But I also started noticing something that didn’t sit right with me.
The industry was changing, and the job started feeling more about selling than fixing.
I kept seeing homeowners confused or pushed into decisions they didn’t fully understand. I also saw a lot of good tradespeople burning out because the work stopped being about craftsmanship and started being about hitting numbers.
That’s when I realized I didn’t want to keep working inside someone else’s system. I wanted to build something that reflected how I believe this work should be done.
Mountain Man Plumbing was born out of that decision.
When someone reaches out, they deal directly with me. Pricing is clear and upfront. The work is explained before it’s done, and it’s done with care. There are no pressure tactics or scripted sales conversations. If something goes wrong, I take responsibility for it. If it goes right, people know exactly who did the work.
That level of accountability matters to me.
The brand is built around values I actually live by, do good work, be straight with people, and take pride in what you put your name on. I wanted Mountain Man Plumbing to feel calm and trustworthy, not rushed or sales driven. I’d rather explain the job and the price up front than rush anyone into a decision.
I’m outspoken about transparency in the trades. Homeowners deserve to understand what they’re paying for, and good work shouldn’t require fear based sales to justify itself. I spend time answering questions publicly and helping people navigate the industry, even when it doesn’t directly benefit me.
Looking ahead, I’m focused on building something sustainable, something that lets me serve my community, take pride in my work, and maintain a life outside of it.
Mountain Man Plumbing isn’t about being the biggest.
It’s about being reliable, honest, and doing the work right.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest challenges has been going against how most of the industry operates today. A lot of plumbing companies are built around aggressive sales, heavy marketing spend, and volume. I chose not to run things that way, which means I’ve had to be very intentional about who I work with, how I price jobs, and how fast I grow.
Another challenge is trust. Homeowners have been burned by bad experiences, and that doesn’t disappear just because you say you’re different. Earning trust takes time, consistency, and being willing to slow down and explain things when it would be easier not to. Early on, that meant spending a lot of unpaid time answering questions, educating customers, and building credibility one job at a time.
There’s also the challenge of wearing a lot of hats. Running a business means handling everything from scheduling and bookkeeping to marketing and customer communication, on top of doing the actual work. Learning those skills didn’t come naturally, and a lot of it was trial and error.
Finally, there’s the challenge of resisting pressure to grow too fast. It’s easy to chase more work, more visibility, or quick wins. I’ve had to be disciplined about saying no to things that don’t fit, even when they look good on paper, because protecting the quality of the work and the experience matters more in the long run.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Most of my work is residential service and repair. I’m usually walking into a house where something isn’t working right, figuring out why, and fixing it in a way that makes sense long term. A lot of the job is diagnosing problems, not just swapping parts.
I try to be very clear with people about what I’m seeing and why I’m recommending something. I don’t rush through jobs or push work that isn’t needed. If there are multiple ways to approach a repair, I talk through them so the homeowner can make an informed decision.
I care a lot about doing things correctly. That means clean work, proper materials, and not cutting corners just to save time. I also want people to feel comfortable calling me with questions, both during the job and after.
To me, good work is when everything functions the way it should and the customer understands what was done. If someone never has to think about their plumbing again, that’s a win.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I didn’t find one single mentor in the traditional sense. What surprised me instead was how much access the internet has created to other business owners who are willing to help.
Over time, I started connecting with people who had already been through the things I was figuring out, pricing, systems, burnout, growth, and how to build something sustainable without losing yourself in it. A lot of those conversations started casually online and turned into real guidance.
The interesting part is that most of them help without expecting anything in return. They do it because they believe in what I’m building and how I approach the work. That support has meant a lot, especially during moments when it would have been easier to second guess myself.
Having that network has reminded me that you don’t have to have everything figured out on your own. There are people out there who want to see you do well, and sometimes the hardest part is being open enough to accept the help.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mtnmanplumbing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountain_man_plumbing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MTNManPlumbing
- Twitter: https://x.com/Mtnmanplumbing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MountainManPlumbing/shorts
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-man-plumbing-sandy
