If you're one of the few plumbers serving Three Hills and the surrounding area, you've probably noticed something: the phone won't stop ringing. With only 3,500 residents in town but a service area that stretches across acreages and rural properties throughout central Alberta, there's more work than most solo operators can handle.
The question isn't whether there's opportunity here. It's whether you're positioned to capture it without burning yourself out in the process.
The Three Hills Market: Small Town, Big Opportunity
Three Hills sits in a unique position. The town itself is anchored by Prairie Bible College, which brings a steady population of students, staff, and visiting families. But the real opportunity extends beyond the town limits to the acreages and rural properties scattered across the surrounding area.
Here's what makes this market different: limited competition means customers often wait longer for service, pay premium rates, and show fierce loyalty to plumbers who actually show up when promised. The combination of aging infrastructure in town, well systems on rural properties, and brutal Alberta winters creates year-round demand.
The college area sees steady turnover with rental properties that need regular maintenance. Downtown Three Hills has older buildings with aging pipes and heating systems. South Hills, with its mix of newer homes and established properties, generates everything from service calls to renovation work.
But here's the catch: if you're the only reliable plumber in a 30-minute radius, every call becomes your responsibility. Miss a call, and that customer might drive to Trochu or Drumheller for their next plumbing need.
Did you know?
Three Hills plumbers using Buddy capture 40% more leads by answering every call instantly, even at 2 AM.
When Success Becomes the Problem
You know you've hit a growth bottleneck when you're working 12-hour days but still losing money to missed calls. It happens to every successful plumber in smaller markets like Three Hills. You're under a house in the College area fixing a frozen pipe when three calls come in. Two hang up, one leaves a message, and by the time you call back, they've found someone else.
The math is brutal. In a market this size, every missed call represents roughly $200 to $800 in lost revenue, depending on the job. Miss five calls a week, and you're potentially leaving $50,000 or more on the table annually. In Three Hills, where word travels fast through a tight-knit community, those missed opportunities often mean losing customers permanently.
This is where most plumbers make their first mistake: they assume the solution is working longer hours. But working 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. doesn't solve the fundamental problem. You still can't be in two places at once, and you still can't answer the phone while you're elbow-deep in a septic repair.
Making the Jump: Your First Hire in Three Hills
Hiring your first employee in a town of 3,500 people feels different than in Calgary or Edmonton. You know you'll probably run into them at the grocery store. Their reputation becomes tied to yours in ways that don't happen in bigger cities. But that intimacy can work in your favor if you choose right.
Look for someone with basic mechanical aptitude who wants to learn the trade. Three Hills draws people who value steady work and aren't constantly looking for the next opportunity. That stability matters when you're building a business that depends on consistent service.
Start them on simpler jobs: drain cleaning, basic repairs, and maintenance calls in town where they can get back to the shop quickly if they need help. Keep the complex rural septic work and well system repairs for yourself initially. The goal isn't to clone yourself immediately but to handle more of the routine work that keeps customers happy while freeing you up for the jobs that require more experience.
Pay fairly from the start. In a small town, underpaying gets around quickly and makes it harder to attract good people later. A reliable helper who shows up on time and represents your business well is worth the investment.
Managing the Geographic Challenge
Three Hills plumbers face a unique logistical puzzle. You might start the day with a service call in the College area, drive 15 minutes south for a rural septic inspection, then get called back downtown for an emergency repair. Without proper routing, you'll spend more time driving than working.
Batch your calls geographically whenever possible. Schedule morning appointments in one area, afternoon jobs in another. Build relationships with customers that let you be honest about scheduling: "I can get to you Tuesday morning when I'm in the South Hills area, or it would be Thursday if you need me there sooner."
Rural customers especially understand this logic. They're used to coordinating with service providers who cover large territories. What they want is reliability and communication, not necessarily same-day service for non-emergencies.
Keep your truck stocked for the full range of Three Hills plumbing reality. That means parts for older fixtures you'll find in downtown buildings, well system components for rural calls, and the heavy-duty equipment needed for frozen pipe emergencies that hit every winter.
Systems That Actually Work in Small Markets
Lead tracking in Three Hills doesn't require expensive CRM software. It requires consistency. A simple system that you actually use beats a complex one that you ignore when things get busy.
Start with basics: every call gets logged with name, number, address, issue, and preferred callback time. In a town this size, you'll start recognizing repeat customers and can note their preferences. Mrs. Johnson prefers morning appointments. The college maintenance director always wants detailed written estimates.
Follow-up becomes more important, not less, in smaller markets. A customer you don't call back will mention it to their neighbor, who mentions it to someone else. Before you know it, your reputation for poor communication spreads through half the town.
Set up simple systems: return all non-emergency calls within 4 hours. Send a text when you're running late. Call the day before scheduled appointments to confirm. These basics matter more in Three Hills than sophisticated marketing campaigns.
Professional Phone Handling: Your Secret Weapon
Here's an investment most Three Hills plumbers overlook: professional phone answering. Whether it's a local service or a part-time person in your office, having someone answer your phone professionally while you work can double your business.
Think about it: every time you don't answer, that customer assumes you're too busy to take on new work. In a market with limited options, they'll call the next plumber on their list or drive to a bigger town where they feel more confident about getting service.
A professional answering service costs $200-400 per month. If it saves just two customers per month who would have otherwise gone elsewhere, it pays for itself. More likely, it'll help you capture significantly more work while improving your reputation for responsiveness.
Train whoever answers your phone on Three Hills basics: which areas you serve, typical response times for different types of calls, and how to handle winter emergencies. They should sound like they're part of your local business, not a generic call center.
Expanding Your Service Area Strategically
Growth in rural Alberta often means expanding your service radius. But bigger isn't always better. Adding Trochu or Delburne to your service area increases drive time and complexity. Make sure the math works.
Calculate your true cost per mile: fuel, vehicle wear, and the opportunity cost of time spent driving instead of working. Then price accordingly. A service call 20 minutes outside Three Hills should cost more than one in the College area, and customers generally understand this logic.
Consider specializing in services that justify the drive time. Rural septic work, well system maintenance, and complex repairs command higher prices and create ongoing customer relationships that make the expanded service area profitable.
Building a Business That Works Without You
The ultimate goal isn't just growing bigger. It's building a plumbing business in Three Hills that creates value beyond your personal labor. This means developing systems, training employees, and establishing relationships that don't disappear if you take a vacation or want to step back.
Document your processes. Which suppliers do you use for different types of jobs? What are the quirks of the older buildings downtown? Where are the water shutoffs for properties in different neighborhoods? This knowledge has value, but only if it's transferable.
Build customer relationships that belong to the business, not just to you personally. Use consistent branding, professional invoicing, and systematic follow-up that creates loyalty to your company name, not just your personal reputation.
Consider recurring revenue streams: maintenance contracts for the college, seasonal services for rural properties, or annual septic inspections. These create predictable income and deeper customer relationships that sustain the business long-term.
Three Hills offers something rare: a market with genuine demand, limited competition, and customers who value reliability over rock-bottom prices. The plumbers who recognize this opportunity and build systematically around it won't just stay busy. They'll build businesses that thrive in small-town Alberta for years to come.
The phone's probably ringing right now. The question is whether you're building a business that can handle the growth, or just creating a more complicated way to stay overworked.
