Built in Timmins.
For Timmins.
Total Trades Solutions started in 2018 with one licensed plumber and a truck. Today it's two licensed plumbers and an office support person — but the owner is still on the tools, and the same person who answers the phone stands behind every job that gets done.
Started with one truck.
Built on referrals.
Total Trades Solutions started in 2018. The owner — James — had been working for another plumbing outfit in Timmins for several years and decided to start his own operation. No business plan. No marketing budget. Just a truck, a licence, and a phone number he gave to people he'd done good work for.
The first year was general work. Dripping taps. Blocked drains. The calls you get when someone gives your number to a neighbour. The kind of work that doesn't leave much margin but builds a reputation if you do it right. James did it right. Showed up when he said he would. Quoted clearly before starting. Didn't add things to the invoice that weren't discussed.
By 2020 the phone was busy enough to hire a second licensed plumber. By 2022 a part-time office person joined to manage calls and scheduling — so James and the team could stay on jobs without the phone going to voicemail. That's still the model today. Three people. No voicemail. Every call answered by someone who can actually help.
The team has done hundreds of jobs in Timmins and surrounding area. Emergency callouts at 2am in February. Bathroom renovations that took three weeks. Water heater replacements that took an afternoon. The housing stock in this part of Northern Ontario — the 1950s and 60s builds in Schumacher, the 70s houses in Mountjoy, the newer builds on the south end — James knows what's behind the walls. That matters when you're diagnosing a problem.
We're not a franchise. We're not a chain. We don't sub out work to whoever is available. Every job is done by a Total Trades Solutions plumber who we'd send to our own home.
James registered Total Trades Solutions and took the first jobs through word of mouth. Timmins and immediate area only. Emergency work, drains, fixtures — whatever the phone brought in.
Word of mouth translated to the first handful of Google reviews. Consistent feedback on three things: showed up on time, explained the problem clearly, didn't overcharge.
Demand was consistent enough to bring on a second licensed journeyperson. Expanded service area to South Porcupine, Iroquois Falls, and Matheson.
Bathroom renovation referrals started arriving consistently. Plumbing scope on renovations — rough-in, fixture trim, coordination with GCs — became a major part of the business.
Part-time office person joined to handle calls and scheduling. From this point, every call during business hours is answered by a real person. Emergency calls go directly to the owner's mobile.
Consistent demand from communities beyond the core service area led to scheduled runs to outlying markets. Seven communities now served regularly.
James still takes jobs. That won't change. When something gets complicated, the owner shows up — not a junior hire sent to manage the situation.
Three people.
Every call answered.
The things that don't change.
Every job gets a flat-rate price before any work begins. Not a rough estimate. Not a range. A number — agreed between you and us — that appears on the invoice. If the scope changes, we tell you before continuing and get your approval. No surprises.
If we say we'll be there at 9am, we'll be there at 9am or we'll call ahead. Timmins is a small city and people talk. We've built this business on referrals. Every job where we show up late or leave a mess is a job that doesn't generate the next one.
Before starting, we tell you what the problem is, what we're going to do, and why. If we find something unexpected, we stop and explain it. You understand what's happening in your own home. No technical jargon designed to confuse. Plain language, every time.
If a cartridge replacement fixes the dripping tap, we replace the cartridge. We don't recommend a full fixture replacement because the margin is better. Three separate plumbers told one of our current regular customers to replace a fixture that needed a $95 part. That's not how we operate.
The 1960s bungalow in Schumacher has different plumbing problems than the 2010 build on the south end. The galvanised supply lines, the cast iron drains, the undersized gas mains in older Timmins properties — we've seen all of it. We know what to look for and what to expect.
If something we installed or repaired fails due to our work, we come back and fix it. No charge. No fight. 1-year guarantee on installations, 90 days on service work. That's not in the fine print — it's the first thing we tell people when they ask about our guarantee.
No hot water on Christmas morning with four kids in the house. One call and they had it sorted by noon. The owner came himself. That says everything about how they run this business. Won't call anyone else.