During that time, he was plumbing 585 houses in a year with a crew of 25. He has been through hot and cold building cycles. Of the plunge in new construction in the late 2000s Howard said, “Those were some slow years and I survived it.” One of his plumbers has been with him for 25 years, and his loyal office manager, Toni Wilkinson, has been taking care of business for 20 years. To date their business is up 30% from this time last year – a testament to the strength of home building in the Myrtle Beach area.

H & H Plumbing works solely with homebuilders, including Ameri Built Homes and Flagship Homes. Howard said, “Actually I’m third generation in plumbing. My grandfather started it back in the 50s, then my daddy took it over in the 60s and 70s, and I took it over in the 80s.” He was 10 years old when he picked up his first wrench, “I was the go-fer, running to get fittings and crawling under the houses. That’s how I learned plumbing, just hands on.” Those were the days when bathrooms were more function over form. Now, it can easily take a full day to rough in a shower that has multiple showerhead and body jets. Howard has seen the transformation from a three-piece bathroom to oversize showers, large soaking tubs (with or without claw feet) and other ambient features.

In terms of materials, Howard noted, “We used to use a lot of copper, now we use PEX. About 10 years ago, we stopped using copper. I always said I’d never change from copper, that’s what I was raised up on – runnin’ copper – but it got so expensive.” PEX pipe is made from a high-density polyethylene. While not freeze proof, it is resistant to freeze damage.

Quality and dependability are H & H trademarks. Howard said, “I’m always on time; if I tell someone I’ll be there that day, I’m there. Just as he learned the trade, Howard is still hands-on. “I bid every job and check every job,” he said.