Plumbing & Mechanical Top Stories

A construction worker writing on a clipboard

Job switching drives biggest pay gains in construction, new ADP data shows

A 6.6% job-switching pay premium signals deeper labor shortages in construction, and forces contractors to rethink retention and compensation.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 20, 2026

With skilled labor in short supply, contractors are facing rising wage pressure and a new reality: keeping talent may be harder than hiring it.

Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Why thermal mass and domestic hot water demand don’t always play nicely together

Hands off!

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

March 18, 2026

When radiant slabs and high-demand fixtures share a heat source, thermal equilibrium doesn’t always favor the shower.

And so it flows - The Cost of Missed Calls

And So It Flows Podcast

Podcast: The cost of missed calls

How missing calls can affect your business, your revenue, and your reputation.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 17, 2026

In this episode of And So It Flows, Kristen Bayles spoke with Jane Blanchard, head of brand and marketing at Service Forge, about a challenge many contractors underestimate: the true cost of missed calls.

Heating Perceptions | Scott Secor

As temperatures plunge across the eastern U.S., emergency calls surge

Cold Calls

Scott Secor

March 13, 2026

The recent cold weather means one thing for contractors: an increase in calls.

The end of reactive service

Sensorization, analytics, and service model transformation is changing the way that contractors react to, and are able to prevent, disruptions of service.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 12, 2026

In a data-informed environment, plumbing and mechanical systems become managed infrastructure — visible, measurable and continuously optimized. Contractors who embrace that reality position themselves not simply as technicians, but as long-term asset stewards in an increasingly performance-driven built environment.

World Plumbing Day: The hidden infrastructure protecting public health

World Plumbing Day was launched in 2010 specifically to highlight this connection between plumbing, health and sustainability.

Natalie Forster

March 11, 2026

Modern plumbing infrastructure is so embedded in daily life that it is often taken for granted. Yet its impact on global health is enormous.

Code literacy: the contractor's best advantage

Traditionally, code knowledge was defensive. Today, it's an offensive strategy.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 11, 2026

Codes are expanding into areas like resilience, electrification, water quality management and long-term accountability. No longer are they static rulebooks; they’re living frameworks shaping how systems perform over decades.

Renewable Heating Design | John Siegenthaler

How do North American and European hydronic systems differ?

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

March 10, 2026

When comparing hydronic systems designs that are common in North America with typical European equivalents, comparisons reveal details that would be beneficial in either market, but are not “traditional” in one market or the other.

Several people at a table discussing business.

Growing without breaking the business: how mechanical contractors can scale responsibly

Project selection strategies for contractors looking to scale from Jason Richards, CEO of Foundral.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 9, 2026

It’s tempting to chase new work without fully evaluating whether the project aligns with operation capacity or financial structure. We’ve all heard, “bigger is better,” after all. However, contractors need to establish clear criteria before pursuing additional work. That includes evaluating a few key factors.