Christopher Spencer has always been someone who likes to help solve problems.
Sometimes that means figuring out why a homeowner’s water bill suddenly skyrocketed. Other times, it has meant repairing a single mother’s car for free, helping someone troubleshoot an electrical issue, or opening his home to a child who needs a safe place to land.
“I like to be the guy who comes in and fixes things for people,” Spencer says. “Someone has a problem, I come in and resolve it. Hopefully, they’re happy in the end.”
That instinct to serve others has been a constant throughout Spencer’s life, even as his career path has taken some unexpected turns.
Spencer left high school before graduating and later earned his GED. As a teenager, he worked at Whataburger before spending nearly six years at UPS. He eventually spent four years in full-time ministry as an associate pastor, where his responsibilities included preaching and teaching but often extended far beyond the church.
He found himself drawn to practical acts of service, helping people with whatever problem they happened to be facing. His work taught him that sometimes making a difference simply means noticing a need and being willing to step in.
When Spencer and his wife were expecting their third child, he began looking for a more sustainable career. He considered becoming a mechanic or electrician before discovering that plumbing offered the hands-on work and independence he wanted.
“I wanted something that couldn’t be taken away from me,” he says. “With a trade, it’s something I can do for a company, for myself, at home, or on the side.”
After completing an apprenticeship through the plumbers’ union and spending approximately six years learning the trade, Spencer opened Spencer’s Plumbing Services. Becoming a responsible master plumber required thousands of hours of experience and progressive licensing.
Today, he approaches plumbing much like he approached those earlier challenges: Look at the problem, figure out what is really happening, and find a way to help.
That investigative mindset can make a significant difference for homeowners.
Spencer once responded to a homeowner who had been told the entire house needed to be repiped. After examining the system, he found the actual problem and repaired the leak in approximately 10 minutes.
“I like being able to go in when people expect to pay a bunch of money and say, ‘That’s unnecessary. Let’s take care of this problem simply,’” he says.
For Spencer, doing right by someone is more important than maximizing a single service call.
“My goal is not to get as much money as I can from the call right in front of me,” he says. “I want someone to think, ‘That guy did me right, and I’m going to call him back.’”
That philosophy has helped him build lasting relationships with homeowners and property management companies. He evaluates concerns identified in home inspection reports, conducts plumbing inspections, and helps clients determine which repairs are necessary and which may not be worth the expense.
But professional success was never the only reason Spencer wanted to own his own business.
He wanted the flexibility to be present for his wife and their three sons and to build a career around his family, rather than sacrifice family time to build a career.
That priority also plays into one of the most meaningful parts of the Spencers’ life together: foster care.
The couple talked about fostering even before they began dating. Since then, they have welcomed four foster children into their home. The experience has brought unexpected turns and difficult goodbyes, but it has also given the family an opportunity to provide children with stability, affection, and a place where they feel safe.
For Spencer, caring for people isn’t something that begins and ends with a plumbing call. It’s woven into the way he approaches his work, his family, and the people who cross his path.
As Thanksgiving approaches, he is especially grateful for the ability to keep those priorities in perspective—and for a career that allows him to live out something he has valued for much of his life: being there when someone needs help.
“Even in the struggling times, I’ve been able to spend time with my family and keep that priority straight,” he says. “I’m definitely thankful for that.”