The GBA Conversation: Running a Multi-Trade Mechanical Contracting Business – GreenBuildingAdvisor

The GBA Conversation

GBA editor Randy Williams talks with contractor Brian Williams about running a multi-trade mechanical business, coordinating complex projects, and what it takes to deliver better-performing homes

The Green Building Advisor Conversation is our podcast series featuring focused, practical discussions with builders, designers, tradespeople, and other industry professionals. Rather than theory alone, we talk through real projects, real challenges, and lessons learned in the field.

Each episode is paired with a short companion blog like this one, highlighting the key takeaways for readers who want a quick summary—or a place to start before listening.

When we talk about high-performing, better-built buildings on Green Building Advisor, we often focus on assemblies, details, and building science. But the reality is that good buildings still come down to people—the architects and designers creating thoughtful assemblies, the tradespeople solving problems in real time, and the verifiers and auditors confirming that the work performs as intended.

In this episode we talk with one of those field professionals, someone responsible for installing the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems that make buildings work—not just one of those systems, but all of them.

Meet Brian Williams, owner of Williams Septic and Electric

In the first episode of the Green Building Advisor Conversation, I sat down with my brother, Brian Williams, owner of Williams Septic and Electric, a small subcontracting company that handles electrical, plumbing, heating, and excavating work across a small rural area in northern Minnesota. If you’re picturing a tightly specialized shop, think again. Brian’s crew does a little of everything—and that’s exactly the point.

Brian didn’t set out to build a multi-trade company. His business grew gradually. What started as summer septic work to pay for an electrical engineering degree turned into a master electrician’s license, then plumbing, then heating, all while continuing the sewer side of the business. Over time he added more trades, mostly to meet demand in the local market. But it also…