The man they called “the Drain Man.”
Bill Barber came over from England, started out as a plumber, and found his real calling underground — clearing the mains and sewer lines other trades wouldn’t touch. Contractors across the GTA started calling him the Drain Man. He founded the company on it in 1972.
- Family owned since 1972
- Now second generation
- Toronto & the GTA, 54+ years
From a plan to a name people trust
One trade, one family, two generations — and a line that runs straight through all of it.
- From England
Bill Barber crosses the Atlantic
Bill came over from England and learned the trade the hands-on way, starting out as a plumber. The company began as little more than a plan and a willingness to outwork everyone.
- The turn
He follows the work underground
Plumbers were everywhere, but the hard, in-demand jobs were below the floor — the blocked mains and sewer lines nobody else wanted. Bill leaned into drains, and that became the whole craft.
- The name
Contractors start calling him “the Drain Man”
Builders and contractors across the GTA learned that if a drain had them stumped, you called Bill. The nickname stuck, and the company took it for its own.
- 1972
The Drain Man Inc is founded
Bill put his name and his word behind it: honest rates told up front, no deposits, and work that earns the next job by referral instead of advertising.
- Today
The second generation runs the line
Bill’s son John and the rest of the family carry it forward with the same values — still hands-on, still answering the phone, still treating your home like the work has their name on it. Because it does.
“An honest, hard-working tradesman shouldn’t need your money up front. You pay when we’ve done the work we promised.”
The people who answer the phone
You won’t be passed around. The Barbers are still the ones running the work — and many of our crew have been with us for 20 years or more.
Bill Barber
Founder
Still hands-on. You’ll find him at excavation and waterproofing sites, not behind a desk.
John
Office manager
Bill’s son and part of the second-generation leadership keeping the books — and the values — straight.
Team member
Role
Add a short line about this team member — what they do and why they’re part of the family.
Team member
Role
Add a short line about this team member — what they do and why they’re part of the family.
Honest is the only way we know how to work
These aren’t a sales pitch. They’re the rules Bill started with, and the reason most of our work comes by referral.
Services, not sales
We won’t mislead you to win the job. We find the fix you actually need and tell it to you straight.
Rates up front
You hear the price before we start — not a surprise at the front door once the truck is in your driveway.
No deposits
An honest company shouldn’t need your money first. You pay once we’ve delivered the work we promised.
Earned by referral
We spend on quality work, not advertising. Customers and contractors send us the next job, and that keeps prices fair.
The credentials behind the crew
Honest work has paperwork to back it. Here's what stands behind every job we do.
Family owned since 1972
Second-generation, hands-on owners. 54+ years serving Toronto and the GTA.
Master Plumbing License
#P19120
Covers all plumbing and drain work we take on.
Builders License
#B18804
Concrete, waterproofing, and basement underpinning too.
Fully insured
Rates up front, not at the front door. No deposits to start.
Backed up, flooding, or just not sure?
Tell us what's happening and we'll figure out the right fix — with our rates up front, not at the front door. No deposits, ever.