Sep 7 2023 6:45 PM

Lance Hood, an alumnus of the Washington County High School Class of 2019, has become a plumber and opened his own business, LDH Plumbing.  After high school, Hood earned his license as a Journeyman Plumber through the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction in 2021, and went on to earn his Master Plumber license in 2023.

“Plumbing hasn’t always been my dream,” admits Hood. “I started plumbing in high school just as a part-time job. While I was getting experience in plumbing and started learning the market for it, I realized that owning my own plumbing business was what I wanted to do. It stemmed from wanting the freedom to build my own dreams and not someone else’s.”

 “If you’re looking for an ‘easy job’, plumbing definitely isn’t the way to go,” he says. “You need to be willing to learn new things every day no matter how long you have been plumbing. It’s not just ‘find the problem and fix it’; sometimes fixing one problem can reveal other problems. Plumbing is an intellectually challenging job, but it is very rewarding when you find the problem. Plumbing is stinky and demanding, but there is definitely no shortage in work. It’s never black and white. I’m always having to come up with simple solutions to difficult problems.”

Hood credits WCHS agriculture teacher Bart Mattingly and retired WCHS teacher Rebecca Brothers with being influential in his life. “Mr. Mattingly and Mrs. Brothers always pushed me out of my comfort zone,” he says. “Doing short plays with Mrs. Brothers forced me to think outside the box. They really helped shape my mind to think fast and to be innovative. Mr. Mattingly taught me supply and demand of the laborer workforce.”

As the sole owner of LDH Plumbing, Hood offers new construction work for residential and commercial, remodel work for residential and commercial, as well as service work.