National plumbing champion on his big win

Ian Edelbacher is an apprentice plumber in Fresno, California — but that didn’t stop him from winning the top spot at the Plumbing National Championship in October, as part of ServiceTitan’s Elite Trades Championship Series.

He was kind enough to answer a few questions with Homepros over email. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity. 

I read that you went from being an almond farmer to a plumber and that your wife inspired you. Can you elaborate?

Yes, I worked on a family farm for seven years before switching to plumbing after [the farm] sold. My wife was already working at Fresno Plumbing and Heating. She started in the warranty department and worked her way to being a plumbing estimator. She had already been with the company for six years and had moved to estimator before I joined her there. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands — the trades were always intriguing to me as a career — so it didn’t take much convincing for me to join her there and try out plumbing.

What are your future ambitions in the industry?

My immediate goal is to graduate from my apprenticeship and get my Journeyman card. Then I want to just continue to learn more and expand my skills as a plumber. I’ve only been doing this for a little over four years, so there is a lot still to learn. Especially with commercial jobs, the plumbing systems can become pretty complex.

Can you explain what you had to do for the competition in October? 

The contest started with an online test [on] your plumbing code knowledge and some general plumbing knowledge. From there, they picked the top 20 scorers. The top 20 were sent an at-home kit that we had to record ourselves completing. Those videos were then submitted, and that’s where they picked the top five to go to West Palm Beach, Fla., to compete in the finals. 

There, we simulated installing what would equate to a half-bath. We had 90 minutes to install a tank toilet, lavatory sink, and run hot and cold water lines for about 10 feet with different plumbing materials and fittings that were also required to be pressure tested. 

The hardest part for me was getting over the nerves of having cameras all over the place, watching my every move. It definitely took me a bit to get comfortable with that, but after a bit, I was able to block them out and focus on the task at hand. I really wasn’t sure how I did until they announced it. It seemed we were all pretty close, from what I could tell.

What did you do with the $10K prize?

We had just come back from a family vacation a couple weeks before the competition, so the winnings went to paying off that. But I did get a spray-in liner for my truck bed.

Will you compete again in 2026? 

I definitely want to try and compete next year. It was a great event and a lot of fun. Super thankful to all of the sponsors that put it on. Hopefully, I can make it back to the finals and defend my title.

What are your top thoughts/concerns about the plumbing industry as a whole? 

I think plumbing and the trades in general are a great career opportunity for younger generations. It’s something that AI can be an asset to, but won’t be able to replace the person doing it, which makes it a safe career field to get into. It is hard work, but it’s rewarding. I think more people would be drawn to it if they knew how important plumbing is. It’s everywhere.

Editor’s note: The Plumbing National Championship will air on CBS Sports Network at 8 pm ET on December 26.