Mike Rowe, the former “Dirty Jobs” host, told Fox Business in a recent interview that “not a week goes by” without hearing from a company chief or industry leader “who is straight up freaking out over the barriers to recruiting.”
His explanation is arithmetic.
“To me, the most compelling stat is five-in-two: every year, when five tradesmen leave the workforce, two replace them,” Rowe said. “It’s been that way for 12 years, so the math has caught up to us.”
That ratio is Rowe’s own shorthand, not an official count. Federal projections do show how much replacement hiring the trades already need, though.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 42,000 openings a year for plumbers, pipe fitters and steamfitters over the coming decade, many created as workers retire or leave the field.
The Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades, an industry coalition, estimates the U.S. will need to fill about 1.7 million skilled-trade openings a year through 2035, while training programs produce just 55 workers for every 100 needed.
For homeowners, fewer tradespeople means a longer wait when something breaks. The seven jobs below either keep a repair call from happening or put you on a contractor’s calendar before the cold-weather rush.
1. Shut off and drain outdoor faucets
Water damage and freezing accounted for 22.6% of homeowners insurance claims in 2023, and the average claim from 2019 through 2023 came to about $15,400, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
The American Red Cross recommends disconnecting, draining, and storing garden hoses, shutting off the indoor valve that supplies each outdoor faucet, then opening the outdoor faucet and leaving it open. Any water left inside can then expand without bursting the pipe.
2. Book the furnace checkup now
Energy Star’s maintenance checklist recommends checking the heating system every fall and gives a plain reason not to put it off: “Contractors get busy once summer and winter come.”
An October appointment also means the technician can schedule any repairs before the first hard freeze, instead of competing with no-heat emergencies for the same crews.
If a technician finds a furnace on its last legs, the repair bill can land at the worst time of year.
A home warranty is one way to plan for that. Choice Home Warranty plans cover major home systems and appliances, and when a covered item breaks, the company sends a technician and you pay a set service fee instead of the full repair bill.
3. Get the chimney inspected
Home heating caused an estimated 32,200 fires reported to U.S. fire departments in 2021, ranking second among causes of home fires. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends having a professional clean and inspect chimneys and heating equipment every year.
Booking the sweep and the furnace technician in the same week gets both off the winter to-do list.
4. Deal with the gutters before the leaves finish falling
Gutters packed with leaves can overflow and send water toward the foundation rather than away from it. Experts interviewed about when gutter guards work said guards keep large debris such as leaves and twigs out, though they still need occasional cleaning.
Getting up there is the risky part. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that emergency departments treated an annual average of 36,280 ladder-related fall injuries among adults 65 and older from 2017 through 2021.
Homeowners who would rather spend fewer fall afternoons on a ladder may want to price out gutter guards. HomeBuddy offers a quick cost estimate for professionally installed gutter guards based on a home’s approximate square footage.
5. Insulate pipes in unheated spaces
The Red Cross also recommends insulating attics, basements, and crawl spaces; insulating water pipes in unheated spots such as the garage and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets; and considering pipe sleeves or UL-listed heat tape or heat cable on exposed lines. Foam sleeves are a hardware-store item that many homeowners install themselves.
During severe cold, letting a faucet served by exposed pipes drip slightly can also help keep them from freezing.
6. Change the furnace filter yourself
Energy Star’s advice is simple: “Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month.” The agency warns that a dirty filter can raise energy costs and damage equipment, leading to early failure. That is exactly the kind of problem that ends in a service call.
The same logic applies to a once-a-year water heater flush, which clears out sediment that can drive up energy bills and cut years off a tank’s life.
7. Read the water damage section of your policy
Even a careful homeowner can still have a pipe burst. Insurance policies vary in how they handle water damage, so the time to read that section is before the first freeze, not after.
The Money Talks News homeowners insurance page walks through which coverage terms and exclusions to compare, and can help you shop for quotes if your renewal price has climbed.
Get on the calendar before the cold does
Most of these jobs take an afternoon and a trip to the hardware store. The two that need a professional, the furnace checkup and the chimney inspection, are easier to book now than after the first cold snap, when contractors’ schedules fill up.
Whatever the exact ratio of tradespeople leaving to arriving, a homeowner who finishes this list in the fall is less likely to be waiting on one in the middle of winter.
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