When Texas Lane was a child, a big box plumbing company quoted his grandmother thousands of dollars for a plumbing issue in her backyard.

She called a family friend to help instead, who did it for just a couple of hundred dollars. That event had a deep effect on Lane, who 32 years later runs his plumbing business, League City-based Texas James Plumbing, with the same approach.

“It drives the way he operates,” said Christy Lane, business development manager and Lane’s wife. “What if someone doesn’t have that friend of the family to help them?”

The approach

That view is “woven into every interaction,” Christy said of her husband. Someone helping and serving the community—and doing it in a way that isn’t sugarcoated.


“He’s very, very real,” she said. “But ... in a good way. It’s, ‘Hey, here’s what we’re dealing with and here are the options we have.’ It’s not about going with the biggest option.”

While Christy said there’s nothing wrong with big box companies—even adding that she believes there is a place for them in the industry—Lane tries to work fast, fair and friendly. That means going so far as to lower the number of calls each technician has per day to make sure enough time is being given to each customer.

One customer, for example, came home and was met with an upstairs that was soaked, Christy said. Lane was there in an hour to help out.

About the business


In addition to many standard plumbing services, Texas James Plumbing offers water softeners, water treatment, reverse osmosis and tankless water heaters, among others, Christy said.

Water lines, gas lines, fixtures and toilets, sewers, drains and various water heater services make up much of what the company is focused on, according to its website.

Did you know?

Christy gave some easy ways for people to maintain their plumbing and water systems. Flushing water heaters once per year and inspections are some ways to maintain a system.


“We maintain our cars pretty regularly,” she said. “HVAC, that’s a common system. ... Plumbing, for whatever reason, is less common.”

To that end, Texas James Plumbing has started a YouTube channel recently, which Christy said will soon feature numerous videos on tips and tricks for how to help maintain a house’s plumbing.

“For me, a lot of people are concerned about efficiency, money, the planet or both,” Christy said. “There are a lot of things that can be done to make sure things are running efficiently.”