Quick Comparison
| Firm | Founded / Tenure & Credentials | Services & Specialties | Geographic Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundial Plumbing | 1945 (originally Smith Brothers Plumbing in Bremen GA); three Smith generations | GA Master Plumber, BBB A+ Accredited, PHCC member | McCollum Parkway base in Kennesaw (30144); Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton, Atlanta Metro |
| Estes Services | 1949 (N.B. "Nap" Estes founder; son Tommy Estes current President; grandson Brian successor); three Estes generations | GA Master Plumber, GA HVAC, GA Electrical | Tradeport Boulevard base in Atlanta; Greater Atlanta |
| Head's Plumbing Sales and Service | 1981 firm; family plumbing lineage to Phenus Head Sr and Lucy F. Beckum (1950s); four generations | GA Master Plumber (Odari M. Head); BBB Accredited | Atlanta operating base; South Fulton, College Park, East Point, Buckhead, Hapeville, Lithia Springs, Austell, Douglasville, Union City, Riverdale, Fairburn |
| Plumb Works | 1989 (Jim Sabol founder; brother Jerome Sabol current Master Plumber owner; nephew Josh Journeyman) | GA Master Plumber (Jerome Sabol); 2024 Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine Residential Contractor of the Year | Chestnut Drive base in Atlanta (30340); Greater Atlanta |
1. Sundial Plumbing
- Address: 2255 McCollum Parkway, Suite 500, Kennesaw, GA 30144
- Phone: (770) 427-1998
- Founder: Roy Smith and George Smith (brothers, founded Smith Brothers Plumbing in Bremen GA, 1945); Jack Smith carried the second generation; daughter Mitzi (licensed Master Plumber) led the third generation after Jack’s 2009 retirement; current President Bruce Phillips
- Operating Since: 1945 (81 years; three Smith family generations)
- License: Georgia Master Plumber; BBB A+ Accredited; PHCC member; Best Pick Reports recognition
- Service area: Cobb County (Marietta, Kennesaw, Smyrna, Acworth, Powder Springs, Austell, Mableton), Cherokee County (Woodstock, Canton, Holly Springs), North Fulton (Roswell, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Milton), Central Fulton, DeKalb, Cumming, Gwinnett
- Website: sundialplumbing.com
Three Smith Generations Across the Smith Brothers Origin
Roy and George Smith founded Smith Brothers Plumbing in Bremen GA in 1945. The firm migrated into Cobb County and rebranded across the decades. Jack Smith carried the second Smith generation. His daughter Mitzi earned her Georgia Master Plumber license. Mitzi led the firm through the third generation when Jack retired in 2009. Bruce Phillips serves as current President. The 81-year operating tenure ranks Sundial among Georgia’s longest-tenured plumbing firms.
McCollum Parkway Kennesaw Base
The 2255 McCollum Parkway headquarters sits in Kennesaw, Cobb County, northwest of Atlanta proper. The position covers Atlanta Metro plus the rapidly growing northwest Atlanta corridor. Cobb County, Cherokee County, and North Fulton support the primary service map. Service extends south into Central Fulton and DeKalb plus east into Gwinnett. The firm operates across both inner-perimeter and outer-perimeter Atlanta neighborhoods.
GA Master Plumber Plus PHCC Member Affiliation
Georgia regulates plumbing through the State Construction Industry Licensing Board (SCILB) under the Secretary of State. Sundial holds GA Master Plumber credentialing plus PHCC of Georgia membership. PHCC membership signals participation in the formal trade infrastructure for residential and commercial plumbing contractors. BBB A+ Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification. Best Pick Reports, Cobb Chamber of Commerce, and Smart Business awards round out the recognition profile.
2. Estes Services
- Address: 3981 Tradeport Boulevard, Atlanta, GA
- Phone: (404) 873-2200
- Founder: N.B. “Nap” Estes (founded 1949); son Tommy Estes (current President); grandson Brian Estes (positioned for next generational handoff); three Estes generations
- Operating Since: 1949 (77 years; three continuous Estes family generations)
- License: Georgia Master Plumber; Georgia HVAC; Georgia Electrical; BBB Accredited
- Service area: Greater Atlanta (Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Forsyth, Henry, Clayton, Rockdale, Douglas counties)
- Website: estesair.com
Three Estes Generations Spanning 77 Years
N.B. “Nap” Estes founded Estes Services in 1949. His son Tommy Estes serves as current President. Tommy’s son Brian Estes is positioned to take overall leadership in the coming generational handoff. The same Estes family that started the firm in 1949 still owns it today. The 77-year operating tenure makes Estes one of the longest-running family-owned home-service operations in Georgia.
Tradeport Boulevard Atlanta Base
The 3981 Tradeport Boulevard headquarters sits in southeast Atlanta near the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport corridor. The position extends dispatch reach across the full Greater Atlanta region. The firm covers ten metro counties: Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Forsyth, Henry, Clayton, Rockdale, and Douglas. The 75th anniversary milestone in 2024 marked three-quarters of a century of continuous Estes family operation.
Triple-Trade Plumbing Plus HVAC Plus Electrical Stack
Estes Services holds three Georgia trade credentials: Master Plumber, HVAC, and Electrical. The integrated trade portfolio supports residential customers needing whole-home service under one operating relationship. Customers requiring plumbing-plus-HVAC or plumbing-plus-electrical work avoid coordinating multiple contractors. The triple-trade scope materially exceeds the typical single-trade configuration of most Atlanta-area plumbing operators.
3. Head’s Plumbing Sales and Service
- Address: 4381 Campbellton Road SW, Atlanta, GA 30331
- Phone: (404) 696-3175
- Founder: Phenus Head Jr and Shelia Head founded Head’s Plumbing Sales and Service in 1981; family plumbing lineage extends to parents Phenus Head Sr and Lucy F. Beckum (1950s trade origin); current third-generation leadership Odari M. Head (Georgia State Licensed Master Plumber, Vice President) and Khadija J. Head (Project Management Professional)
- Operating Since: 1981 firm-name founding; 43+ years of operating history; family plumbing lineage to 1950s grandfather generation; four Head family generations across the trade
- License: Georgia Master Plumber (Odari M. Head); BBB Accredited
- Service area: South Fulton, College Park, East Point, Buckhead, Hapeville, Lithia Springs, Austell, Douglasville, Union City, Riverdale, Fairburn, Greater Atlanta
- Website: headsplumbing.com
Four Head Family Generations Across Trade Practice
The Head family plumbing lineage traces to the 1950s. Grandparents Phenus Head Sr and Lucy F. Beckum entered the plumbing trade and built a small operation serving the local Black community. Phenus Head Jr and Shelia Head formally established Head’s Plumbing Sales and Service in 1981. The current generation runs the firm through Odari M. Head (Georgia State Licensed Master Plumber, Vice President) and Khadija J. Head (Project Management Professional). Odari and Khadija represent the third generation by formal firm leadership and the fourth generation by family-trade lineage.
Georgia’s Oldest Black-Owned Plumbing Firm
Head’s Plumbing carries the documented designation as Georgia’s oldest and most experienced Black-owned plumbing company. The 43+ year firm-name tenure plus the 1950s family-trade lineage roots operating-history depth that newer market entrants cannot match. The firm explicitly positions itself outside the franchise rollup pattern that has consolidated portions of the Atlanta-area home-services market.
Greater Atlanta Operating Geography
The dispatch reach covers the southwest Atlanta arc most heavily: South Fulton, College Park, East Point, Hapeville, Riverdale, Union City, and Fairburn. Service extends west through Lithia Springs, Austell, and Douglasville. The northern reach includes Buckhead. The geographic concentration covers historically Black Atlanta neighborhoods plus the broader southwest suburban corridor.
4. Plumb Works
- Address: 3116 Chestnut Drive, Suite 101, Atlanta, GA 30340
- Phone: (404) 524-1825
- Founder: Jim Sabol (founded 1989); brother Jerome Sabol joined and is now current owner-President (Georgia Master Plumber); Jerome’s sister-in-law Renee serves as Finance Manager; Jerome’s nephew Josh (Jim’s son) holds a Georgia Journeyman Plumber license and serves as Service Manager
- Operating Since: 1989 (37 years); two generations of Sabol family operation across founder, current owner, and second-generation Service Manager
- License: Georgia Master Plumber (Jerome Sabol); Georgia Journeyman Plumber (Josh Sabol); 2024 Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine Residential Contractor of the Year recognition
- Service area: Atlanta (Buckhead, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, Tucker, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, Kennesaw, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Duluth)
- Website: plumbworksinc.com
Sabol Family Operating Continuity Plus 2024 National Recognition
Jim Sabol founded Plumb Works in 1989 and built the firm as a respected master-plumber-led operation. Jim retired in 2018. His brother Jerome Sabol now serves as owner and President, holding the Georgia Master Plumber credential. The family operating team includes Jerome’s sister-in-law Renee Sabol as Finance Manager and Josh Sabol (Jim’s son) as Service Manager. Josh holds a Georgia Journeyman Plumber license. The 2024 Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine Residential Contractor of the Year recognition supports a national-trade-publication editorial credential.
Chestnut Drive Atlanta Base and Northeast Atlanta Geography
The 3116 Chestnut Drive headquarters sits in northeast Atlanta near the Chamblee-Doraville corridor. The position covers Buckhead south, Sandy Springs and Dunwoody west, Roswell and Alpharetta north, and Norcross and Peachtree Corners east. The northeast Atlanta operating base differs from southwest-Atlanta-headquartered operators and supports service across the northeast Perimeter and beyond-Perimeter Gwinnett corridor.
Master Plumber Plus Journeyman Family Credential Stack
Plumb Works carries dual family-trade credentialing through Jerome Sabol’s Georgia Master Plumber license and nephew Josh Sabol’s Georgia Journeyman Plumber license. Georgia regulates plumbing under master, journeyman, and apprentice tiers through the State Construction Industry Licensing Board. The two-generation Master-plus-Journeyman family credential stack reflects deliberate trade-knowledge transmission across the Sabol family team.
Reference Notes
Georgia plumbing licensing runs through the State Construction Industry Licensing Board (SCILB) under the Office of the Secretary of State. SCILB issues Master Plumber and Journeyman Plumber credentials through sequentially numbered records. Verification runs through sos.ga.gov/plb. The City of Atlanta Office of Buildings issues building permits within Atlanta city limits. The Georgia Department of Public Health regulates plumbing-and-cross-connection compliance. Local water utilities (City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, Cobb County Water System, DeKalb County Watershed Management) handle water service connections plus annual backflow-prevention testing.
Atlanta-area residential housing extends across roughly 175 years. Pre-Civil-War antebellum housing remains in Decatur and Marietta historic districts. Late-19th-century downtown Atlanta and the Inman Park Victorian neighborhood ground the 1880-1900 era. Druid Hills, Ansley Park, Morningside, and Virginia-Highland filled out the 1900-1930 streetcar-suburb expansion. Postwar tract construction built out Sandy Springs, College Park, East Point, Decatur, and Brookhaven through 1945-1970. The 1980s-1990s drove North Atlanta master-planned-community surges across Alpharetta, Roswell, and Johns Creek. Forsyth County and Cherokee County extended outer-suburban growth through the 2000s. Cast-iron drain replacement in pre-1960 stock and lead-service-line replacement in older Atlanta neighborhoods recur as service categories.
The four firms profiled cover four positions on the Atlanta market arc. Sundial Plumbing leads tenure with its 1945 origin (Smith Brothers Plumbing in Bremen GA) plus three Smith family generations through Jack and Master Plumber Mitzi. Bruce Phillips serves as current President. Estes Services follows with 77 years across three Estes generations: founder N.B. “Nap” Estes (1949), son Tommy as President, and grandson Brian positioned for the next handoff. Head’s Plumbing Sales and Service brings four Head family generations across plumbing-trade practice from a 1950s grandfather origin through the 1981 firm founding by Phenus Head Jr and Shelia Head, with current third-generation leadership through Master Plumber Odari Head and Khadija Head. Plumb Works runs Sabol family operating continuity since 1989 (Jim Sabol founder, brother Jerome current owner-Master Plumber, nephew Josh Journeyman Service Manager) plus the 2024 Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine Residential Contractor of the Year award.
Verification paths run through sos.ga.gov/plb, BBB Atlanta listings, the PHCC of Georgia directory, and the City of Atlanta Office of Buildings contractor records. Pre-1930 streetcar-suburb housing in Druid Hills, Inman Park, and Ansley Park tilts toward Sundial’s 81-year three-generation depth. Multi-trade integrated work across plumbing, HVAC, and electrical fits Estes Services. Black-owned multi-generation service in southwest Atlanta fits Head’s. Award-recognized residential renovation work across north Atlanta fits Plumb Works.
Selection Methodology
Selection follows four criteria. First, continuous family ownership or founder-operator continuity outside the national rollup pattern. Second, verifiable Georgia Master Plumber license cross-checked via the State Construction Industry Licensing Board public lookup. Third, BBB Accreditation or equivalent third-party rating. Fourth, minimum 10-year continuous operating tenure with documented Atlanta service coverage. Firms acquired by national franchise networks (Authority Brands’ Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Neighborly’s Mr. Rooter, Service Experts, Roto-Rooter, Wrench Group, Redwood Services, Master Trades Group, ARS) are excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify an Atlanta plumber’s license?
Use the Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board public licensee database at sos.ga.gov/plb. Search by license number or business name. Confirm active status, classification, bonding, and insurance before authorizing work.
What credentials should an Atlanta plumber hold?
At minimum: Georgia Master Plumber credential plus general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Specialty work (gas line, backflow prevention, fire sprinkler, sewer lateral) requires additional credential layers.
How can I tell if an Atlanta plumber is locally owned versus a national rollup?
Check ownership disclosures and acquisition history. National franchise brands typically operate under parent-company branding. Search the firm name plus “acquired” or “parent company” to surface ownership structure. The four firms in this directory all run as independent locally-owned operators.
When should I call an emergency plumber in Atlanta?
Burst pipes, sewer backups, gas leaks, no-water events, and water heater failures justify after-hours dispatch. Each firm in this directory offers either 24/7 emergency service or structured after-hours response.
Editorial Note
Compiled by the editorial team. Firm details cross-verified through state license databases, BBB business profiles, and firm-published websites where available. License numbers should be re-verified through the Georgia SCILB public lookup before authorizing work. Information current as of the date below; firm details may change without notice. Last updated: 2026-05-10.