Some workers relish the physical nature of the job. They like to get after it. But that’s only part of the equation for a successful job, as seen with Burton A/C Heating Plumbing & More.

“Guys just like to dig,” says Jim Sloup, the company’s plumbing supervisor. “We have to make sure they are also thinking about documenting everything too. That’s a big piece of it.”

For Burton, that balance — between boots-in-the-dirt work and disciplined, detail-driven processes — is exactly what’s propelling the Omaha, Nebraska, company into its next era. What started in 1989 as a plumbing, HVAC and excavation outfit has expanded into trenchless services, electrical work and now municipal-scale water infrastructure projects.

Backed by Clarion Home Services Group, Burton is no longer just one of Omaha’s go-to providers for homeowners in need of plumbing help, it’s also taking on a pivotal role in replacing lead service lines across the city. That means deploying high-tech boring equipment, expanding its workforce and weaving precision documentation into every job, all while keeping its trademark “customer-first” culture intact.

It’s a big leap, but not a surprising one. Burton has built its reputation on thorough root-cause analysis, clear communication and an approach that digs deeper — literally and figuratively — to solve problems at their source. Now, that philosophy is being put to the test on one of Nebraska’s most important public health initiatives: getting the lead out, house by house, line by line.

OLD BOSS, NEW BOSS

Previously owned by Mark Evans, who has helmed Burton since the mid-1990s and purchased it in 2023, the company today operates under Clarion Home Services Group, a multibrand platform acquired by LightBay Capital in 2021. 

LightBay also made a growth investment in Burton to fuel add-on acquisitions and platform expansion, making Burton one of Lake Forest, Illinois-based Clarion’s home-services brands under the LightBay umbrella.

Clarion oversees multiple companies, managing 16 across the United States, and is primarily concentrated in the Midwest and Colorado. The group is known for bulking up established residential HVAC, plumbing and electrical service shops with bona fide reputations. 

They provide corporate infrastructure, at the same time maintaining the unique identities of each company in its brand portfolio. Evans remains on board and serves as president, continuing to provide guidance and strategically evaluate opportunities. 

CLEAR HERITAGE

The transition to Clarion enabled several advantages, energizing Burton’s business model, enhanced systems for marketing, recruiting, administrative, IT and operational support. 

Plumbing and field supervisor Jim Sloup says being customer-focused and service-oriented, combined with pride taken in their work, has helped Burton stand out as an area provider. From always crisp uniforms to clear, direct communication, customer service remains priority No. 1. 

They treat every customer like a neighbor, he says, and every suburb as their own. 

The company has garnered 19 consecutive Omaha Magazine “Best of Omaha” placements and boasts over 6,800 reviews on Google. Now they’ve implemented a 24/7 virtual call center that handles appointments for all Clarion outfits, like Burton and a nearby sister company, Lincoln, Nebraska-based Star City Heating & Cooling. 

“Our service is based on demand and level of emergency,” says Michael Cholewa, a Clarion regional manager. “Even our after-hours people that answer calls work for Clarion, one value that adds is that it’s less disruptive to the business. It’s our people that are answering the phones.” 

For many years, the straightforward customer first mantra at Burton stood out, displayed simply as “C1” on employee garments, Sloup says. Today, customer experience training at Burton is held quarterly. 

So, it’s still a great fit. 

ALL THE ANGLES

One thing at Burton that’s never changed is an emphasis on plumbing and root cause analysis. When responding to traditional service calls, whether that’s a dripping faucet or toilets running intermittently, technicians look to assess the overall system — from water pressure irregularities to concerns with age or scale buildup in water heaters. 

Whatever the system, their zeal is for identifying and resolving any underlying concerns. 

Cholewa says the company has approximately 45 fully stocked service vehicles of various sizes and models across different departments. A consultative approach is taken on every call, regardless of which service line. 

The tactics are methodical and require discipline, accounting for the company’s flat-rate plumbing work with guaranteed up-front pricing and a two-year parts and labor warranty.

Technicians are trained to cover all the angles, not only just apply temporary fixes, by identifying potential future problems and providing that information to customers. Recommendations to homeowners and occupants are tailored based on inquiries about lifestyles for a more holistic solution. 

NEXT LEVEL

The core competencies Burton’s teams have built up over the past three decades in residential plumbing, HVAC and electrical applications are being leveraged into a catalyst for handling more complex infrastructure projects. 

The new piece of work they picked up is a big one and crews are taking it to the next level. The company is among only a handful of contractors who won independent bids, partnering with Metropolitan Utilities District in Omaha, spearheading a lead water service line replacement initiative. 

That program kicked off in 2024, with the public utility stating the initial program cost will be covered through a loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and grants. 

Nebraska’s Lead Service Line Cash Fund was created in 2023 for utilities like MUD tasked with removing and replacing lead service lines, identified as a source of public health concern for people including children and younger adults. 

In March 2025, a report from the state’s official news source confirmed that all $8 million allocated to MUD to fund the program was under contract. 

Burton’s piece of work started in April. Omaha is the state’s only metro-class city, according to the Unicameral Update, and contains half of the state’s inventory of residences with such waterlines. Getting the lead out and all the new copper in could require more than a decade.

The contractor has reinforced crews responsible for maintaining the company’s core plumbing, HVAC and remodeling services while dedicated teams specializing in municipal infrastructure and line replacement are assigned to the MUD project. 

Now they are getting into the advanced excavation, boring and installation techniques. 

DEDICATED CORE

Burton is growing. They’ve recently hired six people and now employ a team of 12 to 15 — over 10% of its staff — dedicated to the MUD work. Systems have been installed to effectively manage all areas, carefully balancing plumbing and HVAC technician assignments and scheduled infrastructure work.

“It’s a large, multiple big job to replace all these services,” Sloup says. “It requires lots of coordination, scheduling equipment and ensuring all materials are available, group chats on the phone, talking to people throughout the day.”

“We have an internal excavation coordinator behind the scenes for scheduling and coordinating, to make sure we keep moving smoothly.” 

Equipment can be redeployed on the fly and bounce back and forth between houses depending on which crew needs it and when, he added. An urgency-level tiered response system for effectively prioritizing line replacement and emergency service calls was established. 

DIGGING DOCUMENTATION

EPA guidance on service line material identification recommends photographic documentation to verify lead versus nonlead pipe during initial inventories and ongoing updates. Sloup commented on new documentation guidelines associated with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions program and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund assistance agreements, as well as the steps Burton is taking to ensure strict compliance with reporting requirements. 

From the old landline going through the curb stop to the water meter, he says. “There are a number of pictures and documentation you have to do, which is challenging. An excavation manager is involved.” 

He continues: “We’ve increased our crew quite a bit. Every week we are getting better. It’s a cool project. It’s a learning curve. When we bring our copper in, we have to show copper at the water main hooked up, copper at the stop box hooked up. 

“The plumber makes the connection to existing waterlines in the home.” 

HOME AND BACK AGAIN

Even after a partial lead line replacement, short-term spikes in tap-water lead levels are more common. As a result, homeowners increasingly ask about water quality and point-of-use treatment. 

National data suggest Americans are investing in systems like water softeners and filtration systems. A 2023 survey by Aquasana, for instance, reportedly found water filtration in American homes had reached over 90%, a 25% rise since 2020.

MUD not only recommends but also provides certified Brita filters to customers for the stabilization period following each service line swap.

When a Burton technician enters a home to connect new copper service lines, it is not atypical to strike up a conversation and uncover additional plumbing needs. 

Clarion’s Omaha location is building on previous successes, customer relationships, Evan’s vision and tenured employees. It’s modeled after the work of Burton Friesz, the original owner who founded the company focusing on bathroom remodeling and plumbing for the entire home.

They’ve come a long way in 36 years. Their philosophy as a whole house systems specialist is to evaluate and educate decision makers regarding both preventive maintenance and their multiple solution options, potentially reducing the need for a callback. 

OUT ON THE TABLE

For the Burton team, doing the right thing means starting a conversation and always presenting more than a single fix, covering all immediate and forward thinking options from necessary repairs to substantial upgrades and renovations. 

It’s never only about getting to the one repair or replacement that solves today’s problem, it’s about digging just a bit deeper and potentially staving off an issue later. 

“We have learned over the years, if you go fix the one thing [sometimes] that is actually hurting the customer,” adds Steve Douthit, Burton’s plumbing manager. “If you see something that is causing a health or safety concern and don’t bring it up, that is malpractice in a way.”

“Let’s not just give the customer terrible service and one option,” Douthit continues. “If you are going to take care of the customer correctly and do the right thing, you will go in and investigate a bit more to find out the ‘why’ and how it impacts the rest of their plumbing.” 

THE LONG RUN

The scope of work in front of companies like Burton and utilities like MUD could be summed up as not tiny. 

In 2023, the American Water Works Association, in a statement on the EPA’s proposed Lead Service Line Replacement Rule rule improvements, noted that the average cost to fully replace a single lead service line is more than $10,000. With more than 9 million lead lines connecting homes to water systems nationwide, the cost to replace them all has been estimated at up to $90 billion or more. 

Backed by Clarion, this has additionally enabled Burton to position themselves for future growth, stability and risk mitigation. The long-term municipal contract provides predictable revenue alongside the more variable day-to-day calls, like upgrading fixtures or replacing leaking or ruptured water heaters, to estimates for whole-house repiping. 

The multiyear replacement program in Omaha is anticipated to run through at least the end of 2035. 

Heightened public awareness is already prompting homeowners to consider additional measures to ensure their water safety, which is more often being viewed in light of home security. This is likely to increase in the adoption of filtration or softening systems as a precautionary measure. 

Blending residential expertise with larger-scale water-infrastructure work, Burton tackles it line by line, house by house — staying true to its original vision and focus for a safer, more comfortable home tomorrow.

Cholewa says, “We kind of separate ourselves where we are going to take an approach by not coming into your home and telling you that you have one fix and one solution. They get to choose what types of work. We are going to provide that level of service. 

“By the time we leave your home, you know everything that’s going on with your plumbing system before we walk out. And make the choice of the work you wanted to do versus us pushing something on you.”