“I drove up in May expecting a wet floor. Instead there was a tag on the shutoff, a text with photos, and every tap ran.”
Ashley B.Cabin near Glen Arbor
Lake houses and cabins around Traverse City
Water on in spring. Water off in fall. Nothing frozen in between.
We open, close and check second homes from Leelanau to Torch Lake, so the first weekend of the season starts with a tap that runs.
Opening and closing calendar
When we usually open and close, by shore
These are typical windows, not promises. Ice-out and the first hard freeze set the real dates, and we call you before either one.
| Fall closing | Spring opening | |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan shore: Empire, Frankfort, Benzonia | Fall closingLate October to mid November | Spring openingLate April to mid May |
| Leelanau and Grand Traverse Bay | Fall closingMid October to early November | Spring openingLate April to mid May |
| Elk Rapids to Bellaire and Torch Lake | Fall closingEarly October to late October | Spring openingEarly May to late May |
| Glen Lake and the inland lakes | Fall closingEarly October to late October | Spring openingEarly May to late May |
| Kalkaska and the inland hills | Fall closingLate September to mid October | Spring openingMid May to late May |
| A place with a dock line or sprinklers | Fall closingAdd a day or two to blow out those lines | Spring openingAdd a few days for the dock and the yard |
What a visit is
Three visits, one list each
Every visit ends with a text: photos of the shutoff, the water heater and anything that isn't right.
April to May
Spring opening
We turn the water on slowly, one fixture at a time, and watch for what winter did.
Reconnect and prime the lake or well pump
Open the main shutoff and fill the lines slowly
Run every tap, shower and toilet and look under each sink
Refill and relight the water heater
Open outdoor taps, the shower and the dock line
Tag the main shutoff with the date
October to November
Fall closing
We take the water out of the pipes, because the pipe with water in it is the one that splits.
Shut the main and drain the lines
Blow the lines out with compressed air
Put plumbing antifreeze in every trap and toilet
Drain the water heater, pump and pressure tank
Close and drain outdoor taps, hoses and the dock line
Tag the shutoff with what we did and the date
November to March
Winter check
For plan members: someone walks through while the house is cold and tells you what they saw.
Check the indoor temperature
Look at every trap and the antifreeze level
Look for drips, stains and ice at the foundation
Text you photos the same day
Call you if something is wrong
For second homes
A caretaker plan for the months you're not there
Opening in spring, closing in fall and a winter check in between, for one yearly price.
A winter check is someone walking through a cold house every week or two and sending you photos. It isn't insurance, and it doesn't heat your house. It's how a small drip gets found in January and not in May.
Spring opening and fall closing
Winter checks, every two weeks or every week
A photo report by text after every visit
A written price before any repair
Before the first visit
Four things we ask you for
None of it takes long. Most owners answer in one text.
A way in
Leave a key with us or the code to a lockbox. We only hold a key with your written OK.
Where the main shutoff is
A photo or a text is plenty. If you don't know, say so, and we'll find it and tag it.
What's hooked up
Lake pump or well, dock line, outdoor shower, irrigation, a second water heater in the boathouse. Tell us and nothing gets missed.
When you arrive
The weekend you want the water on for, so we can open a few days before it.
Coupons
Coupons for the season
Mention the coupon when you book a visit.
Your opening coupon here Put the end date and terms here. 
Your closing coupon here Put the end date and terms here. 
Your plan coupon here Put the end date and terms here.
Sample offers.
Where we go
Lakes, bays and back roads, from Frankfort to Elk Rapids
Our vans leave the shop on Woodmere Avenue and cover five counties. We group visits by shore, so a closing day is a drive up one side of the lake.
Grand Traverse County
- Traverse City
- Acme
- Williamsburg
- Interlochen
- Kingsley
Leelanau County
- Suttons Bay
- Northport
- Cedar
- Lake Leelanau
- Glen Arbor
- Empire
Benzie County
- Benzonia
- Frankfort
Antrim County
- Elk Rapids
- Bellaire
- Central Lake
Kalkaska County
- Kalkaska
We don't go north of Charlevoix or south of Cadillac. For Mackinac Island, the Upper Peninsula or the Lake Michigan shore below Manistee, call a plumber near you.
From second-home owners
What owners say after the first weekend
“They found a split fitting at the water heater during the closing and sent a price before touching it. I said yes from my phone.”
Zachary W.Lake house on Torch Lake
“We live outside Chicago. The winter check photos meant I stopped checking the forecast on every cold night.”
Radha K.Second home in Leelanau
“They told me the dock line needed two more days than the house. Nobody had ever said that to me before.”
Marek L.Cottage near Elk Rapids
Sample reviews.
Questions
Short answers before you call
How do I know you're licensed?
Our license class, the board that issued it and a link to the state's lookup are in the footer of every page. Check it there before anyone comes to your house, ours or anyone else's.
My place runs off a lake pump. Can you open it?
Yes. Lake intake lines, well pumps and pressure tanks are most of what we open. Tell us what you have and where the intake is, and we'll bring the fittings.
Do I need to be there?
No. Leave a key with us or a lockbox code, and we'll text you photos when we're done. We only hold a key with your written OK.
What does a visit cost?
The price depends on how many fixtures you have, where the water comes from, and whether there's a dock line, irrigation or a second building. We send a written price before the first visit. The yearly plans and what each includes are on the Plans page.
Will I get a price before you repair anything?
Yes. If we find a split fitting or a failed part, we shut it off, photograph it and text you a written price. Nothing gets fixed until you say yes.
How do you decide when to close?
We watch the forecast, not the calendar. When a hard freeze is coming for your shore, we close the houses on the list for that shore first.
Get on the list
Tell us where the water comes in
Send the lake or road and what you need. We call or text back in office hours.
Phone(231) 555-0100
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- SundayToday
- Closed