Humble Beginnings
About O’Sheas Plumbing,
a Plumbing Company in Swannanoa
In Buncombe County’s hills, a lot of plumbing is uphill work. That’s the everyday job for us in Swannanoa.
Sometimes the thing you’ve been looking for is right in front of you.
When I was a teenager, I wanted stuff in my house that meant getting a job. My friend’s dad was a plumber, and he gave me a shot.
That was 23 years ago. I’ll always be grateful for what he did because it helped me more than he’ll ever know.
After high school, I joined the Marines, and when I got out, I had a big decision to make. What’s next?
At the time, there were only two things I was sure of: I didn’t want to work in an office, and I liked fixing things. So I called my friend’s dad and got to work.
We did a lot of commercial work in all sorts of places, and we did a lot more than just unclog drains. Every day there were new problems to solve, and soon I was ready to go out on my own.
I had gotten my Master Plumber’s License in 2019, but it took a few more years of saving my pennies before I was ready. Not once have I regretted that decision, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of sleepless nights.
To say I got off to a great start would be a lie. I had plenty of tools, but I was driving a rental car and betting on Craigslist ads to make the phone ring.
My plan was to work hard, do great work, and hopefully grow the business on word of mouth. I showed up on time, answered questions in plain English, and never passed on a late-night call no matter how tired I was.
Things picked up. The plan was working. Until it didn’t. In 2024, a hurricane took the truck I could finally afford along with all my tools. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, the insurance company denied my claim.
That was a real kick in the nuts. Starting over was never the plan, but when you don’t have a choice, you don’t have a choice.
Luckily, this time was different. I had some momentum, customers were sharing my number, and soon things started to get back on track.
We’ve been growing ever since, and we’re busier than ever, which is something I’ll never get tired of typing.
If the idea of having a plumber you can trust and who always shoots you straight sounds good, just think how nice it’ll be when you see I’m not kidding.
Sincerely,
Always ready for tough problems
Because there’s only one way to do the right thing
Meet Ian O’Shea, Owner and Plumber
As owner-operator, Ian runs the business and is on site for every job. He’s a licensed master plumber with a Plumbing Class I Contractor license.
Local
You’re not just customers, you’re our neighbors
Veteran Owned
We do it right the first time because that’s all we know
Zero Excuses
Nobody likes excuses, so you won’t get any from us
Did you know?
Swannanoa was once home to the largest blanket-producing plant in the country, with 13 acres of floor. The Owen family’s company built it in 1925 and had moved all its New Bedford work there by 1933. It burned in 2003, and the old mill site’s now planned as a bike park.
Questions & Answers
Questions About Our Plumbing Company in Swannanoa
Ian O’Shea owns O’Sheas Plumbing and runs it as an owner-operator out of Swannanoa. He’s a licensed master plumber who holds a Plumbing Class I Contractor license, and he’s the one on your job. He’s on site for and supervises every job the company takes.
Ian has been in the trade since 2003 and licensed since 2019, and he’s run O’Sheas Plumbing in Swannanoa since 2021. His years in the trade include commercial work for another plumber before he went out on his own. That’s more than 20 years of hands-on plumbing.
Yes. Ian O’Shea holds NC Plumbing Class I Contractor license L.34576 from the NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors. O’Sheas Plumbing is insured and based in Swannanoa. A state license like this one is good across Buncombe County and the rest of North Carolina.
In North Carolina, Plumbing Class I covers water and drain piping in any building, whether residential, commercial or industrial. Class II is limited to single-family detached homes. Class I is the state’s unrestricted plumbing contractor class, which is why Ian can take a Grovemont house or a commercial building in downtown Asheville. The board also includes fuel piping privileges with plumbing licenses.
It means the person who owns the company is the plumber on your job. At O’Sheas Plumbing, Ian is on site for and supervises every job around Swannanoa. Daniel Hernandez put it this way in his review: “Ian was professional with the work throughout.”
Swannanoa homeowners can check any plumber on the state plumbing board’s public search at public.nclicensing.org. You can search by license number, company name or last name. For O’Sheas Plumbing, search L.34576 or the last name O’Shea. A real record shows the license class, the holder and the status, so ask any plumber for theirs before work starts.
Both. Ian works in homes and businesses around Swannanoa and Asheville, and his Class I license covers both. One South Asheville customer has had a water heater, a sewage pump, a basement repipe and a gas line extension done. He wrote, “I have relied on Ian & O’Shea Plumbing since I purchased my home in S. Asheville.”
Before he started O’Sheas Plumbing in Swannanoa, Ian did commercial plumbing in hospital surgical rooms while working for another plumber. That work leaves no room for sloppy piping or shortcuts. He brings the same standard to homes and businesses around Swannanoa today.
O’Sheas Plumbing holds 5-star Google reviews. Zane Williams wrote that he was “very impressed with the quality of work and professionalism throughout the process.” BDC Coatings kept it short: “Best Services! Definitely Recommended.”
Swannanoa is home base for O’Sheas Plumbing, in Buncombe County right between Asheville and Black Mountain. It’s a service-area business, so Ian comes to you rather than working out of a storefront. Around Swannanoa, he covers Asheville, Black Mountain, Fairview, Woodfin, Arden and nearby communities.
Always ready for tough problems
Do something nice for your pipes
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Copyright © 2026 O’Sheas Plumbing · Ian O’Shea, Licensed Plumber NC Plumbing Class I Contractor L.34576 · 150 Old Lytle Cove Rd, Swannanoa, NC 28778