Clever Business Taglines: 30+ Real Examples From Plumbers, Roofers and Other Local Trades
30+ real taglines from plumbers, septic companies, roofers, HVAC, electricians, pest control and other local businesses, why they work, and how to write and print your own.
By Brandly Team
Inspiration
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A memorable tagline is short (three to eight words), says what you do or what you promise, and has a twist people repeat: a pun on the trade, a play on your name, or a promise like “Is today soon enough?” Some of the best come from local trades. A Southern California plumber calls itself “The Smell Good Plumbers,” an Anaheim plumber says “If water goes through it, we do it,” and septic companies across the country claim to be “No. 1 in the No. 2 business.” Below are more than 30 real examples, and how to write and print your own.
National brands spend millions on slogans. Some of the cleverest lines in America are written by plumbers, roofers and pest control companies, and printed on a truck, a fridge magnet and the back of a business card.
Those businesses have a few seconds to be remembered: the time it takes a homeowner to read a van at a red light, or to find a magnet on the fridge when the basement floods. A good tagline does that job.
The magnets in the image above are made up. Every tagline below is real, with a link to where we found it.
What makes a tagline memorable
| Technique | Example | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Say what you do | “If water goes through it, we do it” | Covers the whole service list in seven words |
| Play on your name | “Ring the King” | Impossible to forget, and impossible to copy |
| Make a promise | “Is today soon enough?” | Answers the customer’s real question |
| Pun on the trade | “Overhead that pays” | Makes people read it twice |
| Picture the customer | “The plumber you’d send to your mom’s house” | Sells trust, not pipes |
Tagline vs. slogan
The two words are often used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, a tagline sits with your logo and stays the same for years. A slogan is usually tied to a campaign and changes more often. For a local business, the tagline is the one that matters, because it’s printed on everything you hand out.
Real taglines from local businesses
Septic and portable toilets
No trade has more fun with its taglines.
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “We’re No. 1 in the No. 2 business” | Blow Bros., Old Orchard Beach, Maine (Press Herald), and many others | The industry classic. It’s shared so widely that no one company owns it |
| “In the world of portable bathrooms, we’re number one. But we don’t mind number two.” | American SaniCan, Portland, Ore. | Takes the classic pun and makes it their own |
| “You dump it, we pump it” | Cunningham Septic Pumping, Bruceton Mills, W.Va. (Pumper) | Rhymes, and says exactly what they do |
Plumbing and drain cleaning
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “The Smell Good Plumbers” | Mike Diamond Services, Southern California | A promise nobody expects from a plumber |
| “The plumber you’d send to your Mom’s house” | Dutton Plumbing, Simi Valley, Calif. (PM) | Trust, in one sentence |
| “If water goes through it, we do it” | Splash Plumbing, Anaheim, Calif. (PM) | Defines the whole job |
| “Don’t call the average Joe, call NixCo” | NixCo Plumbing, Mason, Ohio (PM) | Rhymes, and puts the name in the line |
| “Is Today Soon Enough?” | Precision Plumbing Services, Lombard, Ill. (PM, 2007) | Answers the first question every customer asks |
| “The Best Hand in the Game” | Royal Flush Plumbing (Cleaner) | A poker pun that matches the name and a five-card logo |
| “Call the best, flush the rest!” | Registered by a plumbing company (trademark record) | Rhymes. Variations are used by several plumbers |
Heating and air conditioning
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “Ring the King” | Harrell King Heating and Air, Bainbridge, Ga. (ACHR News) | Three words, a rhyme and the owner’s name |
| “The Snyderman Can” | Snyder Heating & Air Conditioning, Jacksonville, Fla. (ACHR News) | A play on the name that sounds like a promise |
| “If it heats, cools or freezes, we fix it” | Filed as a trademark by an HVAC and refrigeration company (record) | Lists every job without a list |
| “Don’t sweat it” | Filed as a trademark by several HVAC companies over the years (record) | Reassuring, and on topic. Common, so hard to own |
Electricians
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “If it’s got a wire, we’re for hire!” | Filed as a trademark by an electrical company (record) | A rhyme that defines the service |
| “Shockingly Smart” | U.S. Electric & Communications (trademark filing) | A trade pun in two words |
Pest control
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “You’ve Seen Our Yellow Trucks” | Twin Boro Termite & Pest Control, N.J. (PCT) | The trucks are the brand, so the tagline points at them |
| “Bug Us!” | Beebe’s Pest & Termite Control (trademark filing) | Two words, an invitation and a pun |
| “Terminix Terminates Termites” | Terminix’s original slogan (PCT) | Alliteration that says exactly what they do |
Roofing
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “For a hole in your roof or a whole new roof” | Filed as a trademark by a roofing company (record) | A pun that covers repairs and replacements |
| “Overhead That Pays” | Kerberg Roofing (trademark) | A double meaning aimed at business owners |
| “Here today. Dry forever.” | Forever Dry Roofing (Roofing Contractor, 2010) | A twist on “here today, gone tomorrow” |
Tree service, concrete and paving
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “We’ll go out on a limb for you!” | Arborist, LLC, and other tree services | The obvious pun, used by many, but it fits |
| “…Can’t beat our concrete!” | Kowalski Concrete (trademark) | A play on “can’t beat” for a material you can’t beat |
| “Pouring Quality, Every Time” | In-Line Concrete, Ind. (Towne Post) | Plain, but specific to the trade |
| “Find a hole and fill it” | Widely shared as a paving joke | Says exactly what a paver does. We couldn’t find a company that actually uses it, and the double meaning won’t suit every audience |
Painting, moving and cleaning
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “We take the pain out of painting” | Raap’s Painting, San Tan Valley, Ariz. (Thumbtack), and other painters | A pun hiding inside the trade’s own name |
| “Lifting sofas… and spirits.” | Square Cow Movers, Austin, Texas | Turns a heavy job into a friendly one |
| “Your dirt is our business” | Filed as a trademark by a cleaning company (record) | A twist on “none of your business” |
| “If you have a pooper, we’ll send the scooper!” | N.O. Doody Pet Waste Disposal, New Orleans (BringFido) | Rhymes, and you know exactly what they do |
Professional services
Clever taglines aren’t just for trucks. B2B firms use them too, usually with less toilet humor.
| Tagline | Who uses it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| “Big firm capability. Small firm personality.” | The Bonadio Group, accounting, N.Y. (Accounting Today) | Answers the main worry about choosing a mid-size firm |
| “Type (A)typical” | Macias Gini & O’Connell, accounting, Calif. (Accounting Today) | A joke about accountants, told by accountants |
| “We speak Normal Speak, not ‘Nerd Speak’” | Nerds On Site, IT support | Promises to fix the most common complaint about IT help |
Borrowed lines and shared puns
Two warnings from the examples above:
- Shared puns are hard to own. “No. 1 in the No. 2 business,” “Don’t sweat it” and “We’ve got you covered” are used by so many companies that they won’t set you apart. Some versions are also registered trademarks, so check before you print.
- Famous lines belong to someone else. A Georgia pest control company won a truck wrap contest with “Who ya gonna call?” (PCT), but the line comes from Ghostbusters. Borrowing a famous line from a movie or a big brand can get you a letter from its lawyers. Write your own.
How to write your own tagline
- List what customers say about you. Reviews are full of tagline material: “showed up the same day,” “left the house cleaner than they found it.”
- Pick one idea. Speed, trust, price, a guarantee or a sense of humor. Not all five.
- Try the formulas above. Write a version that says what you do, one that plays on your name, one that makes a promise and one that’s a pun on the trade.
- Keep it short. Three to eight words. If it doesn’t fit on one line of a business card, cut it.
- Read it aloud. The best taglines sound like something a customer would repeat.
- Check the double meanings. Ask a few people, including someone outside your trade.
- Search the USPTO trademark database before you print a thousand cards.
Where to put your tagline
A tagline only works if people see it, so put it everywhere, with the same wording:
- Business cards: under the logo on the front, or large on the back. See what to put on a business card.
- Magnet business cards: a magnet on the fridge is still there when the basement floods. Brandly prints business card magnets by request.
- Stickers: a sticker with your tagline and phone number on the water heater or furnace is where the next customer looks.
- Letterhead, envelopes and invoices: your tagline under the logo on every page. See letterhead, envelopes and more.
- Flyers and rack cards: for open houses, hardware stores and community boards.
- Your trucks, website, email signature and social profiles.
On a business card, keep the tagline big enough to read at arm’s length, and give it room. A tagline squeezed between the phone number and the website disappears. See how to design a business card.
- Three to eight words.
- Says what you do or what you promise.
- Has a twist: a pun, a rhyme, your name or a bold promise.
- Clean enough for every customer.
- Not a famous line from a movie or a big brand.
- Checked in the USPTO trademark database.
- Printed the same way everywhere: cards, magnets, stickers, letterhead, trucks and website.
Business tagline FAQs
What's the difference between a tagline and a slogan?
People often use the words interchangeably. A tagline usually sits with the logo and stays the same for years, like “The Smell Good Plumbers.” A slogan is usually tied to a campaign and changes more often. For a local business, the tagline is the one to get right, because it goes on every card, truck and invoice.
How long should a tagline be?
Short enough to read in a glance, usually three to eight words. Most of the memorable lines in this post fit on one line of a business card.
Should a business tagline be funny?
It can be. Humor works well for trades, because it makes a plumber or septic company memorable without being pushy. Keep it clean enough that you’d be comfortable with any customer reading it, and make sure it still tells people what you do.
Can I use a tagline that other companies use?
Common puns like “We’re No. 1 in the No. 2 business” are used by many companies, so they’re hard to own. Some taglines are registered trademarks, so search the USPTO trademark database before you print. Avoid famous lines from movies and big brands.
Where should I put my tagline?
Under your logo on business cards, letterhead and invoices, on the back of your card in large type, on magnets and stickers you leave with customers, and on your trucks, website and social profiles. Use the same wording everywhere.
Should I trademark my tagline?
Many businesses do, especially if the tagline is unique and central to their brand. A trademark attorney can tell you whether yours can be registered.
The takeaway
The best taglines are short, specific and a little surprising. Plumbers, roofers, septic companies and pest control firms prove you don’t need a national ad budget to write one people remember. Say what you do, add a twist, keep it clean and check that nobody else owns it. Then put it on every card, magnet and invoice you hand out, so it’s there the moment a customer needs you.
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