Lainie Paterson

Plumber, Business Owner, Women in trades influencer

You don’t see many plumbers making toilet installs look good, but then again, Lainie Paterson has never been one for ordinary. At just 22, Lainie’s a qualified plumber and a women-in-trades influencer who owns a plumbing and roofing business.

And in a full-circle moment that’s totally giving main character energy, Lainie’s dad now works for her a few days a week!

Lainie became interested in plumbing at around 8 years old, when she started helping out her Dad, also a licensed plumber, during the school holidays. By sixteen, she’d started the trade through a school pathways program. And at 17, Lainie left school behind to focus on her studies full-time. By 21, she was a qualified tradie.

Today, Lainie is building her dream. She owns a fast-growing plumbing and roofing business, putting in the (pipe) work across Victoria's Phillip Island and Bass Coast region. She has a long-term vision to grow her business into an all-female plumbing operation, providing opportunities for young women to pursue a career in the trades.

On Instagram and TikTok, Lainie shares the real behind-the-scenes of her life as a business owner. From installing toilets, fixing hot water systems, crawling under houses, and drilling, her content is part plumbing diary and part career inspo. Lainie is leading the way in showing young women that a hard hat, power tools, and an eye for detail can totally go hand in hand with skincare, surfing, and shoot days.

Lainie has partnered with numerous brands, including Blundstone, Mitre 10, Rinnai, Zadie Workwear, Two 3rds, Flexispray, and Wild Bean Café. It’s no surprise that watching a woman confidently wrangle pipe wrenches while repping your product is kinda magnetic. But Lainie is not here to play a part. She’s a fully qualified tradie who knows her stuff and isn’t afraid to show the messy, muddy, seriously impressive reality of life as a plumber.

What’s next? More collabs, cameras, and more young women realising they don’t need to sit behind a desk to build a solid career. Lainie makes plumbing look good because she is good. And for brands who want to connect with young women, hands-on workers, or anyone tired of polished perfection and ready for something real? She’s your girl.

Instagram: @plumber_gal
TikTok: @plumber_gal