What Rico León Really Did For A Living Before His HGTV Fame

The HGTV channel is always renovating — not just homes but the content they bring their viewers. In 2023, the network launched a new show titled "Rico to the Rescue," which featured Rico León helping homeowners out of sticky situations. Now, fans know León as a realtor and construction restoration consultant, but what was he doing before his HGTV fame?

León had worked plenty of blue-collar jobs for years before he landed his television show. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania and was always passionate about home renovation and restoration. It was his blue-collar jobs that built his "work ethic" and led him to what he does today. His own show stemmed from problems he faced when he was restoring homes. He told HGTV, "Since I've been in so many bad contractor situations myself, I want to educate homeowners about what exactly to do in every type of scenario." He went on to add, "I hope with my knowledge, I can create real solutions between contractors and homeowners. That's my new 'why.'"

León discovered his new why and the perfect career for him, thanks to HGTV, but what were the blue-collar jobs that led him to this? We're filling you in on what the HGTV star was doing for a living long before he landed his gig on the network.

We weren't lying when we said that Rico León has always been passionate about home renovation and restoration. The HGTV star has revealed that long before he landed "Rico to the Rescue," he was working blue-collar jobs. One of them was for the plumbing company Roto-Rooter. León told 5280, "When I was younger, I started working for Roto-Rooter; when they started an emergency water restoration division to address issues with water damage, sewage, and mold, I was there on day one. I did it all: I sold the job, did all the paperwork, and then physically did the work." He had revealed to HGTV that he "grew in the ranks" quickly at this position, and it wasn't long before moving onto his next role.

After working at Roto-Rooter, León transitioned into working for restoration companies, and this is where he truly learned every aspect that goes into renovating a home. He explained, "What people don't know is that it's 10 times harder to do a construction job when mortgage companies and insurance companies are involved. I had to negotiate to win the money game first." Eventually, every experience León had in the workforce led him to build his own company. Now, according to HGTV, the television star has two construction businesses located in Denver.

Rico León's previous work experience (not to mention his general life experience) have prepared him for the role he's taken on today. "Rico to the Rescue" has shown León's impressive ability to help people in terrible situations with bad contractors, getting them back on track with the home renovation process they had hoped for in the first place. Because of his past experience, he knows firsthand what it's like to get into sticky situations. As he told HGTV, "I've been through it all. On the show, I take what I've learned from [my own situations] and help mediate between the contractor and the homeowner."

Helping people understand what they should be looking for in a contractor and navigating them in the right direction brings León the most joy. He told House Digest, "The sense of relief is my sense of relief because I remember going through it myself ... It's all these little things that people don't think about. But once they have that house, it's finished ... I'm tagged out. I'm on to save somebody else." It's true, he has been saving homeowners, and viewers have enjoyed watching him getting people out of trouble — no wonder his show is titled "Rico to the Rescue." León's HGTV show has quickly become a fan favorite, and with two seasons under his belt, many are hoping for a third.