choosing the right plumber Archives

There are a lot of things that can go wrong with the plumbing in your home or office. Most of these are problems you don’t even know exist, speak less of how to prevent or fix them. But choosing the right professional plumber can ensure the longevity and efficiency of your plumbing.

As Crossroads Property Management says, a good plumber helps your plumbing work efficiently, improves your quality of life and saves you a lot of money. That is because issues in your plumbing can directly impact your comfort and the sanitation of your surroundings; they affect your health and well-being.

Plumbing problems can also result in massive damage to your building. Undetected or poorly-resolved plumbing issues will damage walls, ceilings and flooring. If those issues are allowed to go on long enough, they can weaken the building’s foundation and eventually hurt the property’s value.

The way to prevent these problems is to ensure that the plumber responsible for maintaining the function of your plumbing systems is top-notch. But with so many plumbers, how can you know that the plumber you intend to hire is the best for your building?

This post will help you answer that question.

Factors to consider when choosing a professional plumber

Company location

The first thing to check is whether this is a local plumbing company or a national chain. National chains have all the right experts and up-to-date equipment, but they often lack the personal touch that comes with a local plumber. Managing a building’s plumbing requires the plumber to develop an intimate knowledge of the system. That only happens if the same plumber is handling the plumbing for a long time. It is usually not possible with a national chain. Moreover, local plumbers are quicker to respond to emergencies, and they are more flexible.

A reputable plumber should have no problems showing you their credentials. The right plumber should be adequately licensed to practice in your locality.

Licensing and insurance

A reputable plumber should have no problems showing you their credentials. The right plumber should be adequately licensed to practice in your locality. In addition to having the proper professional training and certifications, their affiliations also matter. It is best if they are a recognized member of the local chapter of their professional body. Having strategic partnerships with key suppliers and organizations in the building industry is a plus. You should expect the plumber to have adequate insurance and to be able to provide proof of this. They must have workers’ compensation, liability and property insurance. A plumber who is bonded is a big plus.

Reputation: reviews, references and referrals

One reason to hire a local plumber is because you can easily verify their information. Ask the plumber for a list of old and existing customers to serve as references. These people should live in your locality and must be genuine customers. You also want to see what the online community thinks of the plumber’s services. Look out for negative customer reviews and how the plumber handles them.

Experience

The plumber’s experience counts more than their licenses and certifications. Experience matters because it takes time to understand the plumbing issues common to buildings in a specific locality. It is easier to verify the credentials and reputation of a plumber if they have been operating within the same locality for a long time. A new outfit should not be trusted unless this is an established plumber who has just started their own company.

Type of plumbing services offered

Only hire a plumber if they have expertise in plumbing systems similar to yours. If you are trying to solve problems in a residential plumbing system, do not hire a commercial plumber, and vice versa. What are the common issues that happen in your plumbing? If you need drain cleaning services, sewer line replacement, water heater replacement, or leak detection services, ensure they have expertise in that area.

Your preferred plumber should have clear answers about availability and average response times.

Emergency services

Can you call the plumber if you have a burst pipe emergency in the middle of the night? What plumbing emergencies will they not handle? The plumber should have expertise across the entire spectrum of plumbing emergencies. If they do offer emergency plumbing services, what is their average response time? Your preferred plumber should have clear answers about availability and average response times. There should be phone numbers where you can contact them quickly.

Cost and payment options

How do they charge for their services? How do their fees compare to those of other plumbers? What are their payment terms and the payment options available to you? Will you get a detailed written estimate binding on them before they commence a job? Will they accept credit card payments, or do they require cash payments? Avoid plumbers who want you to pay upfront or in cash.

Finally, when looking to hire a professional plumber, you want to talk to at least three plumbing companies. Evaluate all three companies using the criteria listed above and choose the one that best meets your needs.

You will only know the importance of finding a competent local plumber once you have had an unqualified plumber mess up the plumbing in your home. Plumbing emergencies are one of the worst problems to have in the house. Issues like water heater malfunctions, burst or frozen pipe emergencies, or an overflowing toilet can grind your entire household to a halt.

When you have a plumbing emergency in your home, Advantage Properties advises you want to be sure the person you hire to fix it knows what they are doing. However, in most cities in the USA, there is a surplus of plumbers, but finding the right one can be very difficult. It does not make it easier as incompetent plumbers often charge less than capable ones.

A dishonest plumber can do this because they will use substandard materials and methods. Additionally, they spend fewer hours on a job, so homeowners’ labor costs are lower. But the allure of that cheap patch-up job fades when the home’s plumbing fails, and the cost of fixing it is several times more than the money saved.

How can you identify an incompetent plumber and avoid the harm that person can do to your home’s plumbing and finances? Before you hire any old “plumber near me” to work in your home, check for the following seven things. An honest and competent plumber will not have any difficulties satisfying the opposite of the listed conditions.

New plumbing companies

If a plumber is inexperienced, you don’t want them messing with your home’s plumbing. Avoid newly established plumbing companies. That new company may be a fly-by-night operation that just rolled into town. If a company doesn’t have roots in the area, it can easily pack up and leave. Unless the principal of the new plumbing company can show a track record of having worked with another reputable plumber, don’t hire them.

Plumbers without an up-to-date license

A plumber needs to be licensed to work in the municipality. But more than having a license is required; the license must be up to date. You should be able to verify their registration status with the local government and the local chapter of their professional body. Also, you want the plumber to have expertise working with homes like yours. Even if they are legit, hire someone other than a plumber who specializes in commercial plumbing systems for your residential plumbing repair issues.

A plumber who does not have enough reviews or references

A local plumber should be able to furnish you with sufficient references. If the plumber has experience working in the area and is as good as they claim, it should be easy to give you a list of past or current customers. Only hire a plumber if they provide out-of-town references or if the references are good. Do not hire a plumber if they don’t have an online footprint or if all the online reviews are positive.

Plumbers who don’t have enough insurance

Even good plumbers make mistakes, but the best plumbers always prepare for that possibility. Avoid a plumber if they do not have sufficient insurance. At a minimum, the plumber should have enough insurance to cover employees injured on the job, protect you from liability and cover your losses if your property is damaged. Avoid a plumber who will not let you verify the extent of their coverage with their insurer.

A plumber who doesn’t employ licensed tradesmen

Avoid a plumbing company if they don’t have licensed tradesmen on their payroll. Plumbing systems are delicate; the massive damage that can result from a minor error by an incompetent worker is something you want to avoid. Even if the owner is qualified, the lack of experienced hands could lead to long wait times. You want to know that the company can deploy a trained plumber to your home in an emergency.

Plumbers who don’t offer guarantees and warranties

If the plumber can’t give clear-cut answers about what they will do if there is a problem with a job they did for you, avoid that plumbing company. You want a plumber who offers guarantees on the parts they used in your system, plus on the labor. If the plumber does not guarantee that something goes wrong with the job within a specific timeframe and that they will fix it at no cost to you; you don’t want to hire them.

Plumbers who will not put it into writing

If a plumber wants the contract to be verbal and hesitates to put it on paper, they cannot be trusted. Your arrangement with a plumber should not be over the phone. That is subject to change and there is no way to prove what you agreed with the company. All agreements should be documented and both parties should agree on the meaning of every aspect of the contract. If anything, please do not work with that plumber.

These seven simple tips should save you the inconvenience of hiring a less than adequate plumber and will save you a ton of money in the long run.

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Choosing the Right Plumbing Professional: Factors to Consider for Reliable and Efficient Service