You might have found yourself googling a sentence quite similar to that title. You could be in the midst of a plumbing issue or are looking to have plumbing installed on a new property. If you’re a homeowner having the most popular plumbers on hand could save you a lot of time and unnecessary expense. You want to ask five questions when finding a plumber to guarantee that you have the right company or person for the job.
One of the first questions you want to ask of the companies you are researching is about who will be doing the worth. This might seem like the response would be a simple “Duh, the company would do the work.” but there are companies that subcontract their employees. If you find that the company you are looking to use does subcontract you can ask to see their employee’s certification and experience. When it comes to someone messing with your means of flushing a toilet, you both want to be certain everyone knows what they are doing. Another great question to ask the company is what the estimated cost is going to be. This is the biggest factor in getting your plumbing fixed and being price gouged is not fun. Shop around with different companies to get a rough estimate of what is being quoted around town. The best scenario you will encounter is that the plumbing company wants to send someone out to check out your unique situation. If it’s a simple fix you can depend on an over-the-phone quote but if you might be more comfortable having an employee come to you and personally inspect the situation. Also, when asking about the cost be sure to ask whether the cost covers labor and parts. The last thing you want is to assume you’re only paying ‘x’ and end up with a bill that is hundreds or thousands over what you initially thought was the final price. A good company will be transparent about its cost of labor as well as the cost of any needed parts to complete the job.
The third question you want to explore is whether the plumber is licensed. You don’t want some Joe Schmoe coming to your home and tinkering with the expensive plumbing lines of your home. Avoid any further damage or issues by getting proof that your plumber is a licensed one. States required that plumbers are licensed so ask the person who is willing to do your work to prove proof of their license. You also want to ask the company or plumber if they are bonded and insured. You don’t want to be legally held responsible for any injuries or accidents that may occur while they are working on your pipes. Ask that they provide proof of these documents before you begin. A final question that regards pricing is to find out if the plumber you want to work with charges by the hour or by a flat rate. A plumber or plumbing company that is transparent and honest will happy to tell you. The last thing you want is to be charged extra because you didn’t know that the plumber had an hourly charge worth hundreds of dollars!
