Having a plumbing emergency in your home can be a chaotic experience. Because we rely so heavily on our home’s plumbing to work effectively, it’s imperative that you have a good-quality plumber get the job quickly.
Because many homeowners are so frazzled when their plumbing stops working, it’s easy for them to get taken advantage of or go with the first choice they find, not the best choice.
But by knowing how to find a reasonable and good-quality plumber, you can expedite your search and cut right to your plumbing issues being solved.
Continue reading and we’ll walk you through how to find the right person to help you with your home’s plumber work.
Ask Around
You should never just search online for “nearest plumber” and then hire the first one that comes up. Instead, you should go with a professional who comes highly recommended.
You can do this by asking friends and family matters who hold opinions that you trust. Ask these people what they liked about the plumber, if they would hire that person again, and how much did it cost them.
By knowing the average plumber costs in your area, you can make sure that you’re finding a fair price.
And if you’re not satisfied with your findings, then you should turn to the internet. There is a trove of resources online that are dedicated to reviewing companies that perform services such as plumbing.
These websites are great because the reviews come from real customers and are many times detailed and even include photos.
Of course, you have to be careful also when reading online reviews. Many of these review sites leave out the “silent majority” – these are customers who didn’t feel compelled to write a review.
Many times online, reviews come from people who either absolutely loved or hated the service that they got and this can create a distorted view of the plumber’s quality.
Although, if there are many reviews that are overwhelmingly negative, it’s probably best to stay away.
See if They’re Associated with the Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an organization that grades businesses on how trustworthy they are. If the plumbing service you want to hire has a low grade with the BBB, it may be worth considering another company.
Check Out Their Qualifications
When you’re looking for a reputable plumber, you want to make sure that they are insured, bonded, and licensed. This is going to protect and your property should something go wrong on the job.
State licensing for plumbers is required in every state except Missouri, New York, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania.
You don’t want to have to end up paying should the plumber injure himself while fixing your sink.
Ask the plumbing company what sort of certifications do they hold and also how long have they been in business. It also isn’t a bad idea to ask them how much experience they have with the specific problem you want them to fix.
Another major question you should ask them beforehand is who will be the person who’s actually going to come in and do the work. Will it be an individual or a subcontractor doing the estimate?
According to the state licensing, is this person a master plumber, a journeyman plumber, or an apprentice plumber.
It could also be helpful if you find out how the company screens its employees and if they perform background checks. After all, this person is going to be in your house and you want to make sure that you can trust them.
Pay Attention to Their Customer Service
No matter what, you should ask a couple of questions over the phone just to see how they treat you.
Do they answer your questions clearly and simply or do they use complicated jargon that essentially means nothing to you?
You’re probably going to want someone who speaks using terms that you’ll understand so you can ask better follow up questions and get tips to better maintain your home’s system.
Getting your plumbing work done but having no idea what the problem was or how it was fixed means that it could easily happen again.
A lot of plumbing services will give customers a free in-home estimate. If you get one, make sure that the quote includes the prices for both labor and parts and that you get it all in writing.
Don’t be scared to get multiple estimates. And ask questions to get more details about the total cost. Find out if they charge hourly, are there added fees, and what happens if another problem is discovered.
Get References
A reputable plumbing company should be proud of the work they do. It’s a good idea to ask them for references to recent customers that they had.
See if you can get the contact information for those customers and call them yourself. Ask those people if they were satisfied with the plumbing job and if there’s anything you should know before doing business with this company.
The Importance of Finding the Right Company for Your Plumber Work
Plumbing is something that everyone relies on but many people don’t know that much. By hiring a good-quality profession to handle your plumber work, you can get a peace of mind and satisfactory results as well.
Just make sure to do your research and be thorough.
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