The wastage of water is a common issue that has been discussed for years now. According to the environmental protection agency, plumbing issues result in loss trillion liters of water worth of over six billion dollars per year. The agency also suggests that four out of every household has problems such as leaking faucets, running toilets, damaged stelflow cylinders, among other plumbing related issues. The damages mostly result from poor plumbing by unqualified plumbers.
How do you determine the best plumber for your projects? Here are some of the best tips to consider before hiring plumbers.
Things to Consider Before Hiring Plumbers
1, Insurance and bond
While plumbing is critical, you should ensure that the plumber you are considering is insured. You should also check if your prospect is bonded. Hiring bonded and insured plumbers help in minimizing losses and additional expenses that you may incur from either poorly completed jobs or damages in case of an emergency.
Incases a plumber is injured at the project site, the insurance company should cover all necessary medication fees. If you hire an uninsured plumber and get hurt in the site, you will be liable for his treatment. Also, if the plumber is insured, the insurance company should cover for the damages that may result from the plumber’s action. You, therefore, do not risk losing your money on repairing damaged properties
In addition to that, if the plumber is bonded, and the quality of services does not meet the regulatory board requirements, the surety bond should cover all the repair costs. Besides, if you are not satisfied with the result, the bond should cover the expenses you incur during the contract.
2. Legal Compliance
While plumbing is critical, plumbers should attain specific qualifications in education and training to be authorized to undertake any project. After achieving all the requirements, the plumber gets a license to certify that he is competent in the plumbing business. In almost all states, plumbers should continue updating their licenses to show that they meet all the current rules and regulations that govern plumbing works.
Hiring plumbers who do not meet all legal compliance may lead to severe consequences such as fire and breakages. The regulatory board may also require you to remove or undo the work, which is a loss on your side. In addition to undoing, the board may fine you for hiring unqualified plumbers. You should, therefore, ensure that the plumber you hire is authorized and has all legal documentation.
You can check the validity of your plumber’s certificates from your state’s official website.
3. Expertise
Plumbing is a complex profession. And various plumbers specialize in different plumbing services.
To hire an ideal plumber, you should evaluate your needs. If, for example, you want to install a hot water system, you should consider hiring plumber who specializes in hot water installation. Hiring a plumber with specific specialization can guarantee quality services.
4. Experience
Experience is a crucial determinant of the quality of work in any profession. A plumber who has worked with different clients poses better chances of providing quality work in time. Therefore while considering other aspects, you should also consider hiring a plumber with several years of experience.
5. Reputation
Although years of experience are an essential qualification, it does not always guarantee the best results. A plumber with a year in the business might provide better services than a contractor with several years of experience.
It is therefore advisable to check the plumber’s reputation before hiring him. You can ask friends and relatives about him. You can also research online about the plumber you are considering. Check the feedbacks and reviews from the plumbers’ website or review sites and see what previous clients experienced with your prospective plumber. Ensure that positive reviews outweigh negatives.
6. Warranty /Guarantee
Does your plumber guarantee the completion of the project within the stipulated time?
What period does the plumber offer as a warranty in case anything happens?
What does the warranty cover?
Ensure to ask about the guarantee and warranty your prospective plumber provides. Most plumbing companies offer 3-12 months of warranty that covers repairs and other expenses that may arise from the plumber’s actions within the warranty period.
You should also ensure that all agreements related to warranty and guarantees are documented.
7. Service Cost
The price of services is also an essential factor to consider before hiring a plumber. You do not want to pay more than you should pay for the services you need.
Professional plumbers should visit the project site, evaluate the work, and provide a written quotation. Most plumbing companies offer the estimation service free of charge. Ensure to ask if your plumber charges to visit the site for price estimation.
Always ensure to work with a documented price quotation.
In addition to that, ensure to ask if the quoted price is the total cost of the project, labor cost included. It would be best if you also discussed the standpoint of the total amount in the quotation document in case of more complications in the project.
Conclusion
Finding the right plumber is very challenging. And hiring an inappropriate plumber can cost you a significant deal in terms of money and time. It is, therefore, best verse yourself with all the discussed tips to ensure that you hire ideal plumbers.
