In an ideal world, you will have a plumber already researched and chosen before an emergency plumbing situation happens. In reality, plumbing problems usually catch us by surprise. When you need an emergency plumber, finding a good one is crucial. Knowing what to look for will help you make a quick decision, and even more so will help make sure the job gets done right the first time.
There are a few avenues through which you can find a plumber. Recommendations from trusted friends and neighbors or your real estate agent are ideal. You will know how the plumber works and can verify that he’s done good work in the past. If you don’t have anyone who can give you a good recommendation, find plumbers near you through the internet.
Without someone you trust to verify the plumbers work, you will have to do a little legwork. Even if you need a plumber right away, take a 30 minutes to read up on each one you find.
What to look for:
1. Like with any other contractor, you should only hire a licensed plumber. Without a license, the plumber’s credentials are unverifiable, and more likely than not, they will show the same level of attention to your job as they did to their business.
2. Verify that the plumber is insured. To get licensed, a plumbing business must secure insurance but always make sure. An uninsured plumber can sue you if he gets hurt while working a job at your home.
3. Do they guarantee their work? It is an industry standard to verify labor and parts. Be wary of any plumber that does not offer any type of guarantee.
4. Check to see if the company has any awards or professional affiliations. Both point to a plumber who not only has been in business for a while but has done a good job of it during that time.
5. Call the company and take note of who answers the phone. A reliable plumber will be easy to get ahold of and will have a secretary answering a phone for him if he is unable to answer his cell phone.
6. Get quotes for your plumbing problem from at least 3 plumbers, but preferably more. If a company offers you a quote far lower than other companies you’ve called, be careful. It’s likely that they are either using sub par materials or are not including the full scope of the project.
7. Always ask what is provided for the quoted price.
8. A reputable plumber will not only provide you with a quote and upon request will give you a price ceiling if the problem goes beyond what expected. If the plumber can’t give you a quote over the phone because of the type of damage, ask for a “worst-case-scenario” quote.
9. Find customer reviews of each company online to check the quality of the plumber and his work. Yelp is a great source of customer reviews, but it’s also a great idea to check a more reliable source like the Better Business Bureau before coming to a conclusion. Remember, no one’s perfect so a few bad reviews shouldn’t be a deal breaker. However, if the majority of the reviews are bad or the few bad ones are terrifyingly bad, keep looking.
Whether you are preparing yourself for future problems, responding to an emergency, or looking for new plumbing installed in your home, take the time to research plumbers before you decide on one. Often, you get what you pay for with plumbers but price is not the best way to evaluate a plumbers credentials. This is one part of your home that you definitely do not want done wrong or cheaply. Be as thorough as time allows, and get it done right.
If you are looking to buy or sell your home, contact a First Team office near you to find the right real estate agent for you and your home.
