Service Plumbing & Systems Blog

Plumbing Articles from Tacoma, WA

11 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Plumbing Service

Uncategorized

Hiring a Plumbing Service

Are your pipes at home leaking and in need of a serious fix? Do you want to hire a plumber who you know can do the job well? How much is a plumber going to cost for the repair of your sink or bathtub?

Before you hire a plumbing service, there are a lot of things you need to consider first. In this guide, we’ll teach you what to ask a plumber and what to look for in a plumbing service. Keep reading to learn more.

1. License and Certifications of the Plumbing Service

This is the basics of How to Hire a Plumber 101. Before anything else, find out if the plumber has the proper certification to operate. Also, don’t stop at the question. Ask to see the certification, which the plumber always needs to have on-hand.

2. Experience of the Plumber

How long has the plumber been in the industry? You can tell from his answer if he knows plumbing basics and advanced knowledge. Experience is the best teacher as well as the best way to tell if you’re hiring a pro.

If you’re talking to a plumbing company, they’ll have a roster of plumbers with years of experience. Feel free to ask about certain plumbers. Also, don’t hesitate to ask the plumber how long he’s worked in the industry.

3. Warranty or Contract to Cover Breaks or Other Problems

The advantages of hiring a plumbing service include avoiding accidents or mistakes from DIY plumbing. However, even expert plumbers make mistakes. When they break something by accident, ask them who will cover the expenses. Put it into a contract.

Plumbers also guarantee the quality of their work with a warranty. Some have a 1-year warranty to cover their products or works. If the plumber offers a warranty, always make sure you get it in writing.

4. Get an Estimate of the Total Cost

What is the cost of plumbing service, you’re wondering? Don’t stew too long in your thoughts. Ask a plumber instead.

This way, you know how much it’ll cost you or your homeowners’ insurance. Leaking plumbing and appliance leaks are water damages covered by homeowners’ insurance.

5. Rates: Per Hour or Flat Rate?

Speaking of payments, don’t forget to ask if the plumber’s rates are flat rates or hourly. Flat rates give you a sense of the costs because they won’t change. Hourly rates tend to differ depending on how long it’ll take the plumber to finish the job.

Hiring plumbers at a per-hour rate is sensible if the job won’t take too long. However, if fixing your plumbing will take a while, you’ll pay more than what you expected. Before you sign anything, be familiar with how much work the plumber has to do and how long it’ll take.

6. Payment Due Date

When does the plumber expect to get the full payment for the services given? How much do you need to give upfront? Some plumbers use a pay-as-you-go system while others use a per-week basis. For quick fixes, you can pay the total cost by the end of the workday.

Remember to never give 100% of the plumbing and labor costs upfront. That’ll be a problem if the person you gave your payment to is a scammer. Agree to pay a percentage upfront, but not the total cost.

7. Who Will Do the Plumbing?

Don’t expect that the plumber you’re communicating with will be the one you’ll welcome into your house. Find out who will fix the plumbing in your home. You may open your door to a team of plumbers or one plumber when it’s time to repair your plumbing.

If the person you ask isn’t the one who’ll do the job, ask who will. If you don’t feel comfortable with the details in his answer, consider other companies. The plumber needs to make you feel that the person who’ll do the actual work has the necessary skills.

8. Is the Plumber Lacking Parts and Permits?

Sometimes your plumbing system needs special parts. Some contractors or plumbers have a stock of these parts in their trucks or vans. Others need to go to the hardware store first before they can get started on fixing your plumbing.

If they need to drive to the store to buy parts, ask the plumber who will pay for that time. Depending on the plumbing codes in your area, you may need to get permits before any work gets done. Ask if the plumber can get the necessary permits.

9. Inquire About Emergency Services

Imagine having to go to the toilet but stopping when you hear it gurgle. Imagine being in the middle of your shower when you realize that the water isn’t draining. Emergency plumbing problems tend to show up at the most inconvenient of times.

Ask the plumber if he offers 24-hour emergency services. However, emergency plumbing may be costly. Thus, saving up for emergency plumbing services is always a wise move.

10. Is Cleanup Part of the Service?

It may come as surprising to you when you learn after the work gets done that the plumbers won’t do the cleanup.

This will differ depending on the plumbing service. Some contractors include it in their package while others will leave you to take care of their mess. You may learn that some companies will charge an extra fee for cleaning up.

11. Consider Checking Customer Reviews or Referrals

A big step in learning how to hire a plumbing service is to check customer reviews and referrals. Most plumbing services have a website or online page. Look for the review or testimonials page on these websites.

If you’re considering the plumbing services, you’d want to find positive reviews on their page. If you see a lot of negative reviews about their services, then it’d be wise to look elsewhere. Also, if the plumber or contractor doesn’t have a website, you may find their brand on forums instead.

Find the Right Plumbing Service

That’s the end of our guide on the things you need to consider before you hire a plumbing service. Next time you need a plumber, ask these questions. It’ll help you learn more about the quality of their plumbing and customer services.

Do you want to know about the questions you need to ask gasfitters before you hire them? Check out our blog for the considerations before hiring gasfitters and more. If you need a trusted and insured plumber, feel free to contact us to find out more.

Request Quote Online

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Quote Online

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Serving Tacoma, Lakewood, Auburn, & South Seattle Area

FREE ESTIMATES

City-of-Tacoma-WA
See-Service-Plumbing-Reviews-on-Yelp
Same-Day-Tacoma-Plumbing-Service
Service-Plumbing-Tacoma-Accepts-Credit-Cards

service plumbing

Full Service Plumbing Tacoma, Washington

Service Plumbing & Systems
1613 112th St S
Tacoma, WA 98444
(253) 777-4525
or Send Us an Email Here.

© 2016-2024 ServicePlumbingTacoma.com
– All rights reserved. –

Information on this website may not be re-used without prior written consent from Service Plumbing & Systems.

QUICK LINKS

HOURS & LICENSE INFO

Monday-Saturday: 8:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday: Closed Normal Appointments
Emergency Client Service Available

Washington Licensed, Bonded, Insured
Washington Plumbing License #SERVIPR893MM

Click Here to Verify Our License

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This