There is no exact science in hiring plumbers. There are those who come to your house on time, do their job right with a cherry on top and leave you with a reasonable bill, a problem solved and a smile on your face. Unfortunately, there are also plumbers who show up late and turn in an effort that can be best described as getting the job done to get you off their backs. But in many cases, they don’t get the job done after all and worse, tack on all sorts of hidden charges on your bill. So what are those things you should look for (or avoid) when searching for plumbers? Read this article and find out.
The individual that you select for the job at hand must be a certified plumber. He should have a license number you can refer to, as this would pretty much convince you of his credibility. The same would apply for a plumbing service, as they should also have some form of certification or license number available on request. If the individual or plumbing service they work for refuse to give this information out, then something’s fishy. It would be safe to remove them from your shortlist and move on to other prospective plumbers.
You would also want to hire somebody that knows how to handle the type of repair or maintenance that you need to be done. We mention this because different plumbers offer different types of services, and while some specialize in certain areas, they may not be as conversant when it comes to other facets of plumbing work. Ask about their specialization and if they don’t appear to have many, or are seemingly trying too hard to impress you by fluffing up their credentials and touting phantom specializations, then you might as well say “next” and strike them off the list.
Thirdly, you want somebody who knows what the word “transparency” means, or at least how to put it into practice. Plumbers may offer hourly or daily rates and you need to find out what they are. Understand how these rates work and be sure you have asked about extra charges – are there any, and if there are, when do they apply? A plumber who seems to be evasive when asked the latter question would, based on our experience, be the exact kind of person who would be more than happy to garnish your bill with all sorts of additional, “hidden” costs.
The last item in this list may be the shortest, but it is certainly the most important. You want somebody who offers a warranty. Not just any warranty, though. Plumbers who offer an in-depth, complete warranty are much preferable over those who offer a standard, run-of-the-mill warranty, and definitely over those who don’t. When problems arise following repairs or maintenance, you want plumbers who will honor the terms of their warranty, not those who will act as if you never existed.
