Hiring a plumber is one of the vital decisions that you should never take lightly. Plumbers are the people who are responsible for repairing the most vital parts of your home like water heater, faucet and toilet. If you fail to hire a good quality and experienced plumber, this can lead to few dangerous and costly repairs in the near future.
As long as hiring a plumber is concerned, there are different factors that you should look for to make sure you grab a professional who has your best interests in min. So, what are the qualifications that you should look for in a plumber before hiring him? Here are some that are worth considering.
#1: Licenses of the plumber
Majority of the states in the US demand the plumbers to have a license apart from few states like Kansas and New York which doesn’t need one. In case you reside in a state which doesn’t necessitate a license, you should check whether or not the plumber has any complaints against him which has been filed by his previous clients. If there are too many negative complaints, you should ditch that plumber and look for someone else.
#2: Length of time spent in plumbing business
You have to ask the plumber how long he has been in business. If it is a big company which has got several plumbers, it is most likely that most of them will have several years of experience but nevertheless, you still have to query about their length of time. This is a rather good sign when the company has been in business for the last few years because this will prove that it has had a good reputation.
#3: Insurance
Don’t you think that plumbers should be insured in order to be safely hired? In few cases, they might even have to be bonded. When they have adequate coverage on insurance policies, this will safeguard both you and the plumber in case he incurs any small or big injury while working in your house. You won’t be liable for paying for those injuries.
#4: Costing and price
The plumber will know what he needs to do and he will be able to offer you with an appropriate estimate excluding any kind of major issues. Ensure getting at least 3 estimates and be alert if you get an estimate that is much cheaper than all others as this can be too good to be true. This could imply that the plumber is cutting corners or is planning to use poor quality parts while repairing the machines in your home.
#5: References
All those plumbers who have been in business for a long period of time can provide you with valuable references of their previous clients. If you see that they are not giving you the contact details of their previous clients, you can be sure that he is not a reputable and worth one. You should look elsewhere for a better plumber. Speaking with the previous customers will be the best ways of measuring the quality of the plumber’s job.
Therefore, before you choose a plumber for your home, make sure you look for the above mentioned qualities. Settling down for anything less than that would be harmful.