Hiring a good plumber has become a tedious task for many homeowners perhaps because some don’t know what to ask or what to look for when seeking quality services. Sadly, many are tricked into hiring incompetent service providers who perform dismally and later disappear often after taking half their money.
You need to take your time in order to pick a good plumber unless of course there’s an emergency.
1. Get Recommendations!
The first obvious tip is to try and get recommendations from friends and family you can count on to give you first hand information. If these aren’t available ask for references even if they are on “check a trade” or other such websites although we have heard of people appointing a plumber they found on Check a trade, who was a disaster!
Importantly though follow up on the references – speak to the people if possible and even better go and have a look at some of the jobs. Ask them not only about the quality of the service but whether they were on time and whether they took care and cleaned after him or herself.
2. How’s their Appearance?
Appearance is important too. It may seem silly for a plumber, but picking a plumber who looks well groomed makes sense. If he or she looks shabby and can’t be troubled to turn up at your house clean or at least tidy, then ask yourself how tidy and attentive their service may be. Someone that takes care of his appearance is more likely to take care of your property.
Also have a look at their van and equipment. An old tatty van with unkempt tatty equipment doesn’t seem to be a wise route to follow when looking for quality services. There is nothing wrong with being selective when you need quality services that you hope are going to meet your anticipated standards.
3. Find Reviews on the Web
Research the Company name on the Web. Type in “Joe Bloggs Plumbing reviews” in the first instance. You ought to also be able to find more details about the plumber you want to hire ..
4. Are they Well Established?
Financial stability is important too, if you’re going to pay a deposit you need to feel comfortable that the plumber in question is financially sound enough to finish the work without going bust. If they are trading as a limited company rather than being a sole trader I feel that shows a level of gravitas and professionalism.
On that point also, one of the most vital things to have in mind is the duration in which the company has been in business. The longer they have been in business the more likely they are to have gained enough experience and are also more likely to be reputable – after all if they’re not, they’re not likely to stay in business.
5. Are they Insured?
Liability insurance is another critical factor also – ensure that your plumber has public liability insurance and that you see any certification, if they avoid the point, avoid the plumber! A legitimate plumber should have a current and running insurance cover to ensure that your property is well protected against any accidental damage that may occur.
6. Will they offer a Warranty?
A good plumber ought to offer you a proper warranty that shall ensure that the necessary revamp work is done without failure.
7. Get several Quotations
When it comes to plumbing work, proper planning is essential. The plumber should be willing to offer you a quotation. If at all possible get quotations from different plumbers for comparison but be aware that the cheapest is not always necessarily be the best. Quality and dependability is more important over a possible cheap shoddy job and the obvious challenges of trying to get it rectified by a plumber who probably thought they did a decent job in the first place.
A written quotation really is important for plumbing as indeed with all building work. It should detail what is going to be done, the steps that will be taken to complete the work and include timescale, materials (unless you’re going to buy them directly) and critically a fixed price.
8. Never Pay Upfront!
If there is one point you take from this guide, it’s never to pay upfront. Pay a deposit for materials and stage payments and if your plumber insists on upfront payment – choose someone else!
