What Kind of Experience Does Your Plumber Have?

February 1st, 2013 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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A plumber’s a plumber, right? They all are required to go through the same training and requirements in order to get licensed; why would there be a difference?

In spite of the training plumbers receive through a trade school and the required on-the-job training necessary to be licensed, there are still plenty of scenarios that plumbers only learn how to handle through years of experience. The old saying that ‘experience is the best teacher’ is as true in the plumbing profession as it is in any other profession or area of life.

You will also want to make sure that those years of experience are related to your area of the country and preferably the city you live in. Ten years of experience working in new developments outside Denver will not offer a lot of guidance related to a full residential repiping in Orlando Florida . Knowledge of the city and regional codes in one area of the country do not translate over to a new location in another region.

So what do you need to know about a plumbers experience before you hire him? The first, of course, is how many years have they worked as a ‘licensed’ plumber. Don’t be fooled by someone padding their years of experience with their years of training. Secondly, you’ll want to know what geographical areas they have been working in. How many years have they been working within your local area? Thirdly, what types of plumbing situations do they have experience with? Have they mostly done new construction work? Has it been primarily residential, commercial or a mixture of both? Their answers to this questions will give you a better picture of what they mean when they say that they are an ‘experienced’ plumber.

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Hiring a Plumber You Can Trust

December 11th, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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Whenever you hire a plumber to clear a clogged drain, install a new water heater, or any other plumbing job, you want to hire someone whom you can trust to do the job right and charge reasonable prices for their services. It really isn’t that difficult to establish the existence of these qualities for any plumber that you consider. The biggest mistake most homeowners make in hiring a plumber is not taking the time to follow a few basic steps before they make their decision.

1.      Licensed. Always ask for the plumber’s license number. A professional plumber will have their license number on their business cards and other forms of advertisement or company stationery. Be wary of anyone who does not have their license number readily available.

2.      Written estimates and contracts. A professional will always provide you with a written estimate and contract, especially if you request one. Even if you are receiving service work that will be billed on a time and material basis, a professional should be willing to provide the billing terms in a written proposal that states the rate per hour. For larger projects, a detailed estimate, which details all material, permits and labor to be included in the contract price, should be expected.

3.      References. A legitimate professional should be happy to provide you with the names and phone numbers of past customers who have had similar work performed. Ask for them, and take the time to contact them, before you hire any plumber. Ask the references specific questions about the project performed and the plumber’s reliability in completing the work on time and within budget.

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Do You Have an Exceptional Plumber?

November 20th, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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How do you know what is standard performance in a plumber and what is considered outstanding service?  If you realize what is above the standard expectations, you will know when you have someone to recommend to others.  On the other hand, if you know what is expected, you will recognize when a plumber fails to provide good service.

Emergency Service

While a good plumber should provide same-day service, an exceptional plumber will respond to emergency calls after hours and on weekends.  There are certain situations that really just can’t wait. And repairs are often needed when it is most inconvenient. A customer-service oriented plumber will work outside of regular hours to accommodate a busy schedule.  While he may charge a higher fee, it will be reasonable.

The plumber should offer some kind of guarantee for his work.  To take it a step further, they should give you the option of a replacement or your money back if the problem is not solved.  Many plumbers limit it to a replacement.

Pricing

The exceptional plumber probably won’t be the cheapest, but his prices will be reasonable.  They will provide an estimate upfront so you can decide whether to proceed with the repairs.  If you compare the plumber with others in his area, you should find some that are higher and others that are cheaper.

Gives Advice

A customer-service oriented plumber will take the time to give advice on which water heater to buy or why one type of faucet is better than another even if you won’t be using their services for this particular job.  An exception plumber isn’t just doing a job; he’s building a relationship.

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Establishing A Good Working Relationship With Your Plumbing Contractor

October 3rd, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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Every year the Better Business Bureau receives thousands of complaints against plumbers.  What is really troubling is that about a quarter of these complaints are closed as unresolved.  Cleary, thousands of Americans a year are unhappy with the work done or service provided by their plumber.  Here are a few steps you can take to avoid becoming one of these dissatisfied customer.

First, don’t just call the first plumber you find on the internet or in the phone book.  Try to get some referrals and do some research to find a few good, reputable plumbers in your area.  Choose a plumber who has an established business address and phone number and who has been in business for years under the same name.  Make sure the plumber is licensed and insured and check for complaints with the BBB and on internet review sites.

Next, for any big job like a sewer lateral replacement, new water heater, water line repairs, or kitchen remodeling project, get a written estimate and go over it with the plumber to make sure that you understand what work is included and the cost.  You should also understand what problems could potentially arise and the approximate additional costs that could be incurred.  This is the source of many complaints about plumbers.

Unfortunately, it is the nature of plumbing that it can be difficult to predict what types of unexpected problems will arise in a big plumbing job.  When these issues come up, your plumber will need to do more work and the cost of the project will increase beyond the original estimate.  Many homeowners become upset at the plumber when this happens, but the plumber has no way of knowing in advance whether or not these issues will arise.  Thorough communication with your plumber ahead of time will prevent hard feelings later.

Finally, don’t pay for the job in full up front.  Your plumber may ask for a third or half of the payment in advance, but never make the final payment until the job is completed to your satisfaction.

Blog post provided by St. Louis Plumbers

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Internet Reviews of Plumbing Contractors

October 3rd, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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When you need to hire a good plumbing contractor to clear a clogged drain, install a new tankless water heater, handle your kitchen or bathroom remodeling, or to take care of any other plumbing issue, how do you know who you can trust to do a great job at a fair price?  Every year the Better Business Bureau receives a lot of complaints about plumbers, so you should take your time and choose your plumber carefully instead of just calling the first plumber listed in the telephone book or the one with the best website.

Referrals from friends, co-workers, and family members are an excellent source.  Ask around and see if anyone you know can recommend a dependable plumber.  If you don’t have much luck with referrals, the internet can be a great source of reviews on plumbers in your area.

When reading reviews on the internet, keep in mind that anyone can post a review.  You don’t know if those glowing reviews were posted by the plumbing contractor himself, his friends, employees, or family members.  It is even possible to hire people to write and post good reviews about a business.  If all of the good reviews were posted at about the same time, there may be something fishy going on.

By the same token, extremely negative reviews could have been posted by a competitor, a disgruntled former employee, a former girlfriend, and so on.  What you are looking for is a general consensus from people who appear to be customers of the plumber and you are looking for reviews posted over the past few years.

Once you find a plumber that seems to have good reviews, check the usual things:  Look for a permanent business address and telephone number, make sure the plumber is licensed and insured, and check to see if they have been in business for a few years.  If the answer to these questions is “yes”, the plumber has a good reputation to protect and will work hard to satisfy the customer.

Blog post provided by St. Louis Plumbers

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Tips for Dealing With Emergency Plumbing Problems

September 21st, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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There is never a good time to have plumbing problems, but when a plumbing emergency pops up, knowing what to do can help keep an ordinary emergency plumbing repair from turning into a plumbing disaster.  Water flowing out of control in your home can quickly cause a lot of damage to your property including walls, ceilings, floors, carpets, furniture, and other personal property.  In addition, if the problem involves untreated sewage you could have a serious health issue on your hands.

One of the most important things you can do is establish a relationship with a reputable local plumber.  When water is gushing out of a broken pipe or sewage is backing up through your drains, you don’t have time to be checking references or calling friends and family for a referral.  You want to have the number of a trusted plumber at your fingertips.

Do all your homework ahead of time and have the plumber come out for a routine job such as replacing a leaky faucet or clearing a clogged drain.  Once you find a plumber you are happy with, program their number into your cell phone or keep it posted somewhere handy such as on the refrigerator.

Before you even call the plumber, contain or control the damage if possible.  If you have an overflowing toilet, turn off the water supply by shutting off the valve located at the wall under the toilet tank.  For broken or leaking pipes or fixtures, you can stop the water flow by turning off all of the water in the house.  Most homes have shutoff valve located near where the water supply line enters the home.  Locate this valve before you need it so you will know where it is when the time comes.

Once your plumber is on the way try to keep the damage to a minimum by mopping up spilled water with a mop or some towels. This will help prevent damage and make it easier for your plumber to get to work.

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Be Wary Of Over-The-Phone Plumbing Quotes

July 17th, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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When you have a serious plumbing problem like a clogged toilet or sewer line or a leaky water supply line, one of your biggest concerns is “what’s it going to cost me?”  While concern about the plumbing repair cost is understandable, avoid the temptation to shop by phone for the lowest plumbing quote.

With a few rare exceptions, most reputable plumbers will not give you a firm quote for plumbing work without first coming to your home to look at the problem.   A plumber may be able to quote the minimum price for a service call, but that’s just the price for showing up at your home.  The actual cost of the repair is extra.

The reason is that without inspecting and troubleshooting the plumbing problem, your plumber has no way to know how much work will be involved.  A backed up toilet can be simple clog in the drain pipe that can be cleared with a plumbing auger, a more serious clog in a sewer line that needs to be cleared with high pressure hydro-jetting, or a collapsed sewer line or failed septic system that requires extensive work to repair or replace.

A reputable plumber will come to your home, evaluate your plumbing problem, then provide you with a detailed explanation of the problem and an estimate for the work necessary to repair it.  For this reason, instead of searching for a plumber by price, search by reputation. Look for a reputable local plumber with an established business address and phone number who is licensed and insured.  You can be comfortable knowing that you will get hiqh quality, professional plumbing work at reasonable market rates.

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Avoiding Plumbing Contractor Complaints

April 11th, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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According to data kept by the Better Business Bureau, plumbers consistently have a high number of complaints filed every year.  Of the thousands of industries followed by the BBB, plumbers ranked 33rd in 2011 with 4,729 complaints filed and 34th in 2010 with 4,419 complaints.    Even more troubling about these numbers is that about 20 to 25 percent of these complaints are unresolved.  Cell phone companies and cable television providers rank higher with many more complaints, but less than 5% of those complaints are unresolved.

The bottom line is that a lot of customers have not had a good experience with their plumbing contractors.  Whether you need drain cleaning, a new water heater installed, or a clogged toilet cleared, you can you avoid this happening to you by taking a few precautions.  First, choose a local plumber with a good reputation for customer service.  A plumber with an established business as evidenced by a permanent business location and telephone number will work harder to keep customers satisfied in order to protect their reputation.

Second, before any work begins, get an estimate and go over the estimate in detail with the plumbing contractor so you are sure you understand the scope of the work to be done and the total cost.  It is not always possible for your plumber to know in advance what sort of “surprises” may come up after the works starts.

Ask the plumber before the job starts what contingencies might arise and what the additional cost would be if they do. Many customers get very annoyed when problems arise during a job that require additional work, but the reality is that in many cases your plumber won’t know about these problems until he gets started.

Finally, don’t pay in full for the job up front.  Nothing is worse than a half finished job waiting for the plumber to come back and finish it.  Some plumbers may ask for partial payment in advance.  A third is typical and never pay more than half.  Pay the balance only after the job is completed to your satisfaction.

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Finding a Great Plumber

March 13th, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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Whether you have a plumbing emergency like a stopped up sewer line, need routine plumbing service such as installation of a new water heater, or need an Orlando plumber for a major plumbing job like a whole house pipe replacement, you want a professional plumber you can rely on to get the job done right.  With the internet and the phone book flooded with advertisements for plumbers, how can you make the right decision on which plumber to handle the job?

A great way to start the process of finding a good plumber in Orlando is to ask your friends, neighbors, and co-workers for recommendations of plumbers they have used in the past and been satisfied with the work and the service they received.  Eliminate any of these that you cannot confirm have a permanent business office and telephone number.  Your friend’s cousin may be a great plumber, but if he’s working part time out of his van he may not be around to handle any warranty work if something goes wrong down the road.   You are better off with a plumbing contractor that has been in business for years and has a business location and telephone number.

Next, make sure the plumber is licensed, bonded, and insured.  Licensing is no guarantee of competence, but it’s a sign that the plumber is a professional who plans on being in business for awhile.  Liability and workman’s compensation insurance protect the customer against liability for accidents or injury on the job.

Finally, check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any unresolved complaints about your plumbing contractor. If there are no complaints, then you should be in good shape.  Even if there have been complaints, it’s not necessarily the end of the world.  Any service company like a plumber can be expected to have a few disgruntled customers if they have been in business for years, so one or two complaints that were fully resolved are not a big deal.  On the other hand, if the plumber has a lot of unresolved complaints about your plumber, that’s a good reason to try a different plumbing contractor.

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The Importance of Insurance

March 13th, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
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Whether you need an Orlando plumber to tackle a big job like a whole house repiping to replace your old polybutylene piping or a small problem like a clogged sink drain, you should make sure your plumbing contractor is fully insured in the event of a problem.

A reputable, professional plumber will have both liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance and will be happy to provide you with proof of insurance.  Both types of insurance protect the homeowner from liability in the event of an accident that causes damage to property or an injury.

Liability insurance is critical for any contractor, and plumbers are no exception.  Liability insurance pays for damage caused by the plumber while working on your home.  For example, if the plumber accidently sets your house on fire while sweating copper pipe, the contractor’s liability insurance will pay for the damage.

The damage would probably also be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy, but you would be responsible for your deductible and also have to deal with the hassle that goes along with filing the claim.

Workers compensation insurance covers injuries to the plumber while working at your home.  Without workers compensation insurance, you could be on the hook for these injuries!  Again, your homeowners insurance would probably kick in and cover it, but you should not have to resort to your homeowners insurance to cover a worker’s injury when a reputable plumber would carry their own insurance.

A contractor should have their own liability insurance and workers compensation insurance so don’t let them get away with depending on your homeowner’s insurance.  If the plumber is willing to cut corners on insurance, where else might they be cutting costs?  You should also be concerned about the workmanship and any warranty provided by a plumber that cannot or will not carry their own insurance.  Save yourself some trouble and make sure your plumbing contractor is fully insured before they begin work.

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