When you’re trying to hire a plumber, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of companies and independent plumbers out there. It’s important to be thorough when deciding whether you want to hire any particular plumber, as they’re doing an essential job on a very important structure of your house and you want to be sure that they’ll perform it well and honestly. Below are six important questions that will help you hire the best possible person for the job.
Are you licensed?
In Nevada, plumbers (like many similar contractors such as electricians and HVAC specialists) are required to be licensed by the state. This licensing body ensures that your plumber meets a certain standard, and is held accountable by a governing body. Be sure to get their license number and run a check on them yourself, so that you can have total peace of mind and reassurance of your plumber’s qualifications.
Are you bonded/insured?
A plumber being both bonded and insured means that you are covered in the event of just about any unfortunate incident. If a plumber is insured, then you have protection against any possible on-site damages or injuries that may occur during the repairs. A bond is additional protection that covers you if the contractor provides poor quality, or unfinished work, that would otherwise cost you directly.
What is the total cost, and is this an hourly or flat rate?
You always want to discuss the price of a plumbing job before the job even starts. Getting a written agreement covering things like whether the job is an hourly or a flat rate, an estimate for the total cost of the job, and whether any needed specialty plumbing parts are included in the price, means that you can decide whether this particular plumber is a fit for your budget.
Are you going to be performing the plumbing work yourself?
This is important to ask whether it’s going to be a one man operation or a larger organization. You don’t want to be surprised on the day the work is supposed to be completed by an unlicensed, uninsured ‘assistant’ who you are meeting for the first time that day.
Do you have any references?
Any good plumber should have a number of happy and satisfied clients who would be glad to recommend them for future work. Ask for three to five people who you can contact to verify the quality of the plumber that you’re about to hire, and if they have excuses as to why they cannot supply you with a list of references, that is a very telling sign that you should consider going in another direction.
Is clean-up included?
The last thing you want after you’ve gone through thoroughly vetting your plumber and ensuring that you receive quality work for fair pay is to find that cleaning up is not part of the package, and you are left to deal with a huge mess instead of enjoying your newly fixed plumbing. A plumber who cleans up after performing work is dedicated to customer service, and a good hire. If you need a reliable, efficient plumber, call us today at (702) 710-7388.
