Why would you watch faulty faucets and plumbing lines leak water while bills increase? Water leakages and higher bills shouldn’t give you sleepless nights if you have quality plumbing at your home. Currently, there are many options for homeowners when it comes to hiring plumbing services. However, before hiring the plumber, you should ask the following four questions:
Are You a Certified and Insured Plumber?
Hiring a licensed and qualified plumber is the surest way to get the highest standards of workmanship. Plumbers offer essential services of installing, maintaining, and replacing plumbing systems. With quality plumbing around your home, you ensure:
- No high-water bills
- No damage to the house foundation
- No heat loss in heated water
- No rusting of metallic home parts
- No problems with the water supply
The high-water bills could be a result of leaking water pipes. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an average US home wastes around 90 gallons of water daily. Most wastages occur when faucets dripping or are left running and from leaking pipes. Leaking water can damage your house’s foundation because it tampers with soil compaction.
Another benefit of quality plumbing is the prevention of loss of heated water. This saves you from high energy bills when it comes to water heating. Leaking pipes also cause the moisture around the metallic parts to start to rust.
There are two institutions that offer plumber certification. The first one is the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. (ASPE) and the second one is the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). ASPE is an international organization for skilled professionals who design and inspect plumbing systems.
On the other hand, IAPMO is a community of plumbing experts who do installation and repair work. Whenever you want to hire a plumber, check for their certifications from these and other federal government-approved institutions.
A certified plumber should show you a copy of liability and workmanship compensation insurance. Liability insurance protects your property from damage. If there is property damage, liability insurance will compensate. The workmanship compensation will cover any medical expenses if the plumber gets injured.
Moreover, this insurance can even pay for the family’s death benefits if the plumber dies while delivering services. So, insurance coverage saves you from financial problems if the plumber gets injured at your home.
Can You Provide References?
References tell more about a plumber regarding their work experience and professionalism. The more references a plumber has, the more experience the plumber has in the field. However, you shouldn’t be satisfied with only receiving a plumber’s references. Make sure to call each one to enquire about the service they provided.
Once you call, you can ask whether the client was satisfied with the completed work. If yes, ask more about the project and how they carried it out. And if the client wasn’t satisfied, get the reasons. Then make your determination if you still want them to perform work for you.
The second question concerns the company’s communication and updates during the project. A reputable company updates the client with information about what they are doing. Regular updates are proof of honesty and transparency. If the professional sent to deliver services never communicated well during the project, you shouldn’t hire someone who will never communicate well with you.
Ask past clients about the time spent to complete the job. A reliable company will send a dedicated team to offer fast services. The more time a plumber stays at your home, the more they take away from your family’s privacy.
Another essential thing to know is whether any unexpected costs were associated with past projects. If there were costs that the company added after the estimates and quotes, then you should look for a more honest company. You won’t need to go beyond your budget to pay someone who wasn’t transparent.
The final thing to enquire about is whether the team cleaned your home after completing the work. Plumbing involves cutting small pipe pieces that can cause injuries if not disposed of properly. Moreover, strong plumbing glues left open for long periods of time can be a health hazard. So, if the company cleaned the home properly, you should consider hiring the company for their professionalism.
Do You Offer a Warranty on Your Plumbing Work?
A plumbing warranty will save you money when it comes to repairs. Any time there is a failed part in your plumbing system, the company sends you a qualified plumber to fix the problem. The only money you pay is the service call fee.
Luckily, most warranties last for many years. Most companies offer warranties for one year, but others can offer s warranty of up to five years, depending on the quality of the plumbing materials used in the project. Other factors that can affect the warranty period are the climate and the type of water you use.
For instance, hard water on metallic piping wears the system quickly due to calcium and other elements that corrode the pipes. The best pipes to use in this situation are the PVCs. So, companies will offer warranties depending on what type of material you choose. Another important thing is that a reliable plumber will advise you about the compliments to use in the plumbing system.
Will You Provide Me With a Plumbing Estimate?
The estimates help you budget for the project. So, once the professional comes to inspect your home for plumbing installation, maintenance, or repairs, get an estimate before signing the contract. The estimate helps protect you legally if charges are added by the contractor later. The estimate will include the cost of plumbing materials and the cost of labor.
With the cost estimate make sure that all materials are included that will be needed to complete the project. You can do some research yourself to see what the cost of materials will be at your local hardware store before seeking out a plumber. A reputable plumber will have the expertise to figure out correctly all materials that will be needed without having to make several trips to a store during the project. You’ll want to ensure you don’t pay the plumber for unnecessary trips to the store to get additional supplies.
With the labor cost, you want to ensure you get a plumber that will complete the job in a timely manner. The longer it takes for a plumber to complete a project, the more money you will pay out of pocket. Many plumbers get paid by the hour.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is failure to keep a copy of the estimate document. Don’t trust a verbal estimate because the plumber may not honor it after the project is completed. Always requesting a written estimate will prevent misunderstanding when it is time to make payment.
Professional Plumbing in Plainfield, IL
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