As a homeowner, it’s tempting for you to go out and hire a plumber at the first sign of trouble.

When your bathroom starts filling up with water, or your shower decides it has had enough right before you need it, turning to the professionals is the simplest way to ensure you get things fixed.

Because of this, it is common for homeowners to run out and hire the first plumber they encounter when dealing with plumbing emergencies.

However, this approach can turn out to be disastrous. Not just on your wallet, but leaving fixtures, pipes and plumbing that is worse off than when you started.

Need help learning how to choose the right plumbing expert in your community, or trying to create a bathroom that looks incredible?

If you do not know what questions you should ask potential plumbers, things can become challenging.

But stress no more. Here is a list of the 10 most important questions you can ask prospective plumber, before making a final decision.

1. What Area Of Plumbing Do You Specialise In, If Any?

Before hiring a plumber, take the time to ask prospective candidates about their area of specialisation; this will help you identify the professional whose skills and experience align with your specific requirements.

2. Are All The Services To Be Provided Included In The Quoted Total Cost?

Plumbing professionals need to take stock of all the work that needs to be done, in order to furnish clients with the most accurate cost estimates.

Failure to this, the final cost may be significantly higher than initially anticipated due to the need for additional services that had not been factored into the initial estimate.

Without an in person site assessment, this can be quite difficult. Any plumbers who are willing to quote figures swiftly without making any effort to inspect the extent of damage or project requirements should be dealt with cautiously.

3. Are Materials And Labour Included In The Cost Estimate?

Find out whether the quote provided after the plumber comes to assess the job site includes the material and labour costs, before making a final decision.

4. How Are Costs Accumulated?

It is essential that you get an estimate of how long the job will take to complete, as difficult as it might be.

Some unexpected factors, which may not have been discovered at the beginning of the project, may cause some jobs to run longer than others. You may end up having to fork out more for the project, as some plumbers charging an hourly rate may take advantage of the situation, extending the job for longer than necessary.

Make sure that you get an accurate estimate of how long the job is expected to last when dealing with a plumber who charges by the hour instead of a flat rate.

5. How And When Do You Expect To Be Paid?

You need to find out when and how the plumbing professional expects to receive their payment. In some cases you may be expected to pay part of the total cost in advance; some plumbers assume that you already know this.

When asked for comment, legal experts recommended that you ask about the payment details in advance, they say “just to make sure that you are on the same page, ask about before the commencement of the work. Normally, part of the cost is paid in advance, while the rest is paid after the completion of the work in large projects. In almost all cases, you should not make a full payment of the total cost in advance.”

6. What Are Your Qualifications, And Can You Provide Examples Of Your Past Work?

Any plumbing expert worth their salt should have worked on a variety of projects and achieved great results.

The best way for a plumber to demonstrate that they are well versed in the ins and outs of plumbing work is through their qualifications/credentials. Furthermore, to vouch for their work, the best plumbers should have a list of verifiable references.

7. Are You Licensed To Provide Plumbing Services?

Are you licensed?

This is one of the most basic, but important questions you need to ask your potential hires. By carrying the necessary licensing, the plumber in question demonstrates that they have satisfied the necessary conditions set out by the relevant legal guidelines governing your locality.

They must have demonstrated their ability to provide plumbing services to the public by passing tests assessing their plumbing skills and knowledge of safety guidelines. Licensed plumbers also have in depth knowledge of building codes, and their connection to best practices in plumbing.

 

8. Are You The One Who Will Conduct The Work?

You might find a team of plumbers working under one company.

However, some companies/master plumbers hire independent contractors to handle some of their jobs. It is essential for you to find out who will actually be handling the work, with all this in mind.

Dig deeper and find out who will be working at your home, especially if it is not the person who issued the quote. Voice your concerns to the individual who issued the initial quote if you are not comfortable with someone else handling the work.

This is an extremely important distinction to make according to the mortgage experts at Max Funding, they explain “investors in 2019 typically aim to recoup $2.50 to $2 for every $1 spent on bathroom renovations. With a proven ability to add value to your home, ensuring the plumbers carrying out your work are the plumbers you expect is vital. You don’t want to expect a certain result only to find out you were left out of the loop, and the finished result is not what you expected.”

9. Are Your Independent Contractors Licensed?

It is important to note that some independent contractors may not have the necessary, or even similar, licenses, references and credentials as the master plumbers who hired them.

As such, you need to find out whether the individual who has been assigned the work is qualified and licensed. Ask for references and credentials of any independent contractors that may be involved in the project.

It is important to ensure that the independent contractor is capable of producing the same quality of work as a master plumber, so be sure to ask whether they are licensed.

10. Are You Insured?

Remember to ask whether the plumber you intend to hire carries the necessary insurance in addition to being licensed.

With a sufficient level of insurance cover, you and the plumbing company will be protected from any errors made during the project. Plumbers can work without having to worry about any risks related to mistakes, accidents or injuries, as they are mitigated by the insurance cover.

It is important to demonstrate that your questions are not intended on creating mistrust between you and the contractor, but are simply based on your honest concern as a homeowner; only meant to help you make a more informed final hiring decision.

According to carpet cleaners A Plus Carpet Cleaning, insurance is vital for services with unpredictable conditions. They explain “we’ve seen countless homes suffer from water damage, or damage due to plumbing tools. When insurance is involved, this is a lasting peace of mind. But without insurance the damage can run into the thousands of dollars.”

Author Bio:

Janet Harlow is a passionate freelance writer based in Sydney. She is a university student and has a major in Philosophy. Janet loves to travel. She goes to several tourist destinations whenever she’s free. She is also passionate about animals.