Find Local Plumbers

When its time to replace your hot water service or clear a blocked drain you will need an experienced and licensed plumber on your side. With numerous plumbers throughout your area to choose from, how will you know what to look for and what questions to ask when choosing a plumber?

If you want to find a good plumber then hire a professional local plumber. You want to hire the best in the business, someone who not only knows what they doing, but treats every customer with respect and is worthy of a glowing review. As with any local plumber you engage, there are some very practical things you need to know and establish before any plumbing work begins.

Here are some useful tips to help you locate a plumber that should get the job done right the first time without having to paying ridiculous prices.

1) Are you a Licensed Plumber?
This is the most important question. Never, forget to ask to see the local plumbers licence. Don't ever presume or just take the plumber's word for it. Ask to see their plumbers licence. Some unscrupulous people try to operate without a plumbing license. Having a license means the local plumber will be registered with the governing body. When asking your local plumber if he or she is licensed, they should be able to show you their credentials and some may even provide a list of references who can attest to the quality of their work and service. Make sure that any documentation presented is current & valid. Make sure the licence allows them to carry out the specific type of work you need to done. Many kinds of drain repair or installation work require a special license. If you are contacting any of their references, don't just enquire about the finished product also gain reference to the plumber's attitude, demeanor, cleanliness and timeliness.

2) How long have you been a Licensed Plumber for?
Experience is always a must in deciding lots of things. This also includes employing a Licensed Plumber for all household maintenance, repairs. or maybe even a specialized bathroom plumber for a large renovation project. Employing Inexperienced plumbers can and will be costly.  The more time a Licensed Plumber has been working in the plumbing industry, the better the likely hood he posses the necessary qualifications and experience to fix your plumbing issues correctly first time round.

3) Are you currently Insured?
Even the best trades person can make a mistake. Local Plumbers insurance plays an extremely important part of every Licensed Plumbers credentials. If a plumber is Not insured, you maybe defenseless against any disputes that may arise if something goes wrong during your plumbing job. Plumbers Insurance offers the reliability and stability and piece of mind needed when mistakes and accidents happen. While it rarely happens, theft, as well as accidents and mistakes can and do take place. This can cause some awkward problems especially when there is no insurance coverage. A licensed plumber with adequate Insurance and workers compensation insurance is most likely qualified to take on your plumbing project.
Ensure that you are safe at all times by hiring an insured licensed local plumber.

4) How much does a plumber cost?
Most professional plumbers offer a free estimate to their clients. Most will also schedule a time to come to your home or job site to look at the job specifications before they start any work. Once a prospective local plumber has had a chance to examine the job specification and provide you with a job estimate, always remember to ask if what he has quoted includes all materials, labor and more importantly a contingency plan for any unforeseen issues. Some estimates can look very appealing on paper but sometimes may only be inclusive of the basic costs of materials and may have the potential to skyrocket as a job goes on. Most times before work begins, you can tell if a local plumber is a professional by the kind of estimate he provides. It should always be clear and detailed. It needs to include not only the cost of the materials but also for labor. He or she should always be upfront about  all cost, overruns and how they are going to bill for any additional time or materials needed to do your job.
Also check to see if your job is going to be billed out at a reasonable plumber hourly rate or flat rate? Expect an extra surcharge for any emergency service, especially if its outside the normal 9 to 5 time frame.  Many plumbers may build clauses into their job contracts that may say things like the homeowner will bear all the reasonable costs to complete the plumbing job. When you are obtaining a plumbing quote, make sure you ask if the total amount that you are being quoted is for a flat rate or a rate that will change due to unavoidable labor costs. Check also if your plumbing contractor is using an hourly rate plus the cost of any plumbing materials. The usual problem with the second option is that whilst plumbing materials can be at a fixed price  the plumbing job may run into extra time, the costs may keep on sky rocketing whilst you pay for the additional labor. Always make sure you know exactly what you are getting into before you sign any plumbing contract.

5) When do you require payment?
Always find out when your local plumber wants or expects to be paid for his plumbing work. Also check to see how much if any of the payments they may want upfront. If your plumber asks for one hundred percent payment way before the any job starts, do yourself a favor and walk away. Some plumbers will offer to use a system of mile stones. For example once certain aspects of the project is finished, you may possibly be asked or required to finance a certain percentage of the the jobs total cost. Some plumbers will use a time factor instead. For example after a specified number of weeks, you will pay a certain percentage of the total cost of works. These Mile stones are often and can be better since any payment is only made upon the final completion of specific aspects or job undertakings. Paying by the hour may work, however if the local plumbing contractor works to slowly, you are highly likely going to be paying too much in the long run for the plumbing job.

6) Who is doing the plumbing work?
Some local plumbing companies or sole traders often may employ more than just one licensed plumber. For very large jobs or projects they may use a team of local laborers. Make sure to ask if the actual plumber who is doing the quotation is the one who will be doing the work. If he or she says no or seems unsure ask who will be doing the job on his behalf and what level of expertise and  plumbing qualifications do they have. If you are not happy with the answer or if the local plumber giving the quote can't provide licence details of the contractors that he is engaging to act on his his behalf, you may want to keep looking for other plumbing quotations.

7) Do you always clean up your mess?
This always seems like it should have a very obvious answer, however this is not always the case. Some local plumbing companies do not clean up when they're finished. This can sometimes leave you the home owner with old plumbing parts, left over boxes from newly installed equipment or materials and possibly one hell of a dirty and unsightly mess. Always make sure to ask the plumber giving the quote if cleaning up is included in the quotation. If it's not you may want to ask why. Some local plumbing companies may have an additional charge for a cleanup on top of the original quotation to complete the job. The additional clean up cost may sometimes be worth it . So always remember to ask.