Hiring a Plumber: Three Important Considerations

Contractors of all kinds have an unwarranted sketchy reputation among homeowners. The reason for this is simple: bad reviews and horror stories get far more attention than the everyday stories of honest, hardworking men and women doing their jobs competently and effectively. If you're thinking of hiring a plumber, it only makes sense to make sure you get one who will not be in the horror story group. It's not that hard to do. Even choosing someone randomly out of the phone book will be more likely to get you a "good guy" than a "bad guy". But you can do better than choosing someone at random. Here are some important considerations you should put into your search.

Know the Fee
While not necessarily a hallmark of a plumber whose trying to take advantage of you, what the service fee does and does not include is often a source of confusion and ill will. A lot of this is due to the conflict between familiarity and customers who have no idea what they're getting into. A contractor who has been in the business a long time will begin to make unwarranted assumptions about his customers and their knowledge base. In many cases, they will overestimate. This can lead to a problem. If you think the low service fee you were quoted includes repair, follow up, and maintenance, you are in for a rude surprise. Make sure you know exactly what you'll be expected to pay.

Emergency Services
You don't want to be stuck scouring the internet while your toilet is in the middle of flooding your home. When you look for a plumber, try to find one who keeps emergency hours and will be available to call in case you run into a problem that needs immediate attention. If you have a number ready to be called in case of an emergency, you'll have one less thing to worry about if one arises. While not guaranteed, you may even find that you are able to get better rates from a company you've shown loyalty to in the past than one you're calling for the first time in the middle of the night.

Telephone Advice
A reputable plumber should be willing to help you out with small problems over the phone. You might even want to test this theory with a sample problem when looking for someone to hire. If they're willing to take a moment to save you some time and money, you know they have the customer's best interests at heart and aren't just looking for the next money mark.