Oops, that faucet is broken again! Time to call the plumber…
When dealing with plumbers, the biggest worry is, ‘what if they rip you off?’ There are plenty of dissatisfied customers when it comes to plumbing services.
Sometimes, when you’re desperate to get help because your house if flooding or the water won’t stop dripping, it is common to oversee the due diligence required to get the services of a good plumbing company.
So, how can you ensure that your plumbing company is not eating up your money and will offer the best services? You will learn about that in this article.
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Is The Plumber Knowledgeable?
First thing first. Is the plumber that you are about hire is skilled or not? Does he have the knowledge to fix pipes, or lay sewer pipelines? If you are unsure whether the plumber you are hiring for the job is skilled or not, then don’t take the risk.
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Is the Plumber Efficient
Remember the saying’ time is money’? Well, if your plumber is not efficient enough, maybe he is not cut for the job. The best way to know how skilled a plumber is is by comparing the plumbers of different companies working in your area.
Let’s say you are living in Lewisville, Texas, and need a plumber. You can go to the local community office to find out if they have any reliable plumbers. You can look up in the telephone directory for companies who do plumbing in Lewisville, TX.
This way, you can have more than one option, and you call the one who seems most reliable and efficient to you.
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Is the Plumber Available in Emergencies?
Pipe bursts at 1 AM, what are you going to do? Is there a reliable plumber that can help you get things fixed at that hour?
It is really difficult to get a hold of someone when you are in an emergency. Plumbers are usually not available at night. Even if they are, they will fleece you for service at that time.
But if you have a trusted plumber, or if you are a frequent client of a plumbing agency, they can easily shave these charges off your plate.
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Get estimates from more than one plumbing service:
You don’t always have to hire the first plumber you set your eyes on. Make sure to negotiate the price with more than one service.
You can ask them to lower their price or to add more value for the price they are offering. If you are offering the right price to them, they will be more than likely to accept your offer.
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Ignore Plumbers Advertising on TV & Radio:
There are two reasons to ignore these plumbers. First, they will cost you a lot of money. Second, there is no way to know whether they are as good as they say they are.
Most plumbers advertise that they are working in an area for X number of years when they aren’t present in that area. These plumbers are often phony and unskilled in their jobs.
These plumbing companies are run by bigshots who want to make more money by doing small jobs for more charges. Make sure you avoid them.
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Focus on family-owned businesses:
Family-owned plumbers are usually hard to find. If you are new in an area, looking for family-owned plumbers, then the best way is to ask those who have been living in the area for ages.
They will know all about plumbers working in that area. Maybe they can also refer you to someone who can offer a discount on their services.
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Always Hire Licensed Plumbers:
Licenses are not hard to get, but they are a guarantee that the plumber you hire knows the job. Most states require minimum hours of in-house working experience before they issue licenses to plumbers.
So, check out the local state contractor’s website to see the list of plumbers that have licenses. If you get a visit from a plumber, you can also cross-check his information with the plumber license records of the state contractors.
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Buy Items Yourself:
Visit the hardware store yourself to get all the supplies that you need for the plumbing job. Most plumbers get parts from wholesale stores, but they charge the house owner at general market rates. It is their MO for conning you.
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Schedule Work When You Are Present:
Plumbers can be lazy and careless when no one is monitoring their activities. It is always advisable to get the plumbing job done when you are present. It will ensure that your plumber does a satisfying and quality job.
Bottom-line
You can never be too careful. Yet, it is always good to be diligent. Make sure that you follow all the tips to stay away from phony plumbing companies who are waiting to rip you off.