Plumbers are an irreplaceable asset of society and their services are rendered on daily basis for all kinds of projects. Most of the time they are hired to deal with a dripping faucet, leaking pipe, water heater, clogged drain, frozen pipe, running toilet, etc. As you can see all of the above-listed problems are those that anyone can encounter in their homes. That makes their services very valuable. For that reason, a plumber must be hired all the time whenever you encounter a problem. Another big reason for hiring professionals is their toolkit. Whether you need pipe installation in Staten Island NY or want to fix a leak, special tools are required. Below you can find some of the best tips to hire the best professional.
Should have received professional training
If you know some facts about plumbing, then you’d know that plumbing isn’t a profession that demands a professional degree. That doesn’t mean anyone can just pick up tools and start fixing pipes. People who aspire to become a plumber usually start as an apprentice or join a technical school to learn the basics. The greatest benefit of this kind of on-job training is that newcomers learn about standards and procedures that must be followed. If you are given the tools to fix a faucet, then there will be a huge difference between your and a professional’s approach.
Ask for insurance and license
Like any other profession, you need a license to work as a professional plumber. One can’t simply wake up one morning and decide today he wants to play plumber. The states are bounded by law and in some states, it is even mandatory to have a license. At the same time insurance are also important to cover up unwanted damages. Did it ever happen to you that, you called a plumber to fix something, and he fixed it but caused unnecessary damages as well? The insurance handles such accidental situations and compensates the client. That’s why always make sure the plumber you are hiring has the required insurance.
Do a survey before hiring
The plumber is not always hired to cover up emergencies. They provide unique services in all kinds of scenarios. If you are building a house or need some detailed work, then never sign a contract before they site survey. Because it is an important element of the cost of work and rough estimates are not suitable in this case. Otherwise, you’d have to face problematic hidden costs. In most cases when the estimates are given without a survey hidden costs have surfaced repeatedly. So, play on the safe side and make a wise decision while hiring a professional service.
Evaluate multiple professionals
If you haven’t hired anyone before for this kind of work, but at least you’d have seen how the system works. As a rule of thumb, you evaluate multiple professionals before hiring one. The market is highly competitive, still every professional can have a price slightly different from the other. That’s why when you evaluate more than one companies you find out the market trends. If someone has asked too much as compared to others, then try to find out why he’s different. If he’s truly asking for value for money service that others lack, it makes him a strong candidate. Otherwise, if he offers the same quality at a higher price, then you have other options as well.
Inquire about work warranties
Warranties are important no matter how you look at them. The reason for that is quite simple because no one wants to pay for rework. If you hire a plumber for a job, and he did it and gave you a warranty as well. If a similar problem surfaces again in due time, you get a free service. A lot of companies use this strategy to attract more customers. That’s why make sure you ask about warranties and only hire a professional that offers a warranty. However, warranties come at the cost of expiry of the warranty period is passed or you lost the warranty card, then you have to pay for the service. The best way to protect warranties is to avoid tempering because it would seem like you intervened and then the problem resurfaced.
Must be experienced
A plumber must be experienced because plumbing issues are not always simple to tackle. You can’t become a pro just by having a good toolkit. People who look at plumbing as a proper profession spend countless hours or even years mastering it. The biggest advantage of hiring such a resource is that there isn’t a problem they haven’t see up close, that’s why they can easily fix it. On the other end, someone with no prior experience will always struggle even on the smallest task. If you need someone for leak detection in Staten Island NY, then make sure he’s experienced.
Demand references
Reference is one of the most authentic and ancient ways of hiring professional services, especially if you don’t have any experience. When you are unsure whom to hire for a plumbing job, then it is better you ask for references. The reference is basically the connecting medium between you and him. It can be a person, or a company as well. The biggest benefit of references is that you develop an immediate trust towards the service you are hiring. You can also play it the other way around. For example, you go for the companies that some of your references have recommended.
The plumbing market is very competitive, but finding the right plumber for the job is still very challenging. That’s because you can’t tell who’s better than the other. Although social media and the internet have made things a lot easier, still a lot of businesses are not registered anywhere online. That’s why it is quite difficult to say who’s the best. Still, a good match can be found easily amongst those who maintain their presence online. If you can find a direct reference to a company that would be great, otherwise take it to the internet and read some of their customer reviews, testimonials, and watch their ranking.
