What to Look for When Hiring a Plumbing Company

Home/residential plumbing is a broad niche in the plumbing industry. This is because of the sheer number of services that fall under its category. Some of these include:

Installation, Repair, and Maintenance of Water Pressure Regulator
Installation, Repair, and Maintenance of Sump Pump
Thawing of Frozen Pipes
Installation, Repair, and Maintenance of Water Softeners
Installation, Repair, and Maintenance of Garbage Disposal
Installation of Bathtub and Shower
Toilet Repair
Unclogging Drains
Installation, Repair, and Maintenance of Water Heaters
Pipe Installation and Replacement
Sewer Line Repair and Replacement
Leaky Faucets

While these sound like a lot, it’s by no means an exhaustive list. As a result, the right plumbing company for these tasks would have a broad yet in-depth understanding of these services and more. Here are some things to look out for when hiring a residential plumbing company.

Homeowner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Plumbing Service Provider

Dealing with the wrong plumbing company for residential needs can be very frustrating. Their lack of transparency, terrible customer service, poor workmanship, poor communication, service overcharge, and long wait times, among other bad experiences, only complicate things.

Therefore, one must make an informed choice. Against this backdrop, some things to seriously consider include:

Certifications and Licensing

There is a structured path to becoming a plumber in several parts of the country and beyond. These structures help instill the necessary training and experience for successful service delivery.

As a result, you should only go for duly certified and licensed individuals. This is because choosing otherwise increases the chances of experiencing questionable service delivery.

For example, failing to secure necessary permits could lead to legal implications, exposing you to penalties for building code violations. This is in addition to other negative possibilities mentioned earlier in this article.

Consumers should, therefore, know some of the certification and licensing requirements for residential plumbing services. This puts them in a position to tell truly certified and licensed plumbers apart from false options. For example, below are some certification requirements for Illinois plumbers:

Has to be at least 18 years
Must have completed at least the second academic year of high school (or its equivalent)
Completion of an approved instructional course in a trade school, college, or university
Must have worked as an apprentice under direct supervision of a licensed plumber in Illinois for between 4 – 6 years

The above-listed are simply foundational and apprentice requirements, as there are further certification and licensing requirements. You can check here for more on this subject.

Expertise and Experience

There is a dire need to verify the expertise and experience of plumbing companies. Firstly, ascertain the service specialties listed on the company’s website. Additionally, reviewing past projects helps determine if the company has successfully handled similar jobs.

A thorough assessment of the portfolio section is a good way to do this. You can even take things a step further by visiting completed projects to see things for yourself. This will be especially important when the project you want to engage them for is a major one.

Continuous Training

The plumbing industry is constantly evolving so continuous training and retraining is important. As a result, you should choose a plumbing company that is committed to staying up to date.

For example, diagnostic services today differ vastly from how plumbers conducted these services three decades ago. For better context, there was heavy reliance on visual inspections, basic tools, and guesswork; as these services were very invasive.

However, this is far from the case today, as technology has revolutionized the industry in this regard. Today, diagnostic services have become a lot more accurate, safe, and cost-effective, which is thanks to:

Electronic Leak Detection
Video Camera Inspections
GPS Technology
Digital Pressure Testing

Besides fault identification, some of the above-listed have become instrumental for preventive maintenance. The point is that some plumbing companies still rely on old strategies even though they are less effective, and even raise safety concerns.

Such a company will not train in-house plumbers on how to leverage newer technologies and strategies, leaving them to keep depending on outdated methods. The next point is another reason for the failure to leverage newer technologies and strategies.

Equipment and Technology

The right plumbing company is not just one that has competent in-house plumbers. It is equally one that provides these professionals with the best equipment and technology. So, ensure that your choice fits this description. Making this a major selection yardstick is important because it ensures service efficiency, customer satisfaction, and increased safety.

This also means that you need to know some of the equipment and technologies that the right residential plumbing company should have. Some equipment to look out for includes:

Inspection and Diagnostic Tools – Such as the ones mentioned above
Repair and Maintenance Equipment – Pipe bursting, pipe lining, hydro-jetting, power snakes, augers, and pipe threading equipment are examples
Safety Equipment – Such as gas detectors, gloves, respirators, safety glasses, and harnesses

We know that it may be difficult for the average homeowner to know the current equipment in the plumbing industry. You should however do some basic research before hiring. For more insight into in-demand plumbing technologies, you can visit: https://www.contractormag.com/.

Reputation

You should find out about the reputation of plumbing companies before entrusting them with any task. What previous clients have to say about the company is critical.

So, make sure you leverage unbiased platforms that air the opinions and observations of previous clients. While assessing the company’s reputation, you should be more particular about aspects like:

Response Time
Scheduling Flexibility
Work Completion Record/Rate
Communication and Transparency
Detailed Estimates
Competence of Operational Staff
Cleanliness
Material Quality
Post-Service Support
Problem Resolution Strategy

Platforms like Google, Angi, and Yelp are great for reading reviews about plumbing companies left by previous clients. One can also consider more plumber-specific review platforms, provided they offer unbiased and detailed assessments.

Insurance and Warranty

There should be adequate provision for insurance and warranty regardless of how certain the company is of its competence. These are in the client’s best interest.

Conclusion

It is strongly advisable to thoughtfully consider your options before hiring any plumbing company. This is why we discussed some of the most important factors to consider when choosing. So, make an informed choice by taking the details shared here seriously.

Click the links below for any posts you have missed:

5 Signs Your Home’s Water Heater Needs Repaired or Replaced

The First Steps to a Successful Family Home Relocation

Tips for Maximizing Space with a Futon Sofa Bed in a Small Apartment

Essential Features of Reliable Outdoor Footwear

Starting an Ice Cream Bike Business

Daily Strategies to Stay Organized While Moving

I’d love for you to join my email list! You’ll receive a notification straight to your inbox which will include links to my latest home project posts! Simply enter your address below.