What to Consider When Looking For A Plumber

Imagine this… You’ve just moved into your new home when your toilet starts backing up. You’ve tried everything you can think of and nothing’s working – you now know it’s time to call a plumber, but you have no idea how to choose the right one. It can be tempting to call several companies and hire the plumber with the cheapest rates, but there are other factors to consider when Looking For A Plumber.

1. Experience

You definitely want to make sure you hire a licensed plumber. When plumbing work is done incorrectly it could pose a risk to your family’s safety. There are also certain regulations that require a licensed plumber, rather than a handyman to do the work (usually when dealing with water heaters.) There are permits to be obtained and inspections to be done, and a licensed plumber will take care of all those logistics. Tradespeople are required to print their license number on any ads, so make sure you look for that when hiring someone. Also, depending on what the problem is, there’s a chance you may need a plumber who specialises in that specific area rather than just a general plumber.

2. Warranty and insurance

The plumber you hire should be insured in case there is an unexpected problem with the work he or she completes. Sometimes, especially for new installations, you can get a warranty for the work being done and the parts used.

3. Hours and availability

Plumbers often have very tight schedules, usually prioritising jobs based on urgency, so it’s always good to know upfront what their hours are and how soon you can get an appointment. If the plumber you like best has a booked-up schedule and you know it’s going to be a week or so before you can get an appointment, you might want to have a back-up in mind for any urgent situations. Also, find out if there is an after-hours number to call for any middle-of-the-night emergencies.

4. Business history

You will usually find that plumbers who have been in business for many years, will have much more knowledge due to their experience and you may feel more at ease about hiring them knowing that.

5. Cost

Although cost shouldn’t be the only factor you consider when looking for a plumber, it’s definitely still something to think about. It’s a good idea to compare quotes for services before you hire someone. Initial consultation to diagnose your plumbing issue would is helpful, that way you’ll know what is needed so you can get a few different quotes. If one plumber has particularly unreasonable rates compared to everyone else, you might consider eliminating that one from the list of possibilities. Then on the other hand, if there’s that one plumber who has incredibly low rates compared to everyone else, which could also be a red flag that they aren’t doing the most high-quality work.

With the Gold Coast‘s largest plumbing team, Oceanside Services provide competitively priced plumbing services to all areas of the Gold & Tweed Coast’s 24 hours a day 7 days a week! For any plumbing services you need, give us a call now on 07 5520 7100.