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Affordable Plumber Van Nuys
A Simple Homeowner Checklist for Hiring a Qualified, Professional Plumber!+
If you have a plumbing emergency at your home, it is advisable to quickly look for a qualified, professional plumber to fix the problem. Listed below are several ways to look for a plumber:

Check with your family or friends for a referral.
Ask a local agent for a good plumber she has used.
If you have used another contractor in your house, ask the contractor for a referral.
Check with the neighborhood plumbing supply store for a recommendation for a reputable plumbing company.
Go surfing and check the reviews of plumbers in your area. If you visit a plumber in your city on one of the favorite search engines, such as for example Google or Yahoo, you will discover the search engines "Local Listing" of plumbers geographically near you, links with their website, and customer reviews of their work.
After you find a plumber in your town, what do you look for before you hire them? This is a checklist of items you should ask a plumber... BEFORE you hire them.

Are you licensed by hawaii to do plumbing?

Always check you are working with a licensed plumber, ask to see his state license! Licensed plumbers have the work experience, training, and so are familiar with current state and local plumbing codes. Along with passing an exam to receive their license, they need to take annual continuing education to keep up to date with changes to the codes, new products, and innovations in plumbing.

In Georgia, there are a great number of skills it is advisable to succeed as a plumber. Subsequently, there are numerous steps an apprentice plumber needs to take to become a Journeyman or Master Plumber. These steps and the rules for acquiring the designation of master plumber are set by the state. You'll want 3-5 years of primary plumbing experience, references, and pass an exam to acquire a Journeyman or Master Plumbing license. For a Master Plumbers license section of your experience must include commercial or industrial plumbing. Furthermore, they should have additional certifications to test and certify backflow devices or work on septic systems.

How many years have you been in business?

A good guideline is look for plumber's which were in business for 8-10 years. Thus giving you a gauge concerning how viable and stable the business enterprise is and if they will be around to warrant the work they do on your own home.

Are Service Technicians background checked?

Would you be comfortable having their Service Technicians working in your house? A plumber should conduct a whole background check and random drug testing on all employees. Further, professional Service Technicians working in your home should be uniformed and have name tags. These Service Technicians ought to be company employees and not sub-contractors.

What are your skills and experience in plumbing?

Plumbing demands specific technical skills and knowledge. Plumbing companies use specific tools unavailable to a homeowner or a local plumbing handyman. The benefit of dealing with an experienced, qualified plumbing company is... they're equipped with all of the necessary training, skills, plumbing tools, and experience to handle all kinds of plumbing emergencies in your house.

Does your plumbing company have insurance?

A plumbing company performing service at home must have General Liability Insurance and a current Workman's Compensation insurance certificate. Upon request, the plumber will be able to supply you with a copy of his insurance.

General liability insurance covers damage that might occur to your home directly caused by the plumber. If the plumber does not have his own general liability policy, any damages would be covered by your homeowners insurance. Usually the plumber should carry at the least $500,000.00 in general liability insurance, but it is not uncommon for plumbers who do commercial plumbing to carry $3,000,000.00 in coverage.

Workman's compensation insurance covers an injury to the plumber while he is working in your home. So as a person you certainly do not need to worry about being responsible for a plumber having an accident while working in your home.

Can you offer Emergency Service after hours?

A plumbing company that advertises they have "24/7" plumbing service should have a customer service person ready to take your call after hours. Further, the plumber must have on-call or after hours plumbers available to repair your plumbing emergency.

Does the plumber use Quality Materials?

Does the plumber install quality, recognizable, brand name fixtures and materials offering manufacturer' warranties to the consumer? What brands does he stock and keep on their service trucks?The manufacturers of plumbing parts, fixtures, and appliances typically offer a limited replacement warranty on the products.

Will my work require a permit from the city or county where I live?

Typically, you must be considered a licensed Master Plumber to secure a plumbing permit. The town or county will inspect the plumbing at various times during the installation to insure that the project is done to the local and state plumbing codes. An unlicensed plumber struggles to pull the necessary permits when work has been done, and they probably are not adequately trained in current plumbing code requirements.

What exactly are your plumbing rates?

Service Plumbers charge for his or her work one of two ways, Time & Materials Pricing or Flat Rate Pricing. Let me explain the difference, that is very important.

With enough time & Materials method; the plumber charges a small "Service Fee" to mobilize to the job, an hourly rate while he could be on the job, and whatever materials were used to repair the plumbing. Usually there is a 1 hour minimum labor charge and then you're charged by the quarter hour. With plumber Van Nuys pay for the actual time it requires and materials used on the job... no more, no less.

A plumber using Flat Rate Pricing will charge a "Diagnostic Fee" to determine your plumbing problem and then will give you a flat rate quote to fix the problem. You understand up front what you will be charged for your repair. If you don't want to proceed with the repair, you're only obligated for the Diagnostic Fee.

With Flat Rate pricing it really is difficult to know how much the plumber is charging you per hour. I can tell you that the flat rate price you are given is based upon the worst case scenario for the plumbing company... what is the most time it could take for a slow plumber to fix the problem. But, after the customer has taken off work, waits for the plumber showing up, and has already been focused on the diagnostic fee, he could be hit with a whopper cost to repair a little plumbing problem.


While the Flat Rate pricing method looks attractive, normally a skilled licensed plumber can fix your plumbing emergency on a period & Material basis for less money. Furthermore, with Flat Rate pricing most Service Technicians are paid commission on the price of the ticket. Typically, the technicians have been trained by professionals to market and close an expensive sale. This can lead to abuse because the technician in your home becomes more of a salesman rather than a plumber.

Do you guarantee or warrant your projects?

A specialist plumbing company can be involved with the safety and quality of these work. They should provide homeowner a workmanship warranty and safety guarantee on the work.

Can you provide me with referrals from customers you have done work for?

A reputable plumbing company could have no issue giving references from their customers, business banker, or plumbing supply house. Also, inquire further if they are an associate of any state or national plumbing associations, local chamber of commerce, or have received any awards or recognitions in the community.

My Website: https://quickfloplumbing.com/plumbing/