A plumbing professional as a company will be licensed for the work they do in their State. They will have insurance on their vehicles, employees and most likely their plumbing tools. Larger cities will mandate a business to pay the city for a privilege license to provide service. The same larger cities will also require the plumber pro to pay for a bond. They will want their work inspected to protect themselves and the homeowner. The plumbing pro as a technician should be well dressed with a clean uniform, well spoken, polite, and is mindful of your personal property. The plumbing pro should use their own tools.
Not every professional plumber will be able to tackle every job thrown their way. They should however be willing to refer you to another professional with the skill-set needed to take care of you. They should be open to working with others rather than spinning wheels trying to do it all. The plumbing pro will want you as a customer for life as well as your families, this generation and the next. A person more worried about losing a few dollars by referring you for your well being is not worried about you as a customer.
Some smaller plumbing pro companies may not have a back hoe for digging up a sewer line but knows a contractor that has one that they work with and have a good re-pore. Many plumbing companies do not own drain cleaning machines for kitchen sinks and bathtubs but may rent them. If they do not own a smaller drain cleaning machine they will not own the larger machines needed for roots so they would refer you to a local drain cleaning company that specializes in this area. Another is leak detection services; most often plumbers say they offer this service because it may be obvious by seeing it. Do not be confused, leak detection is a skill-set with special equipment and training meant to find those leaks that are not visible by the naked eye and found without destroying the property.
A professional plumber knows their limitations. Whether it is experience, tools, or the ability to know when a repair is warranted versus a new installation. Here are a few questions to consider asking your plumber to find out if they are a plumbing pro:
- Are you a licensed plumber?
- Are your technicians licensed?
- Are all of your employees drug free?
- Do you hire convicted felons?
- Do you do a background check?
- Are you insured/bonded?
- Do you offer 24-hour emergency service?
- Do you charge by the hour or by the job?
- What are your service rates?
- Do you charge for travel time or going to get parts?
- Do you charge overtime rates?
- Can I email you job requests?
Expect to pay more for a professional, after all they are a illegitimate company. Some have more overhead than others so not every pro charges the same prices. Some may even offer various pricing for the specialties they offer.
Allure Plumbing
