Important Questions To Ask A Plumber Near Me | Houston, TX
Like other mechanical systems, your home’s plumbing system is quite likely to develop problems. Although plumbing problems are rare, they can cause serious inconveniences and put your family and home in danger when they occur. Some plumbing issues that can prompt you to seek the attention of a professional plumber include low water pressure, leaky pipes, a burst pipe, clogged drains, a blocked toilet, slab leaks, water heater problems, and dripping faucets, among others. Unfortunately, although there are many people calling themselves professional plumbers in Houston, TX finding a trustworthy plumber is not necessarily easy. This is because a lot of them lack what it takes to offer quality services. Therefore, when you are shopping for a plumber near me, you should be ready to do thorough research and ask some uncomfortable questions. Below is a rundown of the most important questions you need to ask a plumbing contractor before you can trust them with something as valuable and sensitive as your home’s plumbing infrastructure.
Are You Licensed?
The plumbing industry is regulated by local authorities in charge of water and sanitation in Houston, TX. This is meant to ensure that the people offering professional plumbing services are adequately skilled. As such, to legally offer plumbing services in the city, plumbers need to undergo years of training and pass some tests. Only those who can demonstrate that they are competent enough to solve a wide variety of plumbing issues qualify to receive a license that serves as proof of their competence. Therefore, before you can decide to trust a particular plumber near me, you need to ask them if they are duly licensed. A good plumbing contractor will be happy to display their license for everyone to see. Therefore, if a plumber seems hesitant or unwilling to show you their license, you should not risk hiring them. This is because they might not be competent enough to meet your expectations and resolve your plumbing issues decisively.
Are You Insured and Bonded?
Some plumbing jobs can be quite risky. Indeed, they can put a plumber at risk of getting seriously hurt. There are also some plumbing jobs that could leave sections of your house seriously damaged. A good plumber near me should prepare themselves for such risks by ensuring they are well-insured and bonded. If you make the mistake of hiring an uninsured plumber near me, you might be forced to pay for the property damage or injuries they might cause or sustain. On the other hand, by ensuring your plumbing contractor is insured, you can rest easy knowing that you will not be the one to be held financially liable for their mishaps. Therefore, as you consider hiring a plumbing contractor, you need to ask them if they are insured and bonded. If they are not insured, you should not allow them to lay their hands on your plumbing system.
How Long Have You Been in the Industry?
Experience is one of the most important factors to consider when hiring a plumber near me. Generally, plumbers seem to get better at their job with experience. Indeed, experience exposes them to a wide variety of plumbing situations, meaning that a more experienced plumbing contractor is more likely to be conversant with most of the plumbing issues you might run into, no matter how rare or complex they might be. If you hire an inexperienced plumber near me, they might fail to fix some plumbing issues decisively due to incompetence. Therefore, before you can trust a given plumber with your plumbing infrastructure, you need to ask them how long they have been in the business. If a plumber has not been in the industry for more than a few years, then you shouldn’t hire them.
Do You Have Any References?
References are particularly important when you want to undertake a major plumbing project, such as a plumbing system installation, a whole-house repipe, or a water heater replacement. Given the amount of money such projects involve, you want to be sure that the plumber you are about to hire will meet or exceed your expectations. As such, you need to see similar projects they have handled in the recent past. Therefore, before you can trust a given plumber near me in Houston, TX with your money and home, you need to ask them for some references. If they don’t have any references you can use to judge their capabilities, hiring them will be too risky for you as you might end up losing your money.
Will I Get a Warranty?
As you shop for a plumber near me, you need to know that no matter how trustworthy and competent the plumber you are talking to might seem, there is still a good chance they could offer substandard services and leave you disappointed. This is because the job will be done by individuals who might make mistakes. A good plumbing company should cover you against such risks by issuing a warranty for the job done. With a warranty, you will have a solid basis to hold the plumbing company accountable if something goes wrong within a given time. Therefore, you can decide to trust a given plumber near me, you need to ask if you will get a warranty for the services offered. If the answer is negative, then you should not take the risk of hiring them.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, when you are shopping for a plumbing contractor to help you handle any plumbing situation in your house, there are several factors you should consider to avoid settling for an incompetent person. Therefore, you should not shy away from asking uncomfortable questions. If you are looking for a dependable plumbing contractor, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston is the answer. We have been handling residential plumbing issues for many years, and we are conversant with most plumbing problems you might run into. Feel free to get in touch with us today to learn more about our company and services.
See our previous blog post here!