Important Questions To Ask A Plumber | New Orleans, LA
If you are a homeowner, there is no doubt that you will need the services of a professional plumber at some point. If you have not needed the services of a plumbing contractor in the past, it is just a matter of time. Unfortunately, although there are many plumbing contractors in and around New Orleans, LA, finding a good one is not necessarily easy. This is because a lot of people posing as professional plumbing services providers lack what it takes to resolve some complex plumbing issues correctly, efficiently, safely. Therefore, if you are shopping for a professional plumber, you need to do your due diligence and be prepared to ask hard questions for you to settle for the best plumbing contractor available. Below is a rundown of some important questions you need to ask a plumbing contractor before you can decide to hire them for any particular plumbing job in your house.
Are You Licensed?
Given the importance of plumbing systems in New Orleans, LA homes, plumbing is a strictly regulated trade. For plumbing contractors to offer plumbing services, they need to be licensed by the relevant local authorities. If you make the mistake of hiring an unlicensed plumber, several things might go wrong. For instance, if some of your recent plumbing installations or services have valid warranties, hiring an unlicensed plumbing contractor might effectively void the warranties. Similarly, if you have home insurance, working with an unlicensed plumbing contractor will put you at the risk of losing some of your home insurance benefits. Therefore, if the plumbing contractor you are about to hire is unwilling to show you their license, then you should avoid them completely and start looking for another one.
Are You Insured?
Plumbing jobs involve a significant level of risk. For instance, the person doing the job could suffer physical injuries, and your house might get severely damaged. Besides, some of your valuable plumbing installations, such as the water heater, might get damaged during installation or repairs. Professional plumbing companies prepared for such risks by taking insurance covers against them. Therefore, if your house needs an extensive repair job following a plumbing job, your plumbing contractor’s insurance should pay for it. Similarly, if the person doing the job sustains some injuries, you will not be the one to be held financially liable. On the other hand, if you make the mistake of hiring an uninsured plumber, you might be forced to pay for any injury and damage that might occur during the project. Therefore, before you can settle for any particular plumbing contractor, you must ensure that they are properly insured and bonded.
What Do You Specialize In?
Plumbing is quite a broad profession. Therefore, different plumbers focus on different areas of plumbing. For instance, some focus on new plumbing installations while others specialize in plumbing repairs. Some only focus on residential plumbing, while others deal with industrial or commercial plumbing. Therefore, the right plumber for you depends on the plumbing task at hand. If you have a general plumbing issue such as leaky pipe, then you can go for a general plumbing services provider. On the other hand, if you have a plumbing issue that calls for specialized skills, you need to find a specialist. For instance, if you want to install or repair a water heater, you will need to find a plumbing contractor who specializes in water heaters. This way, you can ensure that you get people who are well conversant with the issues at hand. This will consequently minimize the time and money, and given plumbing issue will cost you to resolve.
Do Your Offer Emergency Plumbing Services?
Of course, you don’t know when you are going to need the attention of a plumber. You might get home one evening only to realize that you have a plumbing issue that cannot wait to be fixed another day. For instance, if your toilet is blocked, it will make it virtually impossible for you to use your bathroom. In such a situation, you will need to call an emergency plumbing service. Therefore, before you can settle for any particular plumbing contractor, you need to ensure that they offer 24/7 emergency services. If you make the mistake of hiring a plumbing company that is not always ready to pick up your calls and respond swiftly to your plumbing problems, you might be forced to live in a serious plumbing mess for many hours or even several days.
Do Your Offer Warranty?
Plumbing installation and repair jobs can be quite expensive. Therefore, you need to ensure that the plumbing company you settle for guarantees you to do a quality job. The problem is that every plumber you meet will promise you to do a quality job. The only way to distinguish those who mean what they say from the unreliable ones is to ask if they are willing to offer warranties for their services. A good plumbing company should be willing to back its promises of quality with its own money. In other words, they should offer you a warranty to assure that they are willing to pay the cost of poor workmanship. With a warranty, you will have the right to demand free repairs if something goes wrong within the time stipulated in the warranty.
The Bottom Line
Overall, it is apparent that although there are many plumbing services providers, it is not easy to find a good one. Therefore, when it comes to shopping for a plumbing contractor, you need to know the factors you should consider and the questions you should ask to improve your odds of settling for the right plumber for the plumbing task at hand. If you are looking for a reliable plumbing contractor in New Orleans, LA, bluefrog Home Services of New Orleans is an excellent choice. We have been providing plumbing services for a long time, and we are a household name in the city. Feel free to contact us today for more information about our company and services.
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