What to Ask A Plumber Before Hiring Him

February 4, 2018 Posted By Matt O'Brien

hiring the right plumber

In this day and age of traveling con men who pretend to be tradesmen, you can’t be too careful about hiring a plumber Sydney. You need to make sure that the plumber you’re thinking about hiring is a legitimate one. Far too many homeowners have found themselves with the short end of the stick with regards to plumbing jobs.

To make sure you’re hiring the right plumber for the job, here are a few questions to ask a plumber before hiring him or her.

1. Are you a Licensed Plumber?

By law, all professional plumbers must be duly licensed. If he says yes to the above question, you can verify that by visiting any of the websites listed below:

  • ACT
  • NSW
  • New Zealand
  • Northern Territory
  • Queensland
  • South Australia
  • Tasmania
  • Victoria
  • Western Australia

2. Are you Bonded?

The law requires all professional plumbers who are doing jobs that cost more than $500 to be bonded. That bond protects you in case the plumber does not fulfill his end of the contract, as it will cover the total cost of finishing or redoing a specific job.

3. Are you Insured?

It is not unheard of for a plumber to figure in an accident while doing his job. An accident could injure him or cause a certain amount of damage at the job site. When a plumber has insurance, any damage at the site will be covered. If he has Workman’s Compensation treatment for any injuries sustained in the course of the job will be covered as well.

4. How do you Charge for your Services?

When hiring a plumber you will want at least an idea what the job will cost. Sometimes an accurate quote may take some investigation by the plumber to do and he may charge for that. Watch out for any signs that the plumber is just prolonging everything to be able to charge more though.

5. Do you have References?

One great way of finding out if you want to hire a particular plumber is to talk to former clients or employers. Clients who are satisfied with the job that he has done for them will not hesitate to recommend them to you. Conversely, customers who have had bad experiences hiring this plumber also won’t be too shy about saying a mouthful about him. So if a plumber has no references to give, move on to the next prospective plumber on your list.

6. Do you Guarantee your work?

If the plumber you’re talking to answers the above question in the affirmative, you need to ask about the duration of that guarantee as well as its coverage. Plumbers’ guarantees vary. There are some that cover only the labor, while some guarantees cover only the parts that were used during the job. For peace of mind, you need to know exactly the kind of guarantee that you are being given.

Hiring a plumber is very important simply because the plumbing system in your home is one of the most important aspects of the house. It should be handled only by qualified professional plumbers. Ask the questions enumerated above, and you can make sure that you are hiring the right plumber for the job.

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