subject: Choosing A Plumber In Aliso Viejo [print this page] Have you ever had that sinking feeling that you had to call a plumber? Its never a good feeling, but that feeling is made even worse when you dont know who to call. It is always best to choose a plumber before you actually need one and youre at the mercy of whichever name you happen to pick out of the phone book listings.
In general, there are two types of plumbers: those who take advantages of homeowners in crisis mode and those who dont. But whether youre in crisis mode or not, there are several things you can do to help make the right decision about who to call. It all starts with simply asking the right questions:
Are you licensed? If the plumber isnt licensed, you can hang up the phone right then and there. Of course if hes smart, hell tell you that he is, even if he isnt. This is why it is just as important that you insist that he bring his license with him to prove that he actually is. It doesnt take a genius to realize that people wont hire you if you tell them that you dont have a license.
Do you know what might have caused my leak? One of the easiest ways to get an idea of how knowledgeable a plumber is involves simply asking about the common causes for the type of leak you have. The benefit of hiring someone who knows what caused the problem in the first place is also being able to avoid doing whatever caused it again.
Have you ever fixed a ____? Fill in the blank with whatever the plumbing problem happens to be. Some plumbers spend a lot of time fixing toilets, while others have all the fancy equipment needed to detect leaks in hard to find places in your home. You definitely want someone who deals with your type of issue each and every day.
What does your fee schedule look like? Make sure that you get a complete rundown of the expected charges before he even steps his foot in your door, and when he does arrive, make sure that you get that estimate solidified in writing so that you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. Youll want to avoid plumbers that charge by the hour and instead opt for one that offers a flat fee for the job. This will ensure that the job gets done quickly and efficiently.
What kind of insurance do you have? You definitely dont want to hire someone who doesnt have insurance on their work. In this case, having insurance means that if the person causes a bigger problem than what he started with, the cost of repairs will be covered by his insurance. This protects you from having to foot the bill because the person you hired made a bad situation even worse.
