3 Essential Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Plumber

Are you facing an urgent issue with your plumbing? Have you been hesitating about calling a plumber because you're confused about the process? If you've never had to hire a plumber before, the whole thing can seem confusing and more of a hassle than it's worth. A lot of people wait until things are completely and utterly broken before they call anyone to fix an issue. But the sooner you call in a plumber, the less it'll cost to have the issue repaired. To make the process easier, it helps if you have a list of questions to ask when you contact a plumber. Some of the best questions to ask are:

How soon can you finish the job? For simpler repairs, like replacing a broken faucet, the job can sometimes be completed within a few days of calling the plumber. For more serious plumbing issues, it may be a few days before a plumber is able to fit you in. This is because more complicated issues can take longer to complete. This means that the plumber may not have time in his or her schedule to fit you in right away, but that they will be able to do so in a day or two. 

What's included in your estimate? When getting estimates for plumbing repairs, it's common for the costs to appear to be wildly different. But in some cases, this may be the result of things like labor costs not being fully represented on the estimate. One plumber might include three hours of labor for a particular job, while another might only include two. If the second plumber does wind up taking three hours, you could end up paying more for the repair than you would have paid if you'd gone with the one that estimated three hours in the first place. You'll need to compare all costs in order to be sure that you've chosen the right plumber for you. 

Are you licensed and insured? You should never hire anyone to fix your plumbing unless they are fully licensed and insured. Going with a general handyman to fix your issues may seem like a good idea, but you're risking hiring someone who claims more knowledge than he or she actually has. If the repairs damage your home or aren't up to code, then you could wind up footing the bill for this even if the new issues were caused entirely by the so-called plumber. With licensing and insurance, you can be more sure that the repairs will be done correctly and that any damage caused will be paid for by their insurance company. 

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