Finding a commercial plumber who can handle your needs can be a daunting task. Loads of plumbers out there will claim they can handle a commercial job, but the truth is only a select few have the knowledge and experience to truly handle these matters properly. And that’s important because a plumber who doesn’t get things right may cause catastrophic consequences for your business, both in terms of failed safety inspections or worse, a failed fixture.
As a business owner, taking the time to protect yourself and make sure that the plumber who’s helping you is truly up to the task can save you a ton of headache, time, and money. Here are five questions you can ask any prospective Ontario commercial plumber to find out if they’re worth hiring or not.
Are You Licensed & Insured?
As a business owner, you wouldn’t dare be caught without your insurance. All it takes is one minor slip-up and you could lose everything. So why should you trust a plumber who wouldn’t do the same? Any reputable business owner is going to carry not only all appropriate professional licenses, but also a considerable insurance policy and even bonds that provide them with extra financial backup in the event something catastrophic happens. A plumber who truly cares will have the means to set things right. One that doesn’t will simply disappear and never be heard from again if their work causes a serious accident.
How Long Have You Been In Business?
This should say a lot about a business. A company that’s only been around for a few months to a year probably doesn’t have the experience of handling the needs and demands of commercial jobs and also probably doesn’t have the tools or knowledge to do things right themselves. This isn’t always true—there are some instances where a talented, knowledgeable, and experienced plumber goes out and starts their own company and they’re extremely good at what they do. However, ask them how much experience they have as a plumber themselves. Good plumbers will have years of experience to back themselves up if they haven’t been in business all that long.
Where Are You Located?
A better way to ask this question is “Do you have a physical location?” A good plumber will have a facility that serves as their base of operations and their warehouse. It’s where your phone call goes when you reach out to the company. It also means that your plumber has an investment in the community and likely isn’t going to simply take off on you when something goes wrong. If they do, you’ll know where to find them. Conversely, a plumber who only has the truck they’re driving around may be impossible to track down after something goes wrong and you need them to fix the problem they’ve created. It’s a lot less likely that you’re going to get one of these guys to honor their warranties.
What Warranties Do You Offer?
Speaking of warranties, they’re an important part of running a plumbing business as well. A good plumber will provide at least some form of a guarantee on their workmanship which means you’ll be able to call them and have them come fix the problem that may have come from either a defective product or from a fault in their workmanship. Any good plumber will be happy to do this because it’s a reflection on themselves and the pride they have in their work: nobody wants to see their work fail and they’ll hurry to go fix it if it does.
Conversely, a plumber who doesn’t offer warranties probably isn’t confident in their own skills. They’re either new and don’t have experience, or they’re simply trying to show up, take your money, do a poor job, and then take off never to be heard from again. In short, if they don’t offer a warranty or some form of a guarantee on the service they perform, choose a different plumber.
Do You Charge For Estimates?
This is important: you may not know this upfront when scheduling an appointment, but some plumbers will actually charge you a service fee just for coming to your business and taking a look at the problem. They haven’t even picked up a tool to fix the issue, but you’re already out as much as $100 or more. These are called “trip charges” and they add up quickly, especially for major work like overhauling your facility to get it up to modern codes or installation of specialized equipment.
For plumbing companies, these fees are designed to help alleviate some of the costs of doing business—paying for gas in the truck, paying for maintenance and new tires on the trucks, paying rent on the building they’re in, and much more. But make sure you know how much an estimate is going to cost you before you schedule an appointment. A good plumber will tell you this before they come out. A plumber who is simply trying to make a quick buck will show up, take a look, and then hand you a bill you didn’t know you were getting.
Need a commercial plumbing service? Choose the name Ontario has trusted for years! Call All Pro Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical at (909) 500-8193 now!