What Should I Look For When Hiring a Plumber?

When hiring a plumber for jobs around your home, it's very important to find someone that will perform the work to your satisfaction. It's critical to look for a plumber with adequate licensing, proper insurance, and sufficient experience for the job.

License

There are three levels in the licensing process for plumbers. Apprentice Plumbers are those that are working through the training process. This usually entails 4 years of paid, on-the-job, training coupled with a number of classroom hours. Journeyman Plumbers are licensed by the state in which they work and have successfully passed an exam and completed the apprentice program. These plumbers are limited in the services they can perform, so it's important to ask about available services. The third, and most skilled licensed plumber is a Master Plumber. In order to become a master plumber, there is a requirement that he/she have a certain number of years as a journeyman plumber, an associate degree or vocational degree, and pass a state exam consisting of both practical and written knowledge. Depending on the job for which the plumber is needed, the license should be reviewed before making the decision to hire a particular plumbing expert. The National Contractor License Service can help with this task.

Experience

Finding a plumber to fit with your personal requirements is no easy task. Once the decision has been made on the level of training required for the job - apprentice, journeyman, or master plumber - it's crucial to find out the level of experience candidates have and if that experience is right for the intended job. Asking for references from similar jobs or from other plumbing work is ideal. It's important to call around to those numbers given to you by the plumber and ask about their work both generally and specifically. A good, qualified, plumber will take no issue with a potential employer calling around to check up on previous experience.

Insurance

When hiring a qualified plumber, one of the most important questions to ask is about insurance. Oftentimes, improvement projects do not go as smoothly as planned. Many unforeseen damages or costs could arise such as property damage or personal injury. Commercial liability insurance is very important so that the costs of these damages will be paid for and the owner is protected. In addition to insurance, plumbing experts should also be bonded. A bond will protect the owner should poor work be performed by the plumber, items are stolen from the job site, or, worse, to pay for damages due to illegal actions on the part of the plumber or staff.

We want to make sure our Guelph customers are happy, so leave the plumbing projects up to Lodder Brothers Plumbing. Don’t delay and call (226) 780-4479 today!