Ensuring you find a reliable tradie who’s able to complete your plumbing work correctly and charge a fair price for doing so can be a challenging task. Luckily, there are a number of characteristics that set good tradies apart from the rest.
As established and expert plumbers in Wyong and surrounds, we feel like we know a thing thing or two about high-grade plumbing and exceptional customer care. We’ve put together a checklist of things to look out for when it comes to choosing a plumber who’s going to provide the results you’re looking for.
Check Certifications, Licensing And Master Plumber Status
Here in NSW, plumbers need to be licensed before they can trade.
You should be able to find their license number online. In addition, it’s helpful if they are a master plumber.
Awarded by the Master Plumbers Association, master plumber status shows that a plumber has reached a high level of expertise and experience in their chosen trade. It also indicates that the company has appropriate systems and processes in place to provide a safe, insured and dependable service.
Check Insurance And Warranty
Plumbers should have, as a minimum, public liability insurance. It’s also helpful if they have insurance to cover them in the event that there’s a problem with their work in the future (especially if it results in a leak or similar).
Check if the work they complete comes with a warranty. As a minimum, a good plumber should offer a 12-months warranty on workmanship. Parts should be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.
An honest, professional plumber will not only offer these guarantees and insurance covers but also be happy to provide you with proof if required.
Check They’re Qualified To Do The Work You Need
As well as basic plumbing qualifications, there are a number of specialist qualifications that cover a plumber to complete specific types of work.
Some of these include water plumbing (for sprinklers, urban irrigation and fire systems), drainage work, gas fitting work and LP gasfitting work. If you need a fire system installed, for example, it’s important to check that the plumber you want to use for the work is qualified in this specialty.
You will usually find details of the type of work they do on their website. If in doubt, it’s fine to ask whether they’ve done projects similar to yours in the past, and, if so, how many.
Can They Meet Your Deadlines?
Especially if you need work completed in a hurry, some plumbers may have more availability than others. If scheduling is a priority, it makes sense to check availability at the outset, rather than waiting until the plumber has assessed the work and quoted for the job.
A FREE Assessment, Explanation, And No-obligation Quote
The initial stages of assessment and quoting not only set the tone for the type of experience you’re likely to enjoy from your plumber, but they’re also critical from a legal perspective. As a minimum, your plumber should provide you with the following:
- A proactive response to your call as well as arrange a suitable time to visit on-site.
- Punctual attendance on site. If they’re visiting your home, they should be respectful of you, your property and other occupants.
- An accurate diagnosis of the problem.
- A clear explanation of what the problem is, along with the various options for resolving it.
- Once you’ve decided what you want to do, the plumber should provide a FREE quote. The quote should include details of what they’re going to do (and what isn’t covered) and how much it will cost.
In the event that there are added costs (for example, to remove an old boiler or similar), it should be clear what these are. Don’t be fobbed off with an estimate, as this can be amended up or down at a later date.
Remember that you don’t have to accept the quote. If you’re not happy with the initial impression the plumber gives, or if they’re not providing you with the information and/or service you want, you don’t have to use them to do the work.
Read Reviews
Established plumbers will almost always have a website with associated reviews. It’s worth taking a few minutes to see what others are saying about your chosen plumbers.
Remember to take into account how recent the reviews are and whether they relate to work that’s similar to your project requirements.
If you live in Wyong, it makes sense to use a highly regarded plumber in Wyong that is a local. Not only is supporting local businesses always a worthwhile thing to do, but a local plumber can usually attend faster in an emergency. In addition, less travel time can potentially help to keep costs down as well.
Contact Us
If you are located in Wyong and are after expert, experienced plumbers, you can contact our team for a quote today.