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There are very few people that get excited about having to call a plumber, and there are equally few people who have a "relationship" with a trustworthy and reputable plumber or plumbing company. This is so important for so many reasons but the main reason is to make sure you don't feel like you've been taken advantage of, personally or financially. From little clogs to large renovations, you can save or lose a lot of money.
When the need arises, it can be a daunting task to find the right company that you can trust will do a good job and charge a fair price. This is a reoccurring problem that we hear about a lot. Common phrases like:
I don't know who to call.
I don't want to get ripped off.
Does he or she know what they're doing? Are they going to do a good job or will I be left with more repairs than when I started?
Are they local?
Are they going to sell me something I don't need?
All of those reasons can be very stressful. So we have put together a simple guide to help answer some of these questions and and hopefully assist you in your decision.
So here it is, the top 5 things you should look for when choosing the best plumber for you and the reasons why:
Are they local?
Are they a licensed and insured Plumber?
Are they reputable Company?
Are they a 'Landing Page'?
Do they ask for money to quote?
So let's have a look at the breakdown of these questions.
1. Are they local?
Many people are not aware that travel time is built into the cost of a mobile tradesperson. Companies have to pay for fuel, vehicle maintenance, and a serviceperson to visit you. So if you call a plumber from another city, they will have more expenses than someone local. They will also have a smaller environmental footprint. Travelling shorter distances using less gas therefore spending less money. So number one factor should be proximity. So how do I know if they are local?
Do you see their trucks driving in your neighbourhood?
Do they use local papers, Facebook groups, etc. for advertising?
Have you heard of them before?
When you Google them do they come up on Google Maps near you?
Don't always believe the website address because you could be dealing with a "Landing Page" (See #4)
2. Are they a licensed and insured plumbing company?
It's a simple and straightforward question you can ask when calling a company. Are you a licensed and insured company? Reputable tradespeople are proud to present their license. It is an accomplishment. The same applies for insurance, if they have it, they should have no issue presenting it. Not so reputable companies avoid answering questions and make excuses.
3. Are they a reputable plumbing company? This is THE MOST important question!
Word of mouth is a great way to judge reputation. Good tradespeople always seem busy and good people always recommend them. Ask your neighbours who they have used and if they felt like they had a good and trustworthy experience. Another great place to ask is your local Facebook groups. There are Neighbourhood groups, Mom's and Dad's groups, Buy and Sell groups, there are always people willing to share their experiences good or bad. Find one specific to your area and ask away!
Online reviews are also a great source of information. But be warned that some people buy positive reviews or fake them. Google is good at finding the fakes but they are still out there so read a few before deciding.
Does the website look authentic or is it full of generic stock photos? Just because they have fancy badges and say that they're accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau) or get Awards from HomeStars, does not mean it's true! People can claim whatever they want on their website and unfortunately, there are no website detectives to verify the information on business websites. So you have to be the detective! Actually take a few minutes and have a look at the reviews on these websites and sometimes you will find that that is not the case. It can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars and a lot of headaches. We had a look at a local business in our area. The website looks really good. But a quick check on the BBB and you can see that they are not the accredited company they claim to be. They have many negative reviews. And when we looked on HomeStars, the positive reviews were clearly fake. Reviews from people that don't exist. Their profile pics are all stock pictures that were just found on the web. They can be so sneaky. See video below.
4. Is it a Landing Page?
Landing pages are websites that employ various tricks and techniques to fool Google into driving traffic to themselves. This also ties in with the above point of finding a reputable plumber and having a really good look over the website. Often the website in question is not a real company. It is designed to send leads to a third party. So, how can I tell if it's a landing page?
The address usually doesn't make sense. Often in a plaza or a building with no useable front and there are usually offices in every town around. Either the company is huge, or more likely fake. When you call they will send your information to a company local to your area and they will get a monetary kickback when they job goes through. So now you won't even be dealing with the company you called. We're not saying the company that contacts you isn't a good company, just that now you are not dealing with the company you already researched and who knows what their qualifications are.
Not a local phone number. Doesn't make sense if you have to call Vancouver to schedule an appointment with a company that is based in Toronto.
5. Do they require a payment to come out to even give you a quote?
They will often tell you that if you hire their company they will put the amount towards your final invoice. They are usually overpriced but you feel like it's the only way to recoup some of the money you've already spent. And secondly, they have may no intention of helping you with your problem. They're are simply there to collect the money and move on to the next person without actually doing any work.
Make sure any contract they want you to sign is thoroughly looked over for hidden fees.
Summary
Finding a reputable plumber does not need to be stressful. A good plumber will be local, licensed, insured, and have a good community presence. He or she should be respectful of what is perhaps your greatest asset- your home. Remember to be a detective and spend a few minutes doing some research, you could save yourself a great deal of stress and more importantly your time and money.
'If you think it's expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.'
-Red Adair