6 Tips to do When Hiring a Plumber
We experience plumbing problems in our kitchen and bathroom once in a while, especially if the plumbing system is already old. There are plumbing problems we can fix for ourselves like clogging, but once the work will involve the pipes and other complicated things in the system, we need to hire a plumber. The following are the things you should do to successfully hire one.
1. Compare Plumbers’ Hourly Rates
We always worry about our budget so as much possible we’d hire the plumber that offers the lowest rate. It might sound simple, but remember that you’ll always get what you pay for. When looking for a plumbing contractor or company, make sure that it’s reputable. Ask for your friends and family if they know of a company who have had given them a satisfactory service in the past.
Also, do not be fooled by the “reputable” companies out there. Our idea of reputable is when the company is doing business for many years but it’s not always true. Start-up companies or old companies both have worst records, the only way to check how they give services is talk to people they worked with in the past. Then you would know if you can trust them or not.
Also, when asking a company for estimate, make sure to compare it with the others. Companies differ in their hourly rate because of the way they count the hours. For example, the travel time is included in the cost. If the company is at another part of town, then you will pay more. However, there are things you can do to settle this problem. Ask their fixed hourly rate excluded the extra charges, then compare.
2. Minimize Plumbing Needs
If you really want to have a low budget for plumbing repairs, then you can save more in reducing your plumbing needs. Remember that there are simple plumbing repairs you can do on your own and there are things you can do to avoid problems in the first place. One of which you can take care of is the drain. To avoid clogging drain, do not throw away leftover foods in the sink or leave hair in the bathroom drain. If there’s an emergency like too much clogging and dripping then you might call an emergency plumber for that.
3. Reduce the Chargeable Time
Like we mentioned, contractors like plumbers in Durham will charge you per hour. If you want to save money, then save some time. Homeowners overlook this but you can actually check everything first before you call a plumber. Make a list of every problem you have on your own, even the ones which are suspicions only. The plumber will then don’t have to do a check-up anymore and will directly take care of the problems all at once. This way, you avoid additional trip charges including the checking of faucets and fixtures.
4. Buy Your Own Plumbing Fixtures
When you’re doing a remodeling and want to replace some of the fixtures, you can buy them on your own. Plumbers will typically sell you sinks, toilets and faucets they bought at a discount but still charge you full price. You can buy on your own to get the discount for yourself.