Something is wrong with your plumbing – a clogged drain, a major decrease in water pressure, or pools of standing water forming in your basement. Whatever the issue is that you are experiencing, you know that you need to address it immediately. However, you are thinking about undergoing your own DIY repair project so that you can avoid having to pay a professional to fix the problem. However, you should strongly consider hiring a residential plumbing service. This is because you need to do everything right the first time to prevent any major problems from occuring in the future. It is very easy to screw up a DIY repair project, so why take a chance when you can hire a professional to take care of the issue for you?

Do They Possess Insurance and Proper Licensing?

There are companies out there that do not possess insurance. These are usually inexperienced plumbers who want to bypass all the expenses associated with acquiring insurance and proper licensing. When hiring a plumbing service, always make sure that they possess insurance at a minimum. Why? Here is an example: the plumber undergoes the repairs that you hire them to perform. However, those repairs fall short of your expectations. In fact, the problem seems to be much worse than it was before. Without insurance, nothing can be done legally on your end to resolve the situation. When this happens, you are going to have to bite the bullet and hire someone to come in and repair the issue once again. Fully licensed and insured plumbers will possess all the training and qualifications to provide you with repair services. You should always perform a little research into their background to ensure that they are qualified to carry out repairs in the first place.

Discuss All Potential Costs

Discussions on the price of any repair service should be conducted after the plumber visits your residence and performs an inspection. A professional plumber should not be offering you an estimate over the phone. They cannot possibly know the scope of the problem when you first contact them. A reliable plumber will make you aware of all the costs it will take to perform any repairs. For example, they will make you aware of the pricing for different parts up front before performing any repairs. Also, never pay a plumber until they complete their services and everything is to your satisfaction.

Inquire About Their Range of Services

Professional plumbing services are not limited to a small number of repair procedures. A professional plumber will provide comprehensive repair and maintenance for both residential and commercial plumbing systems. They will also know exactly what to do no matter the issue you are experiencing. Also, you should ask the plumber if they offer emergency repair services that are available at any time of the day. It will provide you a great deal of relief knowing that you can call someone at any time if you are experiencing any major plumbing issues, such as a clogged septic tank at 4 a.m.

Do a Little Research Beforehand

Before you call any professional plumber, do a little research into their background. This is where the internet will really come in handy. A positive online reputation will often equate to amazing real-life services. Read some of the customer reviews to get an idea of the company’s tendencies. You can usually visit the company’s Facebook page to get a good idea of how previous customers rated their services. You also want to make sure that you and your plumber are a good match so that you can rely on them when future issues arise.

Does the Plumber Have Commercial Experience?

When researching those online reviews, you should also do a little digging into the previous clients of the plumber. Do they also provide commercial plumbing services? If so, then this is usually an indication of their versatility. Plumbing systems in residential and commercial settings differ from each other dramatically and having experience in both speaks volumes to the plumber’s competence. This information is not terribly difficult to find either. If the plumber does have experience in commercial environments, then they will usually mention it on the website. Why is this experience so important? Think of it as a litmus test for the plumber’s professionalism and reputation. No matter the plumbing problem you are experiencing, the plumber will possess all the know-how and skill to fix it.

Years in Business

The number of years the plumber has been in business also plays a role in determining if they are right for the job. The number of years that they have been providing residential plumbing repairs will speak to the quality of their services. Here is a situation you might encounter: the plumber who runs the company has multiple decades of experience, but their company is still in its infancy. Has the company had enough time to develop its communication skills or eliminate any other hindrances in its ability to provide you with quality customer service? These are legitimate questions that you should be asking when dealing with a young company.

Do They Offer Warranties?

If the service provider does not offer any warranties whatsoever, then you should avoid doing any business with them. With almost every residential plumbing service, you should expect there to be some sort of warranty. The warranty should cover the work of the plumbing as well as the parts that they are using. When the plumber offers a one-year warranty or longer, then you can usually depend on them to provide you with quality service.

Leak Detection and Repair

Leaks are one of the more common issues you will experience with your plumbing system and every professional plumber has their own procedures for detecting them. There are several reasons why leaks occur in the first place, from pipe corrosion to high water pressure to broken inner-plumbing components. Leaks will also go undetected for quite a long time if you are not diligently performing any inspections. Leaks are also what’s usually causing your water bills to skyrocket. Residential plumbing services cover leak detection and repair. However, you will want to hire an experienced plumber to handle it because leaks are sometimes an indicator of more severe plumbing issues.

Drain Cleaning Services

Clogged drains and blockages will occur in the drain of your toilet or kitchen faucet and they can become a nightmare for homeowners. The fact that your toilet is refusing to flush is something that can be frustratingly inconvenient. You should have a professional clean out your drain regularly to prevent debris and sediment from building up inside your pipes. If you fail to clean out your drains regularly, then you are at risk for severe damage to occur to your plumbing system. Broken pipes can result in flooding which will lead to water damage and cost you a hefty amount of money to repair. By hiring a residential plumbing service, you ensure that you are removing a lot of the gunk and buildup in your drainage system which will prevent future clogs from happening.

Maintenance, Installations and Replacements

For anyone who is buying a new home, or if you plan on upgrading your current system, then you will need to hire a residential plumbing service to perform any installations and replacements. You should always hire someone who is experienced and will know what your new system requires. You always want to ensure that installation will go according to plan so that there is no damage to your fixtures.

Annual inspections and regularly-scheduled maintenance will also go a long way in ensuring that you are properly taking care of your plumbing system. It is a sure-fire way to avoid emergencies and detect problems early on. For example, leaks are often very difficult to detect. They often occur behind a wall or underground where you can’t see what’s happening. Regular inspections ensure that you are detecting, diagnosing and repairing those issues before they get out of hand. A professional plumber will also provide you with recommendations on what you should do moving forward to ensure that your entire plumbing system is running smoothly and efficiently.

Have any questions regarding residential plumbing services? You can always give us a call and one of our qualified plumbers will explain everything the process entails. They can also go over warranties, pricing and the different types of repair services. It is never easy navigating the issue by yourself and it can make a huge difference to consult a professional.