The Most Important Things to Look for In a Plumbing Contractor
When I first started out as a plumbing contractor I sought the help of a retired associate and asked him what the most important thing I could do for my business would be. He told me that there were only two things to really worry about and those are pricing and quality of work. If I focus on high quality of work at a decent price I would never have to worry about keeping a customer.
He said, “If you give clients great quality at a fair price, the only problem will be whether or not you’ll always be able to provide immediate service for any emergency.” However, as in all businesses there are issues that arise when your aim is to offer quality service at an affordable price. You will have to staff your plumbing company with adequately trained and qualified workmen, and this means charging enough to compensate for the higher quality workmanship.
In most cases, a plumbing contractor does not fully focus on pricing quality of service, even though this is what is looked for most often by customers. Most plumbing companies focus on quick service and low prices. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you get a good job. In most cases this objective just causes more problems than it solves. As a plumbing contractor that focuses on quick and cheap services, you are more likely to be on the phone with unsatisfied customers demanding a return to fix the problem. As a customer of a cheap plumber you can easily be frustrated when the job you had done is not done correctly the first time.
Cheap plumbers often are not licensed or insured. In the event of an accident on your property in which the plumber gets injured, you may be held liable for the medical bills if the plumber is not insured. Another way that cheap plumbers cut costs is to use low quality parts and fixtures. Beware the low bid on a job if the plumber will not guarantee the quality of his work and the parts. While you do want quality parts and labor, don’t let yourself be talked into paying too much for anything. Do some quick research on websites such as Home Depot or Lowe’s to find out approximately how much parts should cost. For example, let the plumber know that you want a particular toilet, water heater, etc. and let him know how much you will pay for it.
Those companies that do focus on quality and service often charge exorbitant fees, and this doesn’t work either and causes them to lose customers or rely heavily on advertising for new customers. They may also have high overhead in the form of a big building and a lot of trucks, some of which may not even be in use at the time. They need to have the extra money to pay for these expenses so they have to charge more. The solution is to find a plumbing contractor that focuses on both quality and service at a fair price. That being said, even the best contractor may not be able to meet every emergency need you may have. Therefore, it is best to have a primary contractor that you trust, and a secondary who may be able to help when your main plumber is unable to get there in a timely manner.
