How to choose a plumber?

[islandgirl]

I am getting quotes from plumbers on our future new house.
Just wondering what is the best way to research and choose a plumber. I know that by going with the lowest price may be the highest if headaches in the future arise..

 

[LiQuId]

reputation. talk to people who they have done jobs for and be weary of those that seem to eager.

 

[islandgirl]

I have found last time we built that asking for references is a waste of time.. they give you their mother, brother and aunt...LOL
all good references!

 

[phishfood]

Ask them what kind of work they normally do. A company that normally does commercial work does not know the best way to plumb a house. They will get it done, but there are likely to be a lot of unnecessary "additions". A company that does a lot of tract (cookie-cutter) homes will know how to do it the cheapest way possible that meets code, but that isn't what you want either.

I would look for a small shop that specializes in custom homes. They won't be the cheapest, but they will likely do the job right, be willing to spend the additional time that an owner/builder home requires, and will be likely to pass inspection the first time.

 

[LiQuId]

^^ good advice from phishfood.

If they give you relatives for refrences then keep looking.

 

[AJay]

I have a co-worker who decided to try Angie's list to find a plumber to fix a water heater leak problem. That didn't work out as they didn't find the source of the leak for quite a while.

 

[johnjh2o]

Anyone know for sure how Angie's list works? I have been told they charge the contractor a finders fee, and lead is given to more then one company. I don't know about the rest of you but I dislike someone making money off my back and experience. It's one thing for a general contractor to do it but I resent it from someone not in the trades.
Just my opinion.

John

 

[havasu]

I really don't know how it works but I can assume you pay them monthly so in the event someone calls them for a plumber, they will give them your name. I can also imagine if the next plumber paid them a buck more a month, he'd get the business and you wouldn't? Just guessing....

 

[plumberpnx]

I also agree that to avoid being in such a messy situation, you need to be very careful, when choosing a plumber. In my opinion, when choosing a plumber, make sure they are licensed in your state and town to do plumbing works.

 

[centralplumbing]

I think you want to see a genuine interest in your problem from the plumber that is coming out to give you an estimate. If he/she shows up looks at it for 30 seconds and then quotes you a price you probably want to think again about using them. I feel a good plumber will ask you many questions and explain exactly what he intends to do before spitting out a price. They should give you a few options, repair, replacement etc and explain the pro's and con's of each.
They should be happy to answer all of your questions about the issue and they should never use any kind of high pressure tactics to get you to commit to the job.

Mark
Central Plumbing | Expert Plumbers - Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Placitas and Bernalillo.