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How to Choose a Reliable and Honest Plumber

Back in the day, deciding on a plumber was either very easy or very hard. If you lived in a small town, you might have been lucky to have two choices. If you lived in a big city, you had plenty to choose from, but the only information you had to refer to was the phone book. How could you tell a good plumber from a bad plumber? The only way to go was to get a reference from a friend or family member.

Nowadays, Yelp, Google, and even Facebook give you access to hundreds of plumbing businesses with tens of thousands of reviews. In fact, in Sacramento alone, there are over 940 results for “plumbers” in the area.

Now, we have the opposite problem: Once you’ve narrowed down the search results to a few dozen honest plumbers with good reviews, how do you decide which one to choose? Additionally, how do you ensure that you get good service at a fair price?

Learning How To Pick a Plumber

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we must point out that an important part of keeping your plumbing repair costs down is knowing when you’re in over your head. You can take care of plenty of minor plumbing issues yourself, such as dealing with minorly clogged pipes or even installing a new kitchen faucet.

But when you’ve been at it for an hour or two and haven’t seen any positive results, it’s time to call a professional. Too much tension on a pipe running into your wall can cause damage that requires demolition work to get at the faulty system. Additionally, if the damage is really severe, you could cause water damage to floors, walls, and your home’s foundation.

Take a moment to consider whether you’re confident in what you’re doing. This is especially true if you’re working on something outside business hours. You do not want to have to call for emergency plumbing services at 10 p.m. on a Sunday because you broke something and your kitchen floor is flooding.

You’re looking at a significant expense for repairing the damage. The initial call-out alone will set you back $50 to $100, and on top of that, they may charge an additional $50 or even $75 per hour on their regular rates. As a result, the repair work will be considerably more extensive and costly than it could have been otherwise. Plus, you won’t have the luxury of time to thoroughly research and select a reputable plumber.

When in doubt, do not try to handle the plumbing repairs yourself, and call a reliable plumbing professional.

Get Honest Plumbing Reviews From Friends and Family

While we have access to thousands of reviews on our phones and computers, personal recommendations from trusted friends and family members are still worth considering. See if your loved ones have had positive experiences with local plumbers. You can also try asking relevant businesses that you have worked with, such as contractors, gardeners, realtors, property managers, and so on.

If you’re lucky, your family or friends may have some reliable plumbing reviews. If they recommend anyone to you, do your research and see what other people say about their services.

Once you’ve got a short list of plumbers who are well-recommended by friends and have solid reviews, start making phone calls. First of all, ask for their license numbers. In California, independent contractors and businesses that offer plumbing services must have a current C-36 plumbing contractor license. Any trustworthy plumber will be more than happy to provide their license number, which you can then verify on the California Contractors State License Board’s page for checking contractor’s licenses.

Here is the information for Gilmore’s contractor’s license details. This page will also show you the licenses relevant to our other professional services.

Look Out For Plumbing Company Red Flags

If a plumbing company is not licensed, don’t work with them. It doesn’t matter how great a deal they offer you; if they aren’t licensed, then they probably aren’t properly bonded either and don’t have an insurance policy to cover any damage they cause. When possible, always hire a well-established plumber who is unlikely to disappear into the night if you need further assistance.

Next, ask them about their commitment to standing by their work. If they can’t provide a guarantee, it’s best to avoid hiring them. It’s also essential to get that guarantee in writing. This is why it’s a good idea to inquire about their work history, too. After all, a guarantee won’t mean much if the business isn’t around to uphold it.

Check out our Gilmore Guarantee, which includes the lowest prices and property protection!

Thirdly, request a price quote. While they might need to visit your location before providing a precise quote, they should be able to offer a rough estimate. This allows you to compare prices from different sources. However, avoid automatically selecting the lowest bidder. Instead, use this information to eliminate anyone whose pricing seems unreasonably high.

Lastly, once you have chosen the honest plumber, don’t stop asking questions. Ask them what they’re doing and why. It’s your home, so be involved in the process. If they refuse to be open and honest about their process, that’s a red flag.

Observe how they handle their tools and what tools they’re using. If they’re professionals, they should have the right tools for the job. If it looks like they’re just making things up as they go because their tools aren’t suitable, that’s another warning sign.

Remember, it’s your home, so don’t hesitate to ask them to stop if it seems they’re in over their heads. But, if they seem competent, consider their advice. You might not always like it, but if the only issue is the cost, and they can back up their recommendations, then they probably know what they’re doing.

Finding a trustworthy plumber can be quite challenging. That’s why we encourage anyone thinking about hiring Gilmore Heating Air & Plumbing to visit our website and explore our informative blog posts. These posts are packed with valuable tips that can assist you in preventing the need for plumbing, heating, or air conditioning repairs. Additionally, we welcome you to browse the numerous reviews on Google, where several hundred satisfied customers have shared their experiences with us.

If you need an independent plumbing company in Sacramento, contact us or call us at (866) 393-8316. Whether you need fast repairs or a reliable installation, we are here to help you and your family.

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