If you look around any of the major cities around the world, there’s no denying that there are plenty of plumbing companies out there. Some primarily do residential. Some focus on the commercial side. Some only offer new construction services. And some of them do a little bit of everything. In the end, you can confidently say that homeowners and commercial facilities have more than a few options to pick from. While this certainly isn’t a bad problem to have, it can also be a little overwhelming to sift through all of the various companies (especially if you’re a first-time homeowner or have never had to hire a plumber before). After all, for our local readers, just Google “Plumbing Kansas City” and see how many results populate!
Here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, we’re proud to offer residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services. As such, we understand each sector is slightly different and in turn, may require plumbers with different skill sets. Considering the residential side is something we highlight quite often here on the blog and throughout social media, we thought it would be worthwhile to discuss some of the attributes homeowners should look for in a residential service plumber. As we mentioned in the opening paragraph, any moderately-sized city is going to have dozens of plumbing companies to pick from. We hope this blog post will help you find one capable of taking care of your plumbing needs.
With that being said, here is what we recommend considering the next time you need a plumber for some repairs around the house.
Experience
One of the most important qualities you’re looking for is experience. You don’t want a minor plumbing repair turning into a major headache. Or if your project is more extensive like a bathroom remodel, you can only imagine the ordeal that could potentially turn into if the plumber doesn’t possess the necessary experience. Luckily, in today’s day and age, you can learn a lot about a company from what you read online. This can give you insight into how long they’ve been in business, how reputable they are and what previous customers have had to say about them. We’ll touch on some of those points later in this blog.
Are they the cheapest bid?
If possible, you definitely would prefer reliable plumbing solutions without breaking the bank, right? At the same time, it’s important to understand that the cheapest bid isn’t always the best bid. The best advice on this point is to just compare a few of the prices. Now, if you’re just looking for a smaller job (like unclogging a garbage disposal or installing a faucet), this might not be as big of a deal, since most of those should be relatively quick fixes. However, for those that are having bigger projects (perhaps a water heater installation or repiping job), an alarmingly low bid could raise some red flags. This is particularly true if other reputable plumbing companies weren’t even in the same ballpark.
Reviews, reviews, reviews
In a highly competitive industry like plumbing, it can be incredibly difficult to differentiate one company from another. Considering we live in such a digital world, reviews are going to be extremely valuable. A great place to start would be checking out their Google Reviews. Google now has a feature where customers can select the service that the particular company provided, which should be some useful information for a potential customer. In addition, read through some of them and make sure they’re legitimate reviews as well. This should be fairly easy to tell, especially if you notice that they received a bunch all at once! Immediate red flag!
Who will be doing the work on-site?
While each of the topics mentioned above are fairly straightforward, you’ll want to confirm who will actually be doing the work on-site. Chances are the individual that you speak with on the phone could easily be an operations manager or dispatcher, as opposed to the actual on-site technician. In the preliminary stages, make sure to ask questions like: Does the plumber have experience with these types of projects? Will any subcontractors be working on my project? If so, do they possess all of the necessary licenses and experience? These may sound like rather nominal questions, but as we often say, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
What’s the billing process look like?
As we’ve hinted at already a few times in this blog, every plumber may operate in a slightly different manner. For example, some may prefer AO Smith water heaters, while others may exclusively install Rheem’s. Both are perfectly reliable brands, but it proves the point that each plumbing company may have varying preferences. While this example might not impact the customer that much, differences in billing styles very well could.
Depending on the project, you’ll find out that some jobs can be billed at an hourly rate, while others could be quoted. The quoted ones should be fairly cut and dry in terms of knowing what all is covered. On the other hand though, if your job will be billed at an hourly rate, it might be worthwhile to ask for an estimated time to complete the project so you have a projected total cost. This should prevent any surprises when it comes time to write out the check!
Do they provide emergency services?
As a homeowner myself, it’s safe to say that there truly is value in having local home service contractors you can trust and rely on. This is true for both the routine jobs, as well as situations that are more time-sensitive. All of this can be applied to the plumbing trades as well. As you likely know, being a residential service plumber isn’t necessarily a 9-to-5 job. In other words, it’s impossible to predict when a plumbing problem might pop up and some of the time, you don’t have a lot of time to waste. Yes, some of the issues can wait until the next business day, but that certainly doesn’t apply to all scenarios. With that being said, a final characteristic to look for in a residential service plumber is whether or not they provide emergency services. You need a contact that you can count on both during normal working hours and on evenings/weekends. In addition, you’ll want to clarify what the rates are for these off-hours calls. This will help you gauge whether it makes more sense to have them come out immediately or wait until the regular rates kick in.
Residential Service Plumbers in Kansas City!
Just as I mentioned in the introduction, bigger cities (including Kansas City) can be filled with dozens of different plumbing companies. And if you’ve never used any of them before, it can be quite overwhelming to sift through the pages upon pages of potential contractors. Luckily, if you know what to look for and what questions to ask, it won’t be hard at all to find someone perfect for your job. Along with the various points outlined above, there are certainly other characteristics worth considering, with one of those involving making sure they are licensed, insured and bonded.
One of our departments at Stine-Nichols Plumbing is solely responsible for providing residential plumbing services. New water heater installations, water softener solutions, running gas lines, drain cleaning, you name it! When we say we’re a one-stop shop for all your plumbing needs, we mean it! If you’re ever interested in getting a free estimate or having one of our technicians come out for some plumbing repairs, you’re welcome to call us at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE. We look forward to hearing from you!