Plumbers can be easy to find. You can do something like searching online for “plumbers Oregon City,” for example. Finding good ones, though, take a little bit extra work. You want to make sure that you hire ones that do a good job.

Are You Insured?

You might think about asking if they are licensed, but a plumber who is opening their own business will definitely want to have this part covered. You do want to make sure that they are insured in case something goes wrong and they get hurt on the job. If they don’t, then find another person, otherwise you may find yourself liable.

What Do You Specialize In?

What kind of question is this? You’re hiring a plumber, right? That’s true if you’re having them come in for some general work. If you’re having issues with a specific area, you want a plumber that excels in that area. Otherwise, you risk having to hire two different people.

Is Your Work Warrantied?

This is another time when you want to make sure that you’ve covered yourself. Plumbers who stand behind their work will offer a warranty. If they don’t offer a warranty, they should have a very good reason why they don’t. Then you can decide if you want to proceed or not.

Do You Have References?

This question is assuming that this is a non-emergency situation. That way, you’ll have some time to vet the plumber who comes and does the work for you. If they don’t want to offer you references, then you should walk away. You want plumbers that other people have deemed reliable. Take the time to talk it over with the references. It shouldn’t take too long, and it can give you a better idea of how well the plumber you’re considering will work.

Can You Explain Your Fees?

Here’s a situation where you need to have a plumber come to inspect the problem. Your other questions could be kind of a screening process done over the phone, but this one needs an in-person visit. Once they have done that and offered a quote, then you can have them break it down more in-depth if there are things you don’t understand. A true professional will do just that.

Don’t feel self-conscious about asking these questions. Professional plumbers know that it’s part of the business. They know that people want the best. Asking these questions can help you weed out any possible problems.

Your plumbing is a very important part of your home. You want to make sure that you entrust it to the right people. Otherwise, a regular job could turn into a very expensive one that costs you a lot more than you’d like … and you might find yourself inconvenienced for a lot longer than you’d initially expected.

If you ask the above questions, then you greatly improve your chances of finding someone who will both fit your budget and also do a great job of getting your plumbing back in order. It’s important that you put in that extra bit of effort. Then you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy things operating just like they should.

Jane