Questions to Ask Plumbing Companies and Their References
When choosing a plumbing company, it’s wise to ask plenty of questions.
Questions to Ask a Plumbing Company
After you have called several local plumbing companies, it’s time to take the next step and interview your favorite choices in person. Sample questions that you may want to ask include:
- How much time will the job take from ordering the new plumbing fixtures through installation?
- Will I be able to stay in my home during the plumbing work or will the water be shut off for too long to comfortably stay?
- If applicable, do you have energy-saving plumbing fixtures and other plumbing products that can save me money in the long run?
- Have you completed any similar projects recently?
- Do you have a list of customer references I can call?
- How do you finish the plumbing installations? Will you leave my bathroom or kitchen in the same or better condition than it was in before you started?
- How would I handle future plumbing service issues? Are you responsible for warranty work if there’s ever a problem with my new plumbing fixtures or products?
- What can I do to make the plumbing repair/installation process easier?
Questions to Ask a Plumber’s References
A quality plumbing contractor will be happy to provide a list of references for you to interview. Expect to receive a list of five to 10 recent customers whom you can contact. Here are some sample questions to ask these references:
- Were you satisfied with the plumbing repair/installation/service that the company provided?
- What was the type and scope of job they did for you (emergency plumbing repairs, new construction plumbing installation, fixture replacement, etc.)?
- Did they complete the work on time?
- Did the plumbers keep you up-to-date on the status of your plumbing project?
- Were there unexpected costs associated with your plumbing repairs or installation? If so, what were they for and were they avoidable?
- Did the plumbers charge extra to travel to your home?
- Did the plumbing contractors show up on time?
- Did they clean up after finishing the plumbing work?
- When you need new fixtures or plumbing repairs in the future, would you use this plumber again?
- Would you recommend their services to friends and family?
Keep in mind that references provided by plumbing companies can be cherry-picked or even fake, so you’ll need to use your best judgment when researching them. To get greater assurance, consider hiring a Diamond Certified plumber. All Diamond Certified companies have passed an in-depth rating process that most other companies can’t pass. Part of this process involves conducting telephone interviews of actual customers. References provided by a plumbing company are not equal in value to the large, random sample of customers surveyed during the Diamond Certified rating process. So, if you want quality, you’ll have confidence choosing a Diamond Certified company.
