Choosing a plumber seems easy, you jump on Google. Search for “Plumber Toowoomba” and call the first few plumbers you see… But is that really the best way to get the right plumber for the job? Does that ensure that they are the plumber you want to be working on your plumbing project, or simply that they were just the easiest plumber to find? 

We’ve come up with 6 ways to tell if a plumber is trustworthy…

1. Do they have the right certifications?

Check your plumber is a Licenced Plumber and / or Gasfitter by

asking to see their card or by searching the public register.

It’s illegal to do plumbing work without authorisation, and any

work carried out by an unauthorised tradesman may void insurance

cover. It’s a good idea then to make sure your plumber is licenced to

complete your job.

Further to just the required qualifications and licences. You may also want to confirm that your plumber has current and sufficient public liability insurance, as even the best plumbers have accidents occur that are outside their control!

2. Do they have a strong team? 

Ask how many employees the company has and how much experience they have? When you call, is it an admin that answers the phone or is it someone having to stop working to talk to you? 

No man is an island, so be sure to look past your first point of contact with a company and

make sure each person you’ll be dealing with is being supported by a full team. Without

proper admin support and a number of trained tradespeople, you may find that a plumber

lacks the capacity to get your job done in a timely manner and to a proper standard, or they may end up stuck on calls for other clients whilst on your job. You don’t need to be paying for that!

3. What’s their reputation like? 

Sometimes the best way to determine the quality and service of the work of a company is to look online for testimonials from happy clients. These can be found in many places; the company's website, Google & Facebook are the most likely places to find reviews, but the list is endless. It may also pay to investigate how long has the company been around? You can ask them over the phone or search the web, ensuring reviews have been consistently strong over the life of the company is a good indication of a well run business, and a business that is still going to be around for time to come.

If a plumber has done well by others, they’ll probably do the same for you. You may

get the odd bad review - it’s almost impossible to keep everyone happy, but if there’s more than a few dissatisfied customers, alarm bells should be ringing.

4. They provide realistic pricing, quotes and timeframes

When comparing quotes, make sure you are comparing apples for apples. Ensure that each quote includes all the same components. Check that the brands that you are being supplied in one quote are the same or of equal quality to those on other quotes. 

While you should expect there to be some variation in the quotes you receive, if you find that one quote is substantially lower or higher than the rest, investigate it further.

In our experience, if it looks too good to be true - it probably is!

Many will worry about the quoted price being too high, but it should cause equal concern when a quote is too low. Ideally, your Plumber of choice will allocate enough time and resources to get

the job done right the first time. Taking the lowest possible quote may be the riskiest, and

potentially most expensive option.

5. They communicate professionally and in a timely manner

Take note of the response time and the professionalism of your communications with different Plumbers. Make sure the Plumber is able to communicate all the important details and make sure they’re able to get back to you in a timely manner.

First impressions count, and they should; if a company is slack to communicate before they

even have your business, they’re probably going to muck you around when working for

you. Yes people may get busy, which makes it hard to pick up the phone immediately, but

your Plumber should still get back to you in a timely manner.

6. A trustworthy plumber will guarantee their work

If your plumber is confident in their work, they will have no qualms in providing you with a guarantee. Ask what kind of guarantee the company will offer, and get documentation. This can be a physical copy, an email or publicly available on the company website.

Guarantees should cover a few basic things: The materials used, the workmanship, and most importantly, your satisfaction. This gives you assurance that you have something to hold your Plumber to.

If you would like to discuss your needs with a Toowoomba based plumbing company, give us a call on 0439 648 390.