What to Ask Your Plumber before Hiring Them in Auckland

Hiring a plumber means whipping out the phonebook and investigating which of the hundreds of professionals suit you best. It is long and time-consuming, but by asking a number of key questions, you can find the right person for you.

JG Pumbing, based in Auckland, believes there are a number of ‘must ask’ questions you should ask any plumber on any job. In this article, we go through the questions you should always find the answers to.

Do You Charge a Flat Rate?

It is important to establish immediately whether your plumbing services in Auckland are charged by the hour or not.

Every professional is different. You might have a preference for one or the other. The main goal of this question is to make sure you know what you are likely to pay before you hire them.

Will You Carry Out a Free Assessment and Offer a Free Quote?

You shouldn’t have to pay a plumber to find out how much you need to pay to get a job done. What if they come to give you a quote and charge you for the time spent forming a quote? It is not fair and it will mean you end up paying plumbers even though you have not hired them. Thankfully, most plumbers in the city are competent enough to provide comprehensive quotes over the phone.

Will You Provide a Written Quote?

This is essential. You should always have the quote/rate written down. If you don’t, there’s no evidence a plumber ever said anything about the price. This ensures the price you pay is fair and your plumber is not being unreasonable.

Can You Offer Any Written References?

You want to know your plumber has a history of doing good work. Unfortunately, you cannot take what they say at face value. Even the worst plumber in the world will not admit they cannot do their jobs correctly.

What you need is a written reference from a previous customer. The vast majority of plumbers have no issues providing written references. Reading these will give you peace of mind when hiring them.

Do You Have Insurance?

Every plumber should have public liability insurance. They are working in a public place and you do not want to have to deal with any legal repercussions if things go wrong. All plumbers should be fully insured and should have employer’s liability insurance if they have a team working with them. You should be able to see evidence of a valid insurance policy.

If they have no insurance, they should not be practicing their profession.

What about an Emergency Service?

A Plumber in Auckland will be able to attend to you at any hour of the day or night. You need to have this assurance in place. If something goes wrong, you cannot afford to wait until the morning. What if a pipe bursts and it is leaking water (or worse raw sewage) onto your kitchen floor? Things like this cannot wait.

You can expect to pay more for an emergency plumber, but it is important to have this type of service available to you. Most prominent plumbing agencies will have this service already available for their customers.