Over 480,000 American plumbers are currently working in the U.S. plumbing industry. With that many plumbers to choose from it can be difficult to figure out how to find a good plumbing contractor.
When it comes to commercial properties, the plumbing can be worth millions. You don’t want your plumbing to fail at a critical time without a good plumber that understands commercial plumbing services in your contact list.
So, keep reading to find out how to choose the right commercial plumbing company for your needs.
Make a List
The first step in finding a reputable plumber is to make a list of all the commercial plumbers in your area. You need to make sure they service your location and offer commercial plumbing services. A residential plumber won’t be good enough if you have a commercial property.
Once you’ve compiled a list you can use that as the basis of your research.
Read the Reviews
When looking for a reputable commercial plumbing company you have to read their reviews. Most people agree that reviews are just as trustworthy as recommendations from friends or family.
Make sure you’re reading reviews on a public forum and not a plumbing company’s website. They cherry-pick the testimonials to put up, so you won’t get a well-rounded picture by just reading them. When you read reviews you get an inside look at the service you can expect.
Look for recent reviews. If you read old reviews you don’t have any guarantee that the products or staff are still the same, so while someone might have loved a company three years ago, that information doesn’t help you.
You have to thoroughly read the reviews, just looking at the star rating isn’t good enough. Someone might have given them two stars based on something that you feel is pointless, so it’s important that you get context to go with the rating.
If possible, look for reviews from similar-sized commercial properties. This will give you a better idea of what you can expect.
Consider the Cost
One of the things you should look at fairly early on in your research is how much the plumbing company charges. You need to make sure you have the budget to be able to hire them, otherwise, you’ll just end up wasting your time researching various companies that you won’t be able to hire.
When you’re enquiring about the costs consider all the instances you might need a plumbing contractor for. If you’re only looking to hire them for routine maintenance you should enquire about their packages as they might be able to offer you a better rate if you have a plumbing contract with them stating you’ll need them to come out every few months.
While you’re discussing costs you should also ask if they offer emergency repair services. There’s nothing worse than having a plumbing emergency but not having access to a reputable plumber.
Ask Questions
While you’re talking to the plumbing company you need to ask them various questions. You need to find out more about any similar jobs they’ve done in the past and how that went. Remember to constantly bring it back to your specific property as you need to understand how they’ll manage the job if you hire them.
There are no stupid questions when it comes to looking for the perfect company to hire. You don’t want to restart your search for a good plumber in a few months simply because you forgot to ask if they work on Sundays.
During this process, you should make sure they have the right skills and qualifications needed to work on your commercial property.
Licensing and insurance are crucial if they’re to work on your property. The license shows you that the plumber has met all the necessary standards set by the state. It’s your responsibility to check the validity of a lumber’s license or work permit.
Ask for References
Before you sign a plumbing contract you should ask if you can speak to their references. Specifically, ask for references that had similar circumstances to yours.
When talking to their references ask them to tell you about the job they did and what they would have changed if they could go back. It’s possible that they loved everything the plumbers did, but maybe they would have been clearer on some instructions or asked for different products to be used. This will help you communicate with the company in the future as you have a better understanding of how they translate briefs.
If possible, ask them if you can come and see their property. You can then take a look at the plumbing work to help you decide if you want to go forward with this specific company.
If they won’t give you any references you should be wary. Unless it’s a new company that has recently started working in the area they should have someone you can talk to.
Choose the Best Commercial Plumbing Company
Choosing a commercial plumbing company isn’t supposed to give you a headache. As long as you read the reviews and consider the skills and experience they bring to the table you’ll be able to find a good plumber. Just make sure you’re looking at commercial plumbers as residential plumbers might not offer the services you require!
If you’re in need of commercial plumbing services, contact us today! Whatever commercial plumbing job you have, PDM Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Since 1885 can handle it. We’ve been in the plumbing business for over 100 years, so you can rest assured that we’ve got you covered. Servicing hospitality, medical, warehousing, institutional, retail, offices and more in the greater Joliet area. Satisfaction guaranteed!
