Painless Plumbing: How to Save Time and Money When Picking a Plumber

by Fransic verso
0 comments

When water and gas go wrong, finding a plumber who can fix it quickly for a fair price can be a daunting task. For those of us who are not plumbers, we do not know what the fair price is. We feel vulnerable to being ripped off.

However, there are actually some simple things we can do to protect against this and make it more likely that we choose a competent plumber who can finish the job quickly. Here is your helpful guide to getting a great service at a good price.

Choose a small or family business

Say you were looking for plumbers in Silverwater, and you google something to that effect. You are likely to find that there are two categories of plumbing service in the areas: small, family-owned operations, and big corporations.

The smaller, independent plumbers are likely to give you a better price. Why? It is partly because plumbers working for big plumbing companies often earn a commission, so they are incentivized to sell you more than you need.

Big businesses also have overheads they need to cover, and expenses like advertising. The costs get passed onto you.

Get more than one estimate

When you need to replace the food in the fridge, you know roughly what the price will be. When you have plumbing that needs doing, you probably don’t. The plumber does, of course, but they might tell you it costs more than it really does.

One way to save your money and make sure you don’t spend it unnecessarily is to ask multiple plumbers for estimates. Try to get at least three before you make a decision.

If you get three similar figures, then they are probably asking for a fair price. If two are similar and one is much larger, they might be trying to make you pay more than you need to.

Get the work done on a weekday

Some plumbers will add a premium to their price if they need to work on the weekend, a public holiday, or outside of usual working hours. If it is convenient, it is best to avoid these times and instead schedule the job for an ordinary working day.

Ask for an itemised parts estimate

This is simply a list of the parts the plumber needs to buy to do the work, and how much each one costs individually. Plumbers usually get their parts from wholesalers, paying cheaper prices than the general public, and it is normal for them to charge you a little more than they paid. But with a breakdown of each part and its price, you should be able to spot anything that seems too expensive.

If a price looks wrong, don’t be fooled if the plumber offers to show you “the price book.” It might sound official, but it is really just a list of that company’s prices. Each plumber’s price book is different.

These handy tips should help protect you and your wallet the next time you’re in need of a plumber. They should be used in addition to other common-sense research, such as checking your plumber’s qualifications or licence and reading reviews.

Related Posts

Leave a Comment