How to Select A Plumber in Houston, TX
1) Are They Licensed?
The State of Texas requires all contractors to pass a test and acquire a license before working in your home. Their license number should be on all advertisements and paperwork. The licensing process also requires them to obtain a bond and join what is called the “recovery fund”.
2) What Do People Say About Them?
Can they offer referrals? Do they have a website with photos of their work? Do they have any online reviews? Although none of these are fail proof, a combination of all three helps protect you. Generally, a good contractor retains his customers once they use him. He may be a little more expensive but cheap prices most often come with other costs. We offer referrals on request and have our customers post on several online sources if they want to.
3) What Is Your First Impression?
I know it sounds cliché but someone clean, organized, in a clean vehicle, that respects your home, is showing you that they care about details. I’ve found that they don’t skip steps when performing their job as much as others may. Sometimes people can be friendly and seem easy to talk to but pay attention to how they treat your home, your pets, and your property when they first come out. Do they have paperwork spread all over the truck. Is so much stuff on the dash that you wonder how they see out the windshield? Do they put floor protectors over their shoes to protect your floors? Do they park in your driveway? There is a lot to learn from the first 5 minutes you meet someone.
4) How Much Is This Going To Cost?
A good company has to charge enough to stay in business but not charge so much that they are outside the normally accepted rates for that type of service. If someone isn’t charging enough you should be asking yourself “Will this person come back if I have a problem?”, “Will they be in business long enough to honor my warranty period?”, “Is this person using the same quality materials as the other contractors?”, “Is this person covering the entire job from start to finish or will there be some surprises mid way through the job?”. If the bid is too high, you should bring it to the contractors attention and ask what the difference could be. Maybe that contractor found something the others missed. Maybe he has a longer warranty period that you could negotiate out of the job if you don’t need it. Maybe he has included a much better brand or level of equipment that would work better in the long run. Overall, the dollars you spend on your project are not related to the cost of hiring a poor contractor.
5) Now What Do I Do?
Now it’s time to interview. If you feel the job could be over $750 ask for an estimate. Expect to have them come out for an inspection. Don’t fall into the trap of getting estimates over the phone. There is no possible way a reputable contractor can give you a price over the phone. Even if you’re just asking for a “ballpark” number, it’s a recipe for disaster. After you call around to several places and get all your over-the-phone estimates you’re not any closer than you were when you started because you have nothing written, you have no work description, you have no idea what the warranties are, you don’t even know if they are actually going to come out and give you a written quote. It’s just not fair to put a good contractor in that position when he is willing to spend his time and money to come to your home and give you an exact quote for .
About Daniels Plumbing:
Family owned since 1986, Daniels Plumbing works hard to provide The Woodlands, Tomball, Spring, Cypress, Kingwood, and the Houston metro area with professional, high-quality plumbing services for both residential and commercial clients.
With over 25 years of experience, we work hard to consistently provide you with licensed, master plumbers performing the highest quality work at an affordable price, while providing the best in customer service.
You’ll quickly see that Daniels Plumbing is the most affordable, high quality, plumbing service in the area. Regardless of the size of the project, a licensed Daniels Plumbing professional will show up on time, diagnose the problem, provide an estimate, and with your approval will get started fixing your problem immediately.
If you are looking for a plumber in The Woodlands, Tomball, Spring or surrounding areas call us at (281) 351-6661 or contact us online to get your plumbing problem taken care of quickly. We have 24 hour service 7 days a week and there are no special charges for after- hours calls