Plumbing Portand Or- Choosing the Right Company

When choosing a good plumber for Portland you need to be choosy.

You want pick a plumbing contractor or business that knows what they are doing, offers a lot of experience, and does not charge "an arm and a leg."

This is no easy task. Take a look at the local Portland, Or Dex phone book. How many ads do you see just for "plumbing?" I personally stopped counting after I had gotten past the 250th ad.

Hopefully you will not wait to make the call until something actually breaks because when that happens panic sets in and you just want it fixed.

Instead, stop and take some time out of your schedule to do a little extra research.

If you do this you will thank yourself in the future and it will go a long way in saving you a lot of unnecessary headache and money.

Here are some things to look for when trying to choose the best Portland plumber or plumbing contractor to fit your needs.

Are They Licensed In Oregon

Check to make sure they are a licensed plumbing company. They should be able to produce a state contractor's number if they are. You can call the Oregon Contractors Construction Board or go to the CCB website to verify it.

Adequate Insurance

After that step has been successfully passed they should be able to prove they have a business license, liability insurance, a bond, and workers compensation insurance in case something goes wrong or someone gets hurt while on the job.

Those four items may seem like a lot of credentials to ask but its really not. In almost any trade industry like this these items are fairly standard. Granted, some companies choose not to have them because they do not want to pay the money but all those items just mentioned are a must for any professional plumbing business.

Legitimate Address

What is the company's address?

Do they have a real address with a real shop or do they have a PO Box which probably means they run their company out of their house.

When you answer the phone a person should be ready to assist and consult with you about any needs or services you require.

With really good plumbing companies people can call and sometimes get the people on the phone to walk them through a simple problem without having a technician even come out.

You might say "why would a company want to do this?"

Established businesses understand that there are hundreds of problems a homeowner will not be able to fix so why not help him with one small problem he or she is able to solve. 

Then when the major problems come, guess who they will call?

Upfront Pricing that Is Easily Understandable

Here is a big one. Ask about their prices and see if they are upfront about them.

A lot of plumbing companies in Portland Or, and around the country, hide their true prices.

They should tell you in advance their call-out fee, the hourly rate they charge, and the approximate price for parts.

It is standard for a plumbing company to mark up their parts 20-30% from that they purchased them for but it should not be more than the labor in most cases.

Experience Factor

Lastly, ask about a plumbing company's experience.

This includes checking out how long they have been in business. You want to company who has done and seen everything. 

The more years they have been the business, the more problems they have fixed, and the more customers they have dealt with will equal plumbers who really know what they are doing. 

There is nothing more frustrating than calling a professional to come out and them knowing less than you do!

Three to five years minimum should be enough to gain enough experience and know-how.

Follow these steps and you can weed out businesses who offer low quality service and find some really good the top notch plumbing Portland Or around the area. 

Making sure your home has a plumbing, drain, and sewer system that works well is a crucial part of your annual maintenance.

You want to make sure it is running as well as it can and following these steps will make certain that you find the right people to make that happen.