If you’ve ever dealt with an overflowing toilet or a flooded basement, you know that plumbing emergencies are chaotic. While it’s impossible to predict when an emergency will arise, it is possible to make sure you’re prepared. Having the right emergency plumber on call will make repairing a burst pipe or leaky ceiling significantly less stressful for you and your family. Here’s what to look for in a plumber so you know who to call in an emergency.
1. Price
Price is an important factor when you’re evaluating emergency plumbers. When dealing with an emergency situation, most homeowners don’t think to ask about pricing. As a result, they get stuck with a massive bill once the problem has been resolved and no freedom to negotiate.
That’s why we recommend pro-actively finding the businesses with reasonable pricing and keeping their number on file for these occasions. While it can be difficult for businesses to quote over the phone for hypothetical emergency situations, but you can inquire about pricing for other services to get a better understanding.
That being said, you should be wary of companies that are significantly cheaper than alternatives in the same area. These companies may be using cheap materials and shortcuts to minimize costs. In emergency cases, you need to feel confident in the quality of your plumber’s work. You don’t want to be stuck dealing with the same issue in a few weeks or even days. One way to ensure you’re paying for high-quality work (and nothing more) is to check out HomeStars’ plumbing cost guide to set your cost expectations.
2. 24/7 Service
You’ll also want to look for companies that offer 24/7 service. Emergencies rarely happen when it’s convenient — you want to make sure you know who to call over the weekend and during the holiday season. A lot of companies offer what they call emergency services, but you’ll want to get in touch to clarify what these services entail.
3. Check Their Warranty & Credentials
As is the case when you’re considering hiring any home improvement business, you need to check out their credentials. Luckily, with HomeStars, it’s never been easier to ensure a company is qualified to work on your home. A blue badge on a business’s HomeStars profile indicates that they have gone through and passed our verification process. In order to become HomeStars verified, a business will need to be registered with the Canadian government, pass a criminal background and credit check as well as be up to date on all the necessary licences.
4. Read Reviews & Check Verification
When you’re dealing with an emergency, you want to feel confident that the emergency plumber you call will answer your call and show up on time. The best way to ensure that you’re dealing with a reliable business is to hear from past clients. Reviews (both good and bad) will give you a better idea of the level of customer service you can expect from the business.
Bonus: They Answer the Phone
One way to eliminate unreliable options is to call around. Remove businesses that don’t answer the phone from your list of options. You need to know that your emergency plumber will answer the phone when you need them the most.
Once you’ve found a reliable business, save their contact information in your phone. Keep a copy written down in the home and make sure that anyone who shares your home also has it saved. Trust us, when you have water flooding into your home, you’ll be thankful that you were proactive. For more details on when to call an emergency plumber, check out this article.
