Evaluating a plumber in Athens or contractor of any sort in Clarke County can be a very simple task nowadays. There are a number of websites and resources which one can utilize to “get the scoop” on local plumbers in the area. Below is a short guide on how to make the best selection for your plumbing service or other home improvement contractor this spring and summer.

Customer Complaints

Plumbing is that part of your home which garners the least excitement. Your toilet may work fine for years on end and you might not ever experience a leaky faucet or need water heater repair. Yes, they might all work fine for years, consistently filling, flowing, and flushing. But on the one day you least expect it, when a pipe leaks water through the living room ceiling, the excitement that never was, suddenly becomes more than you can imagine or handle.

So, we have put together a very short guide to finding a good plumber to assist you through your plumbing crisis. As you’d expect however, not all plumbers are up to the task.  Some charge unreasonably high prices and can supplement rather than solve their customers’ plumbing issues.

You’ll want to start by making an exhaustive search of the web for complaint records that may be out there for your prospective plumbing company. We suggest stopping by and perusing the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website to narrow your field of prospects down. The BBB not only lists complaints against various companies by over one million consumers, but gives some helpful preventative tips to consumers such as:

“Read the ad. Make sure you understand the terms of the offer, sale prices, warranties offered, etc.”
“Read the contract. If your purchase involves a contract, guarantee or warranty, be sure to read and understand the specifics.”
“Talk to the business first. Before you file a complaint with BBB or fire off an angry message on social media, try to talk to the business first.”
How Much Do They Charge?

A consumer protection company with locations around the country ran a study of costs for various plumbing services in 2015.  Here is some of the data that they found:
Supply and install an InsinkErator Premier Badger 5 garbage disposal         $194     $305     $483
Supply and install a Toto Drake II toilet (model CST454CEFG)               $493        $678       $1,135
Supply and install a Kohler Forte kitchen faucet (model #10433CP)          $300        $423       $700
Supply and install a Bradford White hot water heater (model M4 5036)       $975      $1,332      $1,850

It is striking to see the differences in pricing for common tasks like garbage disposal installation, toilet installation, kitchen faucet and hot water heater installations.  The study concludes that:

“taking the time to get several bids is likely to produce substantial savings. We estimate that getting three bids instead of one for typical installation jobs saves, on average, about 15 percent. Saving $750 to $1,000 on a job is well worth arranging a few extra appointments to get estimates.”

Inviting plumbers to show up to your home to bid may not be easy and some companies don’t always show up when promised.  When solicitng multiple bids, we suggest scheduling more visits than you need so that you have enough quotes you can then cancel the remaining scheduled appointments.  Call us here at After Hours Plumbing LLC to schedule a bid anytime.  706-248-5934

Experienced Plumbing Companies

Often times, the number of years that a company has been around tells you a whole lot about the depth of expertise that the company offers,  It makes since that those with greater numbers of years under their belts should have collected the know how necessary to deal with most of the uncommon plumbing repairs that can occur.  Although not always true, years can equal wisdom in professional trades.

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Company Reviews

What are previous clients saying about the prospective company?  Living in a digital world makes many things easier and most plumbers in Watkinsville, GA rely on their websites to convey previous customer testimonials.  We have posted some of the testimonials from previous customers on our own website and are also proud to be a five star rated Google listed company in Oconee County.

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Professional Insurance

Is the company you’re looking to contract with insured?  It goes without saying that this is a must have because even the best local plumber makes mistakes. 

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Business Licenses

Many home improvement companies offer parallel services such as heating and cooling also known as HVAC, well and septic services, bathroom remodeling and the like.  The question to ask is does the company that you are looking into retain licenses to handle all of these services?  If they do, is the license expired and do county, state, and zoning licenses also apply.  These are very important documents for all professional companies to have immediately on hand as they show that the company is operating legally.  They also stipulate the different types of services that the company is permitted to offer.

Company References

Don’t be afraid to ask a prospective plumbing contractor or other home service contractor for a list of previous clients who can give positive references.  Of course, the reasoning for this is to determine what kind of experience the customer had when the company worked with them.  Was the client fully satisfied with the service they received?  There aren’t too many companies that retain a solid database of previous customers who can be contacted for references but again, feel free to ask for a list.  Here at After Hours, we would be glad to provide you with a list of happy customers who can vouch for not only the quality of our service but also our affordable plumbing repair and installation services.  Have we already mentioned that we have 27 out of 27 five star reviews on Google, . . wink, wink. . . lol.

In conclusion, we hope that this guide has been a good refresher for those of you considering doing work to your home or business this spring or summer.  We are the best value residential plumber and provide plumbing services in the Clarke County area and beyond.  

Give us a call to inquire about rates, services or even if you have general questions regarding hot water heater repair, water line installation, or sewer repair, etc.

After Hours Plumbing LLC

520 Gaines school Road

Athens Georgia, 30605

706-248-5934

afterhoursplumbingllc.com