Compare Apples and Plumbing Quotes

Not all plumbers are created equal. The service standard, workmanship, expertise and finished result can differ greatly from plumber to plumber. The first place you start to see differences is when you go searching for plumbing quotes.

Now, this is our speciality: professional plumbing services and we’ve worked damn hard to create a quality brand with the best team in Sydney to handle any and all plumbing jobs. SO it gets our goat when we see a “cowboy” plumber advertising services for ridiculously low prices.

Now not every plumber does this, but we have seen plumbers offering cheap services as bait to stand out from the crowd and secure your business. All they’re doing is luring in unsuspecting customers who are most probably in a plumbing emergency and just want the job done now.

In these circumstances, it REALLY PAYS to take a few moments and consider your options, look for alternatives and speak with more than one plumber to obtain a number of quotes.

I’m telling you this because I’m passionate about raising awareness in our community for these “cowboy” plumbers and letting you know there are other, more professional and safe options available.

I would love to see a time where our industry and its professionals are not known as rip off merchants, but professional and well-respected tradespeople. That’s what we’re all about at Proximity Plumbing.

Questions to Ask Any Plumber Before You Hire Them

Building a reliable relationship with the plumber is essential. You should know that a qualified professional is handling the plumbing system of your property.

Here is a list of important questions you need to ask an emergency Sydney plumber BEFORE hiring them and getting them to attend to your property. 

Do you have a license to practice plumbing in NSW?

When you go searching for plumbing quotes, make sure you’re getting a quote from a licensed plumber. This means a professionally trained plumber is working on your pipes and not an amateur. You can always do a quick search to see if your plumber is licensed or a google search to check if their website has any extra credentials (like whether they’re a member of any industry-based associations such as Master Plumbers). Protect yourself and your investment by making sure you hire the right, licensed plumber for the job. Follow This link to check your preferred contractor.

Service NSW offers this link which will tell you about current, expired, and cancelled licences under the name, licence number or ABN/ACN being searched. It is important to check the tradesperson engaged has a current licence to ensure they have the appropriate qualifications for the work you want to be done.

How Quickly Can You Arrive? 

An emergency plumber should arrive as soon as possible or be very clear on exactly how long you will have to wait. Plumbing is unpredictable when a plumbing emergency arises and most plumbers know their day will never go exactly to plan, so many plumbing companies will have one of their teams on standby for emergencies.

The amount of time you’re waiting will largely depend on your ability to choose a truly local plumber. A plumber who is near you and will be able to get to you asap.

When looking for a Sydney emergency plumber on Google we suggest skipping the ads altogether and going directly to the results matched to your search based geographically. For more information, read our article here about How to Hack The Search Engines.

Do you have insurance?

When searching for a plumbing quote, making sure the plumber is insured with current insurance is crucial; both for your and the plumber’s sake. Ideally, the plumber you will hire should possess the public liability insurance as the minimum.

How do you charge for work?

We all want to know we’re paying for quality services and not being ripped off! So, before saying “yes” to any plumber coming to your property and helping your plumbing emergency make sure you’re clear on their rates and how they charge you.

For example, they may have a call-out fee plus an hourly fee. Some plumbers may have an “emergency” surcharge. Others may charge per job or per half hour. Some providers may only take credit cards or only take cash. Look for professionalism at every step and make sure you are comfortable with the rates mentioned. Ask if there are no “extra” or “hidden” charges and whether the rate includes GST.

At Proximity Plumbing, we have a free quote service and our prices are explained thoroughly before we start so there is no surprise at the end of the job. We don’t inflate prices for emergencies and for larger jobs we do offer a payment plan option.