Questions to ask a plumber
Before you agree to any work, know who is coming, what the visit includes, and what you're being asked to approve.
Please explain what the diagnostic visit includes, and give me the repair scope and price before I authorize the work.
- What the visit coversFinding the cause may be charged on its own.
- The scope and the priceIn writing, so you can compare.
- Your approval comes lastNo work starts until you say yes.
Before the visit
Who is coming, and what it costs
Ask about arrival times and access. Keep the appointment details with your own notes.
- What is the business name, and who will do the work?
- Do you handle this kind of problem in my area?
- Is there a visit or diagnostic charge, even if I say no to the repair?
- Can the person who comes discuss the work in my language?
Check qualifications yourself
The FTC recommends checking a contractor's license with the state or county authority and asking for proof of insurance. A badge on a website isn't verification.
Before you say yes
Get the work in writing
The FTC recommends comparing written estimates that describe the work, materials, completion date and price. Ask what's left out and what could change the total. Compare the scope as well as the price.
Ask how changes are handled
Keep the estimate, your approval and the final invoice.
- Will you explain any extra work before starting it?
- How will a change to the scope or price be written down?
- What written warranty applies, if any, and who provides it?
- Who do I contact if there's a problem afterward?
Source
Checking a license and insurance and comparing written estimates come from the FTC. The other questions are ours, to help you prepare; they don't promise a price, an outcome or a legal right.