Important Questions to Ask a Commercial Plumbing Company

Important Questions to Ask a Commercial Plumbing Company

Finding a good commercial plumber is always a challenging process. You cannot know if someone is experienced or not unless they do the job. But that’s a great risk, especially for a company building. If you are moving into a new office, it is a good idea to check the plumbing first. Furthermore, you will need a good plumber for future maintenance. The best way is to ask for a recommendation from partner companies. If you receive a couple of suggestions, there are some important questions to ask a commercial plumbing company. That is the best way to decide which one to choose at the end.

Is the company licensed?

You don’t want to work with a disreputable plumbing company, especially for commercial purposes. Ask if they are licensed. That will also tell you a lot about their experience and quality, the crucial two factors for choosing a good plumber.

Ask for the credentials and past projects

Another way to make sure the commercial plumbing company is the right choice for you is to ask for their credentials. If they have been in the business for some time now, you should be able to get a list of past projects. If needed, speak with their clients to see how satisfied they were.

Ask for the breakdown of the project, and all costs

Once the plumber visits the property, they will look at all the rooms and make a list of everything that needs to be done. Ask for a complete breakdown of the entire project. You want to know the timeline, date of completion, all repairs, and the total cost. If you have any questions regarding commercial plumbing, they are the people to ask.

Regarding the cost, some plumbers work for a flat fee, while others work per hour. This is also very important. Check if you can get a free estimate before you make the deal.

Another thing that determines the price is the material. The most common situation is that the plumbing company brings all the materials and plumbing fixtures. However, you can also buy them yourself and reduce the costs. If you have a connection in the industry and can buy plumbing fixtures at a lower price, this is definitely the way to go.

Understand the current condition of the property

If you are moving into a new office building, it is crucial to know the current condition of the property. Speak with the plumber after the assessment and ask whether the plumbing needs replacement or simple fixing.

Is the plumbing company working with another partner contractor?

Doing the plumbing does not only mean replacing the pipes. Walls also might need to be torn down. Some plumbers do not touch walls, and they require the site to be prepared in advance. That means you will need to hire someone to demolish everything before the plumber starts working. However, some plumbing companies do that part themselves.

The same applies to the person that does your tiles afterward. Just be sure that the company will finish all the work and clean up after, so you don’t need to look for someone else.

Is there a warranty?

Once the plumbing repairs are done, you should be set for some time. Nevertheless, ask for a warranty. This is a good way to confirm the quality of work. If the company does not offer a warranty, maybe there is a reason for that. It does not necessarily mean that the plumber is not good. However, if you want additional security, make this a requirement.

What about regular maintenance?

When looking for a commercial plumbing company, it is a good idea to stick with the same choice for all future repairs. They already know what was done, and you are used to the quality. Changing companies is possible, but it comes with other risks.

Another benefit of staying with the same contractor is that you get VIP privileges. Ask for the regular maintenance and what the coverage hours are. You never know when something might break, so it’s good to know how fast you can get someone to fix the issues.

Let them create a maintenance plan for the future

Once all major repairs are done, it is good to know the future schedule. The building will require maintenance, so ask for a full plan that covers at least the next year. The benefit of regular maintenance is that you reduce the chances of severe plumbing issues.

Understand potential risks of the project

All plumbing projects come with certain risks. It does not happen that often, but sometimes things get out of control. That causes delays and additional expenses. Ask the plumbing company everything you want to know about commercial plumbing, how they handle delays, and what happens in that situation. It is crucial to make sure there is no price increase.

Ask for the full contract

When you make the deal, it is crucial to sign the contract before starting the project. This is your way of making sure they honor their side of the agreement. You want everything listed inside, with all prices and timelines. Also, the contract needs to cover any reasons for changes or potential price increases. If you leave things undefined, they might come back to cause problems in the future.

Ask the company if the building will be operational during the project

If you are simply doing maintenance in the existing building, make sure your employees will not be affected by the project. The business needs to continue as usual. If you are moving into the new office building, ask if the project will delay the move-in. Ask when you can contact commercial movers to handle the transfer to your brand new office and continue daily work assignments.

The summary of the most important questions to ask a commercial plumbing company

When looking for a commercial plumbing company, you always need to:

All of these are important questions to ask a commercial plumbing company before hiring them. Always require full transparency; that is the only way to know if you found the right people for the job.