The first step to keeping yourself from hiring a fraudulent plumber is to ask questions. Any specific information you can get is a step in the right direction, but always make it a point to ask these questions:
1. Do you charge an hourly or a flat rate? If so, how long will this job take?
We have found that most people do not want an hourly plumber. Who wants someone hanging around your home all day when it is not necessary? Why should you have to pay them to take smoke breaks, eat lunch, or run to get parts they forgot?
We have also found that most estimates given over the phone without seeing the jobsite in person are nowhere near the actual cost when everything is said and done. Why bother guessing?
Sanders Plumbing charges by the job. A professional plumbing technician will be dispatched to complete a thorough evaluation and provide an exact price, not a guess. You will get the price in writing/via iPad and we will perform the work in a timely manner.
2. Will you be taking on this job by yourself or will there be others helping you?
Who are these other people that will be in your home? What is their specific purpose in being there? Are these people actual employees of the company you hired or outside subcontractors? Have they been background checked? Drug tested? How can you trust them?
Sanders Plumbing Company requires all of our plumbing technicians to undergo extensive background checks and pass drug tests. When a plumber arrives, he may have a helper with him, but they will all be employees of Sanders Plumbing Company. We will not send anyone into your home that we would not want in our own homes.
3. Which licenses and insurances do you have?
Anyone can visit http://verify.tn.gov or its redirect page, https://search.cloud.commerce.tn.gov/
On that site, you can search for the name of a business to check their license status. We are listed under “Sanders Plumbing Inc.”
Please be aware that just about anyone can purchase a business license and call themselves a plumber, but plumbing is a trade that has its own designated license to demonstrate an individual’s competency and experience in the trade.
If someone says they are licensed, ask them to clarify if it is a basic business license, a plumbing license, a Master Plumber license, limited licensed plumber (LLP), a CMC-A, etc.
The owner of Sanders Plumbing, Pete Sanders, not only holds a Master Plumber License, but an impressive CMC-A State Mechanic license on top of that. This means we can take on much larger and extensive jobs than the average LLP plumber.
Make sure any company you hire is insured and also covered under Workman’s Comp insurance, because you do not want to be liable for any accident or injury they may have while working in your home, office, business, etc. or have to file a claim with your own homeowners insurance.
Sanders Plumbing is fully insured and has WC insurance. We will gladly provide that information onsite before beginning a job, as requested.
4. Is plumbing your specialty?
Sanders Plumbing has both commercial and residential plumbing experience and certifications. We specialize in PLUMBING ONLY, that is why we are the experts in this field.
If your tradesperson does a little bit of everything, they are a master of none.
With Sanders Plumbing, you will not have to worry about any of these problems. Call us at 865-922-9175 to schedule an appointment with a professional.