You might be able to fix some household problems by yourself without calling for professional help. However, there’s just one thing most people can’t or won’t do, as this article from SFGate observes:
“Whether it’s repair or remodeling, when it comes to plumbing, most of us give up on any do-it-yourself notions and hire a professional.
For good reason: Do it wrong and you’ll have a costly mess. On the other hand, if you don’t use a plumber carefully, it can cost you dearly.”
The article cites the results of a survey conducted by the Bay Area Consumers’ Checkbook and Checkbook.org on 136 plumbers in the San Francisco Bay Area. A number were rated “superior” by their customers in terms of service quality while some got unfavorable ratings due to various reasons. Checkbook also compared price quotes on specific jobs and found big differences, but there was no connection between quality and cost with some plumbing companies that charged low receiving high grades for quality.
This can be expected in any kind of industry; you can’t please everybody and no two companies offer the same quality of service. While the study may have been done in the West Coast area, it can be applied anywhere in the U.S. such as in Austin, the capital of Texas (TX), where a number of plumbing companies operate. In fact, choosing the right plumbers in Austin, TX like Pure Plumbing Service requires the same attention and consideration.
The article offers some advice from Checkbook:
“Do your homework and specify in advance exactly what you want done. Include makes and model numbers; what kind of pipe will be used; and exactly where fixtures are to be located.
Specify clearly who is responsible for doing what – for example, for breaking up the floor, cutting holes in the wall, and carpentry and patching floors and walls.
To protect yourself against shoddy workmanship, get a warranty – at a minimum, expect one year on both materials and workmanship.
Arrange to hold back as much as possible of the full price until the work is complete.”
Once you’ve done this, you can then expect the best kind of job from a reliable Austin plumber or those from your area.
(Info from Plumbers who won’t drain you, published by SFGate, on July 06, 2013)
