Cheap Price Equals Good Plumbing Service

Does a cheap price equate to a good job or good plumbing service? That question seems more relevant today than ever before. Through many years in the New Lenox plumbing service industry, we have heard “ I got it done for half the price you guys quoted me”. Well I’m here to tell you that if a

job that was quoted at $500.00 dollars was done for $250.00 dollars, it wasn’t what we quoted to do! There are many ways to “skin a cat” when it comes to repairing your plumbing. The way we approach every repair is to assess what the problem is and offer solutions from “Band Aid” repairs that will last only short term all the way through a repair that will ensure a long term solution that will last a lifetime. Do they get expensive? Yes! Some of the long term solutions can be expensive, but, if a solution is a “solution” that means that you don’t have to deal with it again, as opposed to a “Band Aid” solution that only puts off the inevitable long term fix.

Cheap Plumbing Repairs Can Lead To Repeated Callbacks

We have seen a long trail of “”cheap fixes” in New Lenox during my time. Some of the “repairs”, and I use that term loosely, were conducted by people and companies that call themselves plumbers. Every person who works on the drains and water system has to have a plumbers license, not just the owner. This is the law in Illinois. To obtain a plumbers license a person must study and be trained under a licensed journeyman plumber for a minimum of 4 years. He/she then must take a State of Illinois test that consists of not only written questions related to the codes or rules, but they must also pass a hands-on practical test to prove they are proficient in doing the physical work. Unfortunately, many times we see these “repairs” only after the homeowner has paid these people to fix their problem and when it doesn’t work the “contractor” won’t come back to rectify the problem. Once the “contractor” has taken the homeowner’s money at a cut rate price the possibility of them ever returning is slim if non-existent. The vast majority of the time the person actually doing the work has no plumbing license or any of the training that is required to obtain one. Without that license, any repair that person performs is lacking at best and dangerous at its worst. Do not be afraid to ask to see the technician’s license. He has to show it to you if you ask!

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words and Many Thousands of Dollars

As you can see in the photos, it is pretty incredible what some “plumbers” will call a repair! Homeowners encounter “contractors every day that

claim to be “do it all” companies. What they don’t realize, is that the carpenter that built the walls is no more qualified to install the plumbing than the same carpenter that is going the install the electric. In the industry we call them “Jack of all trades, Master of none.” The $150.00 dollar repair under your sink may seem like a great price, but it surely isn’t a great job. Many people equate a cheap price to a good job. Well I’m here to tell you that a cheap price gets you a cheap job…period. It amazes me that anyone can call some of the repairs shown in the photos, actual “repairs”. People paid for these. Does a cheap price upfront guarantee you a good job? 99% of the time, a cheap price equals a cheap job. Cheap material and cheap untrained and unqualified technicians is what you are guaranteed.

Buying products from a big box store brings its own set of issues. Don’t get me wrong, we buy certain things from them. They do serve their purpose. Cheap goods at cheap prices. Buying a $20 dollar faucet and thinking it is going to last is wishful thinking at best! Oh, and that warranty? Sure…bring her in! We’ll give you a new one! That is called a manufacturer’s warranty. Is it the installer’s fault that it leaks after a month? No. So, if you want to utilize the manufacturers warranty you have to pay someone to take it out and you either take it back and get a new one and install it yourself, or make a second appointment for them to come back to put it back in. How is that a bargain? Apply the same thought to your sump pump. It goes out in the rain storm and the Big Box guy happily exclaims over the phone, “Sure! Bring her in. We’ll give you a new one” If they’re open and if your basement doesn’t flood during the process. The difference between what the Big Box stores offer and what a Licensed, Insured Plumbing Contractor offers is a GUARANTEE. Not all contractors offer a guarantee, but we do. The difference between a warranty and a guarantee is; A warranty is supplied by the manufacturer. If their part fails in the given time frame, they will replace it…sometimes. Our Guarantee clearly states that if the manufactured parts, if supplied by us are defective, we will replace them FREE of charge. Labor included. Our guarantees vary with specific installations from 2 years all the way up to LIFETIME on certain products. Ask our friends that we work for. We stand behind everything we supply and install!

The Other Things the Cheap Plumbers Don’t Provide

As a licensed Contractor in Illinois, we are required to carry not only liability insurance, but Workman’s Compensation insurance and a Bond with

the State. Do you know that if you hire someone to work in your home and they slip and fall and hurt themselves, they can actually sue you for their lost wages and medical bills? In Illinois they can! Workman’s Compensation insurance is YOUR protection from that happening. DON’T let anyone into your home to work without it! DON’T be afraid to ask to see a copy of the insurance, every one of our technicians carries a copy of ours with him! The Bond with the state protects you as the consumer in case a plumber makes a repair or puts a system into your home or business that does not meet codes and has to be removed and redone. You have to have a plumbing contractors’ license to obtain one from an insurance company. If your “plumber” doesn’t have one, it’s a sure sign he ISN’T one.

With our economy in a shambles, many people have taken to trying to earn a living anyway they can. If that means trying to work out of their home doing repairs and remodeling at cut rate prices, then that is what they will do. I have a hard time finding fault with someone trying to feed their families in these trying times, but performing work that you are not trained to do is not only bad for the reputation of the industry, but more importantly, dishonest to the people you are working for. The economy has required that all of us who run legitimate businesses cut our operating costs to the bone. All of us have time and time again reviewed our operating costs and “cut the fat” out of our businesses. I personally believe it has been good for the legitimate contractors. It has caused us to become very sharp with our production and business costs. Half the price? Not today. Half the price should send up red flags. Insurance? License? Legitimate?

It’s the Customer Service That Brings You Back Every Time

From what we see in the industry today most all professional contractors are within 10% or less of each other when it comes to cost. We are all running our business’s lean and efficient today. Those of us that are still running service businesses are focused on customer service. Customer service is what brings you back with your future needs. Your long term loyalty is what we strive for today and we understand that your loyalty only comes through our loyalty to you…. Offering options to fit your budget as well as your needs, be it long term or just a “Band Aid” solution to get you through to better times.