Why Hire a Plumber?
When your to-do list for your house contains plumbing work, who do you hire? Now I know you are saying to yourself, of course the plumbing company is going to recommend hiring a plumber. And you’re right. We do have our reasons though.
We do recognize that there are some very talented people out there who carry out a wide variety of repairs. They will do an excellent job with anything that you hire them for. Having said that, they are not specialists like a professional plumber is.
Why does this matter? A plumber has spent their career looking at and working on plumbing systems. They will recognize problems faster and have solutions based on previous experience. Their rates may be higher but they will complete the work faster and generally get it done right the first time.
Training
Plumbers start their career doing a 9000 hour apprenticeship, which takes approximately 5 years to complete. In that time, there are three sessions of school to cover theory and technical skills. Once the time, schooling, and training guidelines are signed off, plumbing apprentices must complete a written exam to complete the process. Upon passing that exam, apprentices become journeymen.
Once a plumber has become a journeyman, they are able to work on their own unsupervised. Some will continue to work for a company, while others will start their own plumbing business. Plumbing companies may focus on new construction, residential, commercial, industrial, service/repair, or a combination of the above. Quinte Plumbing is focused on service and repair for residential and commercial customers.
Plumbing is a Compulsory Trade
In Ontario, plumbing has been declared a compulsory trade. In the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021, it states that people offering service in a compulsory trade must either be a) an apprentice b) a journeyman or c) exempt. This requirement also exists for the person doing the hiring.
When you are hiring someone to complete plumbing work in your home, a licensed and insured plumber is the way to go.
Other Considerations
Make sure that you pay attention to the type of work that a plumber specializes in. Each plumber will equip themselves with parts and tools which line up with the type of work that they do. The vehicle of a service plumber is equipped differently than someone who does new construction.
Mike has chosen to specialize in service and repair. We are the ones who you would call for a pipe or fixture with a leak, slow or blocked drains, fixture replacement, and general plumbing repairs. Emergency service is one of our offerings, and we try to make sure there are appointment slots available daily to assist with unexpected problems.
If you are planning a renovation or a new construction home, you should call a plumber which specializes in construction and renovations. These are larger jobs which usually require booking in advance. Permits are also often involved, and getting a permit can take 2+ weeks, so plan ahead.
One Final Note
Plumbers in the Quinte Region can be quite busy. There are quite a few people telling us that they are having a hard time getting ahold of anybody to get work done. We do understand that this is a problem, and we will do our best to help with this situation.
Just be aware, that plumbing service and repairs don’t always fit into the neat time slots that we try to assign them. Complications can and do arise, which is why I may give a window of time for Mike to arrive later in the day. If you have provided me with a cell phone number when the appointment is booked, Mike will text you when he is on the way.