Many people make the mistake of hiring a residential plumber or a plumbing company to fix issues in their offices and factories.
They fail to realize that the challenges, problems, and complications that offices and factories have been completely different when compared to normal homes.
Starting with the basics, in a home the number of inhabitants maybe four or six. In an average office, this extends to anything from fifty to a hundred. The same goes for a factory.
This means that as compared to normal homes, the strain on plumbing infrastructure in an office or a commercial space is much more.
In this article, we will help business owners and industrialists select the best plumbing company for their offices and factories. We list down seven important questions that can help you land on the best plumbing solution for all your commercial needs.
List of 7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Plumber for your Office and Factory
- Are they Certified and have the Licences for Work Permit?
While normal homeowners can get away with working with an unlicensed plumbing contractor, official businesses cannot. This is why the first and probably most important you need to ask is whether the plumbing company is licensed and certified to work. Most governmental authorities issue work permits and certificates for plumbers and electricians to work officially.
- Do they have Experience working with Large Commercial Establishments?
Just to give you a small example, the main drainage of any commercial facility is roughly ten times the size of a normal household. If the plumbing company does not have experience in handling such a large infrastructure, they will not be able to help you out. This is why you need to ask them about their experience of working in large offices and factories.
- Are they offering 24×7 Services and during Emergencies?
With many offices working round the clock, it is important to know whether the plumbing company works 24×7. Any stoppage of work can hit your KPIs and revenues. This is why you need to ensure that all hiccups and problems will be taken care of at any part of the day. This will give you complete peace of mind knowing that the problem is getting taken care of.
- Do they have Workers’ Insurance for their Employees or not?
While you might think that plumbing is a relatively safe field of work, it is not. Multiple things can go wrong and accidents are pretty common. As a business, you should not be liable to pay up for the injuries and accidents of the plumbing company. Asking about the insurance might seem like a small thing, but it is in essence a very important part.
- What is the Location of the Plumbing Company and how long is the distance from your office?
Again, a question that you might think does not warrant much attention. However, when your main pipe would spring a massive leak, you will realize the importance of time and the location of the plumbing company. You should look for a plumber that is located close to your commercial space. Also, look for whether they have trucks and vehicles at their disposal.
- Can you draw up a Year-Long Contract with the Plumbing Company?
Ideally, every business should be looking at a long-term relationship with a service company that is good and professional. Every business owner should look to create an official contract that binds both the parties in terms of service and payments. This will ensure that there is not a lot of bouncing around every time there is a problem. This also helps smoothen the process.
- Does the Plumbing Company do a Background Check of its Employees?
Your business space or factory is very valuable to you. This is because your factory has expensive machines and your office has a lot of data and paperwork. You would not want someone who has an anti-social history to be loitering around the campus. Asking about background checks is very important and should be cleared right away with the plumbing company.
The Bottom Line
Many experts suggest that business owners should ask for warranties and guarantees for the work that is done. If you have entered into a contract with a plumber you do not have to worry about this. This is more suited for homeowners that cannot enter into year-long contracts and agreements with plumbers.
In this article, we have tried to list down the seven most important questions that a business owner needs to ask the plumbing company. If you have any more plumbing-related questions for your commercial space, feel free to leak them in the comments section below.