7 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring Plumbing & Electrical Contractor

Plumbing and electrical problems are experienced by all building owners from time to time. Such types of problems require the expertise and skills of professionals. Professionals have the right equipment and knowledge required to solve such issues at residential or commercial buildings. You cannot trust any person with electrical, plumping works. Hiring the right plumbing and electrical contractors in not easy with budget and safety being the biggest concerns.

The following are 7 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring Plumbing & Electrical Contractor:

Hiring without proper search
This is a common mistake made by majority of the people who are hiring a plumber or electrician for the first time. Most people tend to hire a family friend or a relative. It is advisable to look beyond one option in order to get the best. Nowadays, it is easy to search on newspaper advertisements, your phone directory or internet. The search will help you know the number of contractors within your proximity. You should shortlist about five contractors and invite them for an interview to find the one who is skilful and competent of them all. Interviewing any contractor before hiring is very important before you trust him to the works. The interview presents an opportunity to ask the potential candidates important questions about their works. It is during the interview when you can get relevant information about their approaches towards offering solutions to your problems. You can also ask for estimates from them. Recent studies have shown that people hiring plumping and electrical contractors without research and interview end up paying more than their budgets.

No written guarantees and warranties
You should not allow any contractor to start working on your project without asking for written guarantee on safety, quality, and environmental standards. In addition, the contractor should prove the required certifications. As much as a contractor is technically competent, it is not automatic that the work done will be completed in time and complies with highest technical, safety and environmental standards. It is unfortunate that builders do not have enough time to interview all plumbing and electrical contractors who submit their quotations. You should ensure that the contractors provide you with written guarantee that they will meet high standards.

Unsafe electrical and plumbing works
About 40 electrocutions are reported in Singapore annually. A number of damages caused by poor plumbing works are also reported. It is of essence to take care while working with electricity and fitting pipes. This explains why it is important to select a contractor who meets industry specifications and complies by set safety standards and regulations. In addition, the contractor should have qualified and trained employees on the OSHA standards. This is necessary to avoid occurrence of terrible accidents. If accidents occur they can cause negative reputation to your business. It could also cause injuries and cost lives.
Choosing based solely on price

You should never choose your next plumping or electrical contractors based on price alone. This is a competitive market where builders and home owners want to hire contractors that provide them with most reasonable returns. The cost of electrical, plumbing and civil works continues to rise every year, downward pressure on the pricing results in very tight margins with a little room for flexibility. However, if you hire a substandard contractor, this is going to cost you a lot in the long run. Plumbing and electrical works can comprise of an estimate of 20% of the total project cost. Therefore, a lot of care is needed before assigning the works to any contractor.


Hiring unqualified tradesmen
When hiring any person to do plumping and electrical works, it is important to hire only the qualified one. You should never rely on the verbal information you get, rather ask for the credentials and validate the claims. Generally, you should hire a licensed contractor with liability insurance and with a rich history of satisfied customers. Fortunately, there are a number of websites where you can get the information from. You can check the status of these contractors including license validation and complaints. Working with unqualified people is very dangerous as they may provide wrong information. If wrong information is used in installing plumbing and electrical works, then be sure damages will result. All your hard work may end up being done wrongly. This will definitely cost you money and time.

Hiring contractors unable to handle large volume of work
This is a common mistake made by most builders and home owners. They hire an electrical, plumping or painting contractor who is unable to fulfil the demands or simply unable to grow at the same rate as your company grows.

Some of the issues likely to occur from such misstep include:
· Blowout costs
· Delays
· Hiring another contractor
· Miscommunication among the contractors

Failure to plan
It is important to note that every project has its unique set of requirements. Therefore, you need electrical and plumbing contractors who have excelled previously in the similar projects. Choosing a general contractor is not a good idea has he may not have experience to handle projects different set of requirements. Avoid doing planning in the last minute and go for contractors that will help you complete your project within the stipulated timeline. Generally, hiring a plumbing or electrical contractor can be quite difficult process. However, it becomes straightforward when you avoid the above pitfalls. In this way you will be able to know what you exactly need, what you are doing and what you expect. When you have right advice, skilled professionals and a contractor who is dedicated to deliver results in time without taking shortcuts you are assured you will be successful. Working with the best in construction industry makes a huge difference.

There is no:
· Shoddy materials or equipments
· Delays or excuses
· Poor workmanship

On the other hand, hiring wrong plumbing and electrical contractors is costly not only as in monetary terms but as far as safety of site workers and future occupants. You should therefore think carefully before you hire an electrical or plumbing contractor.