As with any other industry, there are some people who take advantage of others and try to scam them out of their money. In the case of plumbing, it’s unfortunate that these scammers tend to focus on renters and first-time homebuyers looking to renovate their properties. Unfortunately, the problem with plumbing scammers is that there aren’t many red flags that will help you identify a scammer from the outset. This makes it difficult for even experienced homebuyers and renters to tell if they’re dealing with a trustworthy professional or an unscrupulous scammer looking to make a quick buck at their expense. Luckily, there are several ways to keep yourself safe from these unscrupulous individuals when planning your next plumbing project or repair.
The first thing you should do is make sure that the contractor you’re dealing with has the proper insurance coverage to protect you if something goes wrong during the course of the job. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s surprising how many contractors fail to carry the proper insurance coverage to protect themselves and their customers.While it may be tempting to skimp on your contractor’s insurance coverage, it’s better to be over-insured than under-insured. Even if it seems like your contractor has everything under control, you never know when something could go wrong and leave you with huge repair costs.
Before you sign a contract and begin work on your plumbing project, make sure that you have all of the costs and materials listed on the contract. This is important because it will allow you to track the expenses as they come in, keeping you aware of any potential overages or budget issues.While it may be tempting to sign a contract that has a high price tag, it’s better to have a detailed contract that makes it easy to track your expenses than vice versa. Keep in mind that you can always negotiate the price of your contract, but it’s up to you to decide what is and isn’t acceptable.
Another important thing to keep in mind when dealing with a contractor is to make sure that you’re insured against the possibility of an accident. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and it’s important to be prepared for them. You can either obtain commercial general liability insurance on your own, or you can ask the contractor to obtain a commercial general liability policy for the job.Ideally, you’ll want to work with a contractor who is insured in both worker’s compensation and commercial general liability. Workers’ compensation insurance is mandatory for any employee, but it’s often neglected by contractors.
Another important thing to keep in mind when dealing with a contractor is to find out as much about the company they work for as possible. This is often referred to as “due diligence,” and it involves thorough research into your contractor’s company. This should include researching the company’s reputation, finding out about their licensing status, and finding out about their insurance coverage.You can find out a lot about your contractor’s company by doing a quick online search. In addition to company websites, you can also search for contractor reviews on sites like Angie’s List or Contractor.com.
Another important thing to keep in mind when dealing with a contractor is to be wary of individuals who approach you and offer to help you with your plumbing repairs. While it’s great to have help, there are plenty of unscrupulous individuals who will offer to help you for their own benefit.Unfortunately, there are also some individuals who will offer to help you for free. While this may seem like an offer that’s too good to be true, it’s important to keep these individuals at arm’s length.
As you can see, there are many things you can do to avoid becoming the victim of a plumbing scam, which can help you save a lot of money and frustration. While this article focuses on commercial plumbing, the advice can be applied to residential plumbing projects as well. By following these tips, you can avoid falling prey to fraudulent contractors.Now that you know how to avoid commercial plumbing scammers, you can rest easy knowing that you’re well-protected when planning your next plumbing project or repair.