Plumber

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Currently doing waste, vent and water piping for basement finish's. Includes bathrooms, laundry rooms and wet bar facility. Water heater installations, new kitchen faucets and adjust some waste lines when undermount sinks are installed.

Q. Describe three recent jobs you've completed.

A. Large basement finish in Aurora. new drop in tub, shower, water closet, his and her lav's, powder room, new laundry room, wine room needed humidifier, wet bar and new gas line for out door grill.
Basement finish in South Pinery, new water closet, lav, shower, wet bar, new water heater, circulating pump on domestic hot water with timer to get hot water to upper shower early. New laundry room 2nd floor.
Basement finish Saddlerock, new water closet, lav and shower.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Check: licensed Journyman or Master Plumber, licensed in state and city, insured. Exchange no money until work completed or if larger job, material on site and 1st day of work completed. Never pay for more than material until 1st inspection is completed. On large jobs my terms are: Material paid for after 1st day of work than 25% underground plumbing(if required), 50% upon rough plumbing(75% if no underground required) and 25% upon final plumbing inspection.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Learning to be a plumber is like going to college. It takes four years of on the job training and 2 years of classes at a qualified learning center to take a state test for a journymans license. Then you have to work for another year to take the master plumbing test. Here is a secret;alot of service companies pay their technitians a base rate, than they get a cut of any upgrades they sell. So if you called for a basic delta kitchen faucet to be installed and the tech got you to upgrade to a nicer faucet the sale just went up. then he might sell you a new ptrap or basket strainer, or a flapper for a toilet. That $175 original ticket could be $300 or more and he would get a cut of that uping his hourly takehome rate

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. Does the work history of individual plumber match customers need, i.e. do not hire service plumber for a remodel project. do they charge for estimate, this technique is used so a consumer will not shop for alternate prices. Why would you pay three plumbers $25 to $40 to come out and give you a price on replacing a faucet? I do not charge for estimates

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Are there anyother trades needed to complet their project. Example: if you want a bathtub replaced you probably need a tile setter, a drywaller, maybe a carpenter or electritian. The quality of fixtures will have an impact on a price and scheduling of a job.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I have been in the plumbing trade for 26 years and have worked new construction, tenant finish, remodels and service work for commercial and residential customersI charge a fair price and my goal is to fix your current plumbing problem, up to code, and you will not call me for that problem for a couple of years

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I have always enjoyed the challenge of being a plumber. In new construction, remodels or service there are always problems that have to be solved. I also enjoy meeting new people and solving their plumbing problems in a way that fits thier budget while letting me make a good living.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Can i do that myself? is a question often asked. Alot of times I will offer to show a customer how to do something if they are interested. For example; I will show you how to replace a flapper in a toilet so you do'nt have to call me when the toilet in the other bathroom starts to act the same

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I had a customer call from a referral. I was the second plumber to look at his water pressure issue. When I got there they wanted to know how mutch to replace the water main from the meter to the house. I asked if I could look at the water piping in the house first. They complained that they had no water pressure. I saw that the original piping was galvinized and gave them a price to replace that with copper or pex. I also told them they probably did not need a new water main saving them about $5000