If you have a problem with your drainage system and don’t know how to fix it, you should call a plumber. But rather than contacting a licensed professional, you decide to call someone who knows little about plumbing because he offers affordable services. His services may be okay, but at what risk?
You might shrug this off as if there are no risks involved. But there’s more in the equation than just an unlicensed handyman working on your piping. If you’re curious to know why hiring an unlicensed plumber is risky and might cost you a pretty penny some day, keep reading.
They Are Uninsured
It’s important to check that any plumber working for you is licensed before hiring them. The reason why this is important is that licensed plumbers are insured, unlike their unlicensed counterparts. You can also go the extra mile of confirming if your plumber has the necessary insurance coverage. Essentially, there are two types of insurance coverage, which are worker’s compensation and liability insurance.
If plumbers have both types of insurance, you’re protected from paying for any accidents that may happen during their work on your property. But if you hire unlicensed plumbers because of their inexpensive services, you will end up covering any expenses that may arise from an accident. And your homeowners’ policy may not cover the accident due to work performed by a plumber.
The Services Might Lead to Property Damage
To become a licensed plumber, these professionals go through months of training and rigorous examination to understand how to handle piping safely. Licensed plumbers understand what it takes to fix all piping problems and rarely makes mistakes. They come prepared with the right tools and skills needed to address the issue once and for all.
But unlicensed plumbers don’t have such high levels of training. All they know about plumbing is what they saw their father doing when their toilet was clogged. Besides, they don’t have the necessary tools to fix certain piping issues. Using an unlicensed plumber could lead to leakages that could cause property damage such as gas leaks, flooding, or fires.
Their Service Could Endanger Lives
Is your water heating piping system not working well? Is your gas line rattling? Hiring that unlicensed plumber might seem like a great deal because they come recommended by your friend or relative and charge less than an industry professional. But have you accounted for the danger that could arise from their unlicensed patch-ups?
Since these plumbers are not adequately trained to handle such tasks, you may have a partially fixed gas or water pipe. When the pipe eventually burst, your home could either flood or catch fire. This endangers the lives of all those around you. Other issues that could arise when you utilize the services of an unlicensed plumber include:
- Gas leaks and poisoning
- Chemical leaks and poisoning
- Sewer leaks and potential disease infections
- Electrocution when electrical wires are left uncovered
- Skin burns due to fires
All these issues place your family and neighbors’ lives at risk. And because these unlicensed plumbers don’t have insurance, you will have to pay for any damages or injuries that may result from such accidents.
More Costs
Will unlicensed plumbers give you a warranty in case complications result from their work? The quick answer is no. You won’t receive any warranty. Many unlicensed plumbers perform work as a side job to make fast, additional money.
But what happens when the job has complications after a few days, weeks, or months? And that’s likely to happen. You will have to pay them or another plumber again to have the issue fixed. You might also receive some shoddy services if you opt to go with an unlicensed plumber a second time. In the long run, you’ll end up losing more money than you’re saving.
To be on the safe side, it’s important to contact a licensed plumber if you have problems with your piping systems. You might pay more, but in the long run, you don’t have to risk unseen charges and expenses resulting from blunders of using an unlicensed plumber.
When you have a problem with your plumbing system, call a professional, licensed plumber at Works Plumbing to fix it for you. We offer 24 hours a day, seven days a week plumbing repair, installation, and drain cleaning services in Pacifica, CA. We also offer leak detection, pipelining, hydro-jetting, camera inspections, rooter services, and garbage disposal services. Contact Works Plumbing today to for more information.
