Articles - Wednesday, January 7, 2009 14:15 - 0 Comments

Plumbing Questions for Contractors When Building a New Home

This weekend, Jan. 8-11, is the 20th Annual Home Builders Expo at the Midwest Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee. It’s the place to get ideas on landscaping, remodeling, and home products. If you are dreaming of a new home, the Expo is also great place to meet home builders and contractors and do some research.

I’ve made some inquiries of my own asking members of the Professional Plumbing Contractors (PPC) what kind of questions you should be asking them. Here’s a consensus of what they would ask if they were a homeowner.

• Are you licensed and insured? This is important because in Wisconsin, a “plumber” is someone who has completed an apprenticeship– which includes five years of classroom study and on-the-job training—and has passed a State licensing exam. State law requires plumbers to carry their plumbing license with them. For your protection, ask to see it!

• Do you offer a plumbing warranty program? The work of PPC members is automatically backed with a free, 5-year limited warranty.

• What are your service hours for regular and emergency calls? How quickly do you respond to callbacks?

• How long have you been in business and what is the size of your service force?

• What kinds of fixtures and faucets do you supply? Do you have an on-site showroom or access to a showroom for the fixtures you install?

• What kind of water distribution piping do you use…copper, CPVC or PEX? While I’m not advocating any sides, the plumbers I talked with like PEX piping because it’s quieter and more resistant to freezing. Some plumbers think a combination of piping is good, using PEX in the walls and CPVC in basements.

• How familiar are you with green plumbing techniques, such as water preservation, energy saving fixtures and tank-less water heaters?

These are just the basics. Once you start building, there are many other questions about installing things like shower and water treatment systems, back up sump pumps and water softeners, but that’s a whole other topic.