It is often that we are required to take over jobs that were started by a non licensed plumber. In most cases the property owner hired someone to save money, which is understandable. In other cases, it may have been a friend who is handy.
There are several challenges and risk associated with a non licensed plumber:
- Proper training – the person may have a skill set to repair pipes however, when working on plumbing it requires many years of training and experience. If someone is mechanically inclined, it does not necessarily mean that they are qualified to work on your plumbing system.
- Insurance – It is VERY important that the individual working on your home has the proper insurance. In the event that something goes wrong, you do not want to be responsible for the cost. Always be sure to ask the individual if they have insurance! You should also inquire about the amount and type of insurance they hold.
- Licensing – It is very important that you hire a licensed plumber to remain compliant with your local city or town. In the event something goes wrong you want to make sure that the repair work is compliant with the plumbing code. In addition, you want to have the ability to track the plumber by their license number just in case of any issues. This will also allow you to obtain old records, permits etc. as needed.
Recently in Brooklyn our customer hired a non licensed plumber to repair the sewer on her front lawn. The company began working for two days before the crew finally determined that the pipe was too deep, they could not dig by hand and the repair had to continue out into the street.
The property owner was not out the initial $6500 that she paid for the property repair and was required to hire a licensed plumber to take over for the street excavation.
