Plumbing Service is a Lot More Complicated than Meets the Eye

To the layman, a plumber is a plumber, is a plumber. They plumb, so it’s all the same…right?

In fact, this assumption couldn’t be more wrong. These days, similar to the medical industry, the plumbing industry has moved towards a focus of specialization.

Plumbing Specializations

Back in the day, a plumber would be expected to service residential houses, commercial customers, new construction, and even low-level industrial plumbing. However, in the past 10-20 years, the plumbing industry has evolved to where certain plumbers only do certain work.

Plumbers tend to sit within three camps:
1) Residential Plumbing, also referred to as Service Plumbing

2) Commercial Plumbing, focused on only commercial opportunities

3) New Construction, centered on new build outs

Consumer Expectations

What this industry development means to the average customer is that diversification—if not carefully implemented—breeds poor service.

Fifteen years ago, a young plumber would be trained and exposed to every aspect of plumbing. Today, a young plumber will select one of the three focuses above, and pursue that focus only.

On the surface, that doesn’t seem problematic. But as the economy rises and falls, situations arise and create turnover. This can lead to plumbing shops hiring residential plumbers where the skill sets may not be a perfect match. This can impact business operations when an inexperienced residential plumber is sent to assess a commercial situation. When skill capabilities don’t match plumbing demand, suboptimal results occur, and it’s the consumer who pays the price.

Smart Scoping

Selecting the wrong plumbing company can cost you hundreds of dollars when the job they performed hasn’t been completed properly—and the average homeowner won’t know until possibly weeks down the road. Most plumbing companies don’t warranty their drain cleaning for very long, as conditions can change quickly, and they don’t want to assume the blame.

When you select a company to be your plumber, be sure to look for experience in that specific market, and long-term experience in their plumbers. Use caution with companies that claim they can fix your HVAC, plumbing, electric, septic, and roof. Often technicians are pulled from different departments to meet demand, even if they lack desirable traits and training.

At Wind River Environmental, we pride ourselves on only providing experts with top-notch abilities, deep experience, up-to-date education, and high-quality results. That commitment—and delivery—is timeless.