By Paul Elliott III, Family Pride Plumbing, Inc.

We all love to save money. We all work extremely hard for our money. So why not hire an unlicensed individual who specializes in nothing, and knows little about everything? Do not get us wrong there is a time and a place where an unlicensed individual works well, but not when it can negatively affect your entire home. If a non-licensed worker floods your house, causes an electrical fire, or even builds a concrete structure with no structural integrity, you as the homeowner most likely will never be compensated for your loss or re-establish the condition of your home before the incident occurred. Pricing, personal recommendations, and reviews all seem tempting, but the hidden dangers may come back and cost you ten-fold or more!

Hiring a licensed contractor provides the minimal assurance that:

1. The individual has had proper training, hands-on experience and they have taken the time to master their trade. A “master plumber” can operate their own business, pull permits and hire junior plumbers only after they’ve garnered four full years of experience and passed a rigorous C-36 plumbing contractor’s license exam.

2. The individual is bonded and insured. They must carry up to, but not limited to $1 million in liability and submit a $15,000 bond with California. And if the plumber has employees, they must carry worker’s compensation.

3. The individual understands local laws and codes, and the basics of contracts. Having work which is not to code or was not permitted properly, may hinder pulling future permits or even the sale of your home. Documentation should be provided such as bids and an agreement signed by both parties detailing the scope of the work.

4. The individual has been vetted. Contractors have been fingerprinted and have had a background check. If they do not keep up their license and state requirements, their license is forfeited and they will need to pay fines to be reinstated.

When agreeing to hire a contractor, ask for their license number and confirm it is up to date. This can be done at the California Contractors State License Board’s (CSLB) website: cslb.ca.gov.

In all reality, who you spend your money with, how you spend your money, and what you spend your money on is up to you as an individual. Again, it is your hard-earned money. But the damage caused by an unlicensed contractor may not be covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy. You may be stuck with the bill for repairs or property damage and even bodily injury if this individual hurts themselves or a third party is injured as a result of faulty work. Best to be safe!

If you are interested in working with professional plumbing services in Lake Elsinore, CA, click here to learn more.

Call Family Pride Plumbing with any questions – we are here to help!