Choosing Plumbing Contractors

**FIRST FINDING OUT WHAT’S WRONG HELPS IN YOUR DECISION**

PICKING THE RIGHT PLUMBING CONTRACTOR FOR A PROJECT AT YOUR PROPERTY CAN SOMETIMES RESEMBLE GOING TO THE DENTIST; “IT’S VERY PAINFUL BUT NECESSARY.” AND THE LONGER YOU DELAY THE MORE EXCRUCIATING IT BECOMES.

CORRECTLY IDENTIFYING YOUR PLUMBING AND PIPING CONCERNS PRIOR TO CALLING A CONTRACTOR CAN BE VERY HELPFUL AND ENLIGHTENING. SPECIFYING THE DETAILS AND FACTS SURROUNDING YOUR PLUMBING PROBLEMS ASSISTS THE CONTRACTOR IN PROVIDING AN ESTIMATE AND RESOLVING THE SITUATION IN AN EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE MANNER. AS AN OWNER, YOU CAN IDENTIFY THESE PROBLEMS YOURSELF WITH VERY LITTLE RESEARCH AND WORK AND WORK. LOCAL TRADE ASSOCIATIONS, LIBRARIES, HOME DEPOT SUPPLY OUTLETS AND MAGAZINES ALL HAVE INFORMATION WHICH WILL BE OF ASSISTANCE. IN FACT, THE SUNDAY EDITION OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES REAL ESTATE SECTION ALWAYS HAS AN ARTICLE OR TWO ON CONSTRUCTION AND REMODEL WORK RELATED TO HOMES AND APARTMENTS. IF YOU BECOME KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THIS AREA YOU WILL BE LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF THE GAME ONCE THE CONTRACTOR STARTS THE JOB.

AFTER DETERMINING THE PROBLEM, CONTACTING THE CORRECT CONTRACTOR IS THE NEXT STEP. AS IN ANY TRADE OR CONSTRUCTING FIELD. PLUMBING HAS MANY SUB-FIELDS PICKING THE CORRECT SPECIALIST FOR THE PROJECT SHOULD BE A PLEASANT AND SMOOTH EXPERIENCE, SOME OF THE TYPES OF CONTRACTORS YOU WILL ENLIST FOR VARIOUS BIDS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

1. REPAIR PLUMBING SPECIALISTS: THESE CONTRACTORS HAVE

EXPERIENCE IN THE AREAS OF REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE, AND SERVICE. THEY SPECIALIZE IN DIAGNOSIS, ANALYSIS, AND EMERGENCY PLUMBING REPAIRS. MOST ARE AVAILABLE AROUND THE CLOCK AND PROVIDE VITAL EMERGENCY AND REPAIR SERVICES TO THOUSANDS OF HOMES AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS IN THE SOUTHLAND.

2. REMODEL PLUMBING CONTRACTORS: THESE PLUMBERS SPECIALIZE IN ADD-ON PROJECTS, CUSTOM HOMES, AND COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION JOBS. THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH MANY GENERAL CONTRACTORS, BUILDERS, AND DEVELOPERS.

3. NEW CONSTRUCTION PLUMBING CONTRACTORS: NEW CONSTRUCTION PLUMBERS HAVE EXPERTISE IN JUST THIS AREA…NEW AND INDUSTRIAL WORK. THEY WORK IN STRUCTURES THAT ARE BEING BUILT AND DO NOT HAVE OCCUPANTS OR TENANTS. NEW CONSTRUCTION PLUMBERS WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH BLUEPRINTS, AND THEY DESIGN PLUMBING WATER, WASTE, GAS AND VENTING SYSTEMS ACCORDING TO CURRENT PLUMBING CODES AND REGULATIONS. THEY MUST HAVE EXPERTISE IN COPPER WATER PIPING, WASTE/ SEWER LINES. VENTING SYSTEMS, GAS PIPING, AND FIXTURE ROUGH-INS AND SETTING FINISH.

4. COPPER REPIPING CONTRACTORS: THESE CONTRACTORS SPECIALIZE IN REPIPING OLDER BUILDINGS WITH NEW COPPER WATER SYSTEMS. THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH TENANTS AND OCCUPANTS OF THE STRUCTURE SINCE MANY OF THE BUILDINGS ARE FULLY OCCUPIED WHEN THE WORK IS OCCURING COPPER REPIPING PLUMBERS ARE TRAINED IN COMPLETING LARGE VOLUMES OF WATER PIPING SYSTEMS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME SINCE THE TENANTS CANNOT BE DISRUPTED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS WITH WATER SHUT OFFS TO THE BUILDING. MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR WATER FLOW AND RUSTY WATER PIPING ARE HANDLED BY THESE PLUMBING CONTRACTORS. THESE FOUR CONTRACTOR TYPES ALL REQUIRE C-36 PLUMBING CONTRACTOR’S LICENSES. WHICH PERTAIN TO PLUMBING AND GAS SYSTEMS.

5. SEWER PIPING CONTRACTORS; THESE CONTRACTORS MAINLY SPECIALIZE IN OUTSIDE SEWER SYSTEMS AND WORK CLOSELY WITH OWNERS AND GENERAL CONTRACTORS TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH COLLAPSED, ROOT INFESTED OR NEW SEWER OR LATERAL LINE SYSTEMS. MOST OF THIS ACTUALLY IS PERFORMED WITH BACKHOE EXCAVATING EQUIPMENT AND EXPERIENCED SEWER PIPE FITTERS. SPECIALTY CONTRACTING LICENSES ARE REQUIRED FOR SEWER- LINE WORK BEYOND THE PROPERTY LINE AND INTO THE STREET AND LATERAL AREAS.

6. FIRE SPRINKLER AND FIRE SYSTEMS PLUMBING CONTRACTORS:

THIS SPECIALTY INVOLVES FIRE SPRINKLERS AND FIRE PIPING SYSTEMS FOR BUILDINGS SUCH AS HOUSES AND STANDPIPES. A SPECIALTY LICENSE IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK. ONCE YOUR PLUMBING PROBLEM IS IDENTIFIED, IT IS EASIER TO CHOOSE A SPECIALIST BEST SUITED TO YOUR NEEDS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WOULD MOST LIKELY CONTACT A COPPER REPIPING CONTRACTOR TO REPIPE YOUR 100 UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING RATHER THAN A PLUMBING SERVICE CONTRACTOR. AT THE SAME TIME. YOU WOULD PROBABLY ENLIST THE SERVICE CONTRACTOR FOR A MAINTENANCE CONTRACT ON YOUR CONDOMINIUM INSTEAD OF USING A NEW- CONSTRUCTION PLUMBER. TAILORING YOUR NEEDS TO THE CORRECT PLUMBING CONTRACTOR IS THE FIRST STEP IN GATHERING BIDS AND ESTIMATES FOR YOUR PROJECT. HOPEFULLY WITH SOME HOMEWORK AND RESEARCH, THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR CAN BE LOCATED AND YOUR PROJECT CAN BE A VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

Challenge Plumbing, Inc OF LOS ANGELES WHICH SPECIALIZES IN APARTMENT AND MULTI UNIT COPPER REPIPING AND ASSOCIATED C-36 PLUMBING PROJECTS. THE COMPANY CAN BE REACHED AT 1-800-479-7277

CHALLENGE PLUMBING‘S QUALITY AND WORKMANSHIP BILL OF RIGHTS*

1. WE ONLY USE TYPE L COPPER PIPE; AMERICAN MADE COPPER TUBING MATERIALS; AMERICAN MADE BALL AND SHUT-OFF VALVES, ANGLE STOPS, STAINLESS STEEL FLEXIBLE CONNECTORS AND CHROME PLATED FLANGES.

2. WE ONLY USE TEMPERATURE CONTROL/PRESSURE BALANCING (CODE REQUIRED) TUB & SHOWER VALVES WITH STOPS; MANUFACTURED BY DELTA AMERICAN COMPANIES BOTH LOCATED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. ALL RISER AND SHOWER HEAR LINES WILL BE REPLACED WITH COPPER WITH NEW HEADS AND ALL CHROME TRIM.

3. WE ONLY USE TYPE L RIDGID COPPER PIPING AND IT IS ALWAYS CONCEALED IN THE WALLS AT THE INTERIOR AREAS OF THE UNITS. STRAPPING OF PIPING IS COMPLETED WITH INSULATED WIRE HANGERS, NYLON, ACOUSTIC ISOLATORS AND FELT PROTECTIONS SO COPPER PIPING DOES NOT VIBRATE, TOUCH WOOD OR PRODUCE NOISE. SOFT OR ROLLED COPPER TUBING IS ONLY USED IN RARE OCCASSIONS WHERE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY AND SOLDERING OF LINES IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

4. ALL COPPER PIPING IS REAMED TO CODE REQUIREMENTS; ONLY NO LEAD SOLDERING AND FLUX MATERIALS ARE USED ON OUR JOBS.

5. ALL WATER HEATERS ARE STRAPPED AS PER SEISMIC CODES WITH COMMERCIAL GRADE SPACE MASTER BRACKETS. ALL PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE RELIEF LINES FROM THE HEATERS WILL BE RUN TO THE CODE APPROVED OUTSIDE AREAS.

6. ALL HOT WATER LINES ARE INSULATED WITH ¾” THICK THERMOSEAL INSULATION MATERIALS AS PER CURRENT PLUMBING CODES IN ATTICS UNDER THE BUILDINGS. WATER HEATER AREAS, EXPOSED PIPING AND AT HOT WATER RETURN AND RECIRCULATION PIPING SYSTEMS. THIS FOSTERS ENERGY SAVINGS AND CONSERVATION MEASURES THROUGHOUT THE STRUCTURE.

7. ALL OLD GALVANIZE PIPING IS REMOVED FROM THE PREMISES WHEREVER POSSIBLE AND PLACED IN OUR DUMSPTER AS WELL AS OTHER DEBRIS ON THE JOBSITE.

8. ALL APTS. AND UNITS ARE PROTECTED WITH TARPS, PLASTICS AND RUNNERS DURING THE COURSE OF THE JOB. COMPLETE DAILY CLEAN UP OF THE SITE WILL OCCUR ON A REGULAR BASIS.

9. ALL PIPING PROJECTS ARE PERMITTED AND INSPECTED BY THE CITY BLDG. AND SAFETY DEPARTMENTS AND APPROPRIATE PLUMBING INSPECTORS. ALL WORK IS CONSISTENT WITH AND EXCEEDS CURRENT PLUMBING CODE STANDARDS.

10. ALL PROJECTS ARE SUPERVISED AND RUN WITH WORKING FOREMEN AT THE SITE EACH DAY.

11. ALL PAYMENTS AND JOB PROGRESS PHASES WILL HAVE APPROPRIATE LIEN RELEASES TO CLIENTS.

12. CHALLENGE PLUMBING MAINTAINS ACTIVE AND CURRENT LICENSES, LIABILITY, WORKMAN, COMPENSATIONS INSURANCES, OSHA PERMITS AND CLC IN HOUSE RESIDENTIAL INSPECTIONS AND CERTIFICATES ON FILE AND ARE PUBLIC RECORD.

13. ALL PLASTERING, PATCHING, TILE AND CEMENT FINISH WORK IS COMPLETED BY OUR “IN HOUSE” CREWS WITH STRICT CONTROLS AND QUALITY STANDARDS.

14. ALL TRENCHES AND OPEN AREAS ARE COVERED WITH SAFETY BARRIERS. DANGER TAPE AND PROTECTIVE PLANKS.

15. ALL JOBS ARE STARTED AND COMPLETED ON A TIMELY BASIS WITH STRICT COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE OFFICE AND CLIENTS. ALL JOB SITE NOTICES REGARDING WATER SHUT-OFFS AND JOB PROGRESS ARE POSTED AND HANDLED BY CHALLENGE PLUMBING, INC.