You get home from a long day at work, and the unthinkable happens. Maybe it was a burst pipe, sewer line baked up, or even worse a slab leak. You need a plumber and not just any plumber, you need a licensed plumbing contractor. Unfortunately, none of us have a licensed plumber in our back pocket, and for many homeowners, they wouldn’t know where to start looking. Plumbing issues have occurred in every household; however, most get handled by the homeowner, such as minor clogs. Most homes rarely need a plumber until a plumbing problem wreaks havoc on your home. We aim to show you how to find a fully vetted plumbing contractor in less than ten minutes.
It Is Not Hard Finding A Licensed Plumbing Contractor
It’s not hard to find any contractor. Although finding them is simple, getting to know them and trusting them to hire takes a little work. Give yourself five to ten minutes, and you can learn everything you need to know. The first step is the California State License Board (CSLB), they can give you all the details you want to know about any contractor. However, what it doesn’t do is give reviews. If you have a contractor license, you can check it with CSLB Online Services.
How to get a contractor’s license from a plumbing company
- Look online and pick three companies. I prefer organic searches over paid advertisers on Google. Almost every plumbing contractor with a website has their contractor’s license posted.
- Before making the call to the plumbing company, check the company’s license status first at the CSLB.
- You can also check on a company by typing their name directly into the search bar.
Remember, not every plumber who claims to have a license has one. We’ve also seen plumbers that claim to be licensed but actually use another person’s contractor’s license. So beware, the CSLB license check takes a couple of minutes, at most.
The CSLB Will Provide The Status On Any License
CSLB will provide the public with the company’s name, address, and business phone. In addition, they’ll give you the entity, the issue date of the entity, and the expiration date. Also provided is the license status, whether it’s current or active.
More information includes:
- License Classification
- C36 – PLUMBING
- Bonding Information
- Contractor’s Bond
- Bond Number
- Bond Amount
- Effective Date
It also provides ownership information on the company. Only construction-related civil judgments that get reported to the CSLB are disclosed. CSLB lets the public know if your contractor carries workers’ compensation. It’s important to know that workers that enter your home or business are insured while working.
Have Your Questions Ready
Remember, when searching for that perfect plumbing contractor, have your non-negotiables ready.
- Do they answer their phone?
- Do they background check their plumbers?
- Do they offer senior and military discounts?
- Are they a licensed plumbing contractor?
- Do they have good reviews?
- How many years in business?
- Were they courteous and knowledgeable when you called?
- Do they offer coupons on specific services?
These are just a few questions you might want to ask your plumbing company. Build your own list of what’s important to you.
CSLB Has Excellent Features For Finding A Licensed Plumbing Contractor
If you don’t have a license number and want to locate or check on a contractor, the CSLB has an excellent feature that allows you to do that. Enter the zip code or city along with the type of contractor you’re looking for, and it will provide you with a complete list of contractors in your city or town. If you are unsure of the exact type of licensed contractor you’re looking for, no worries, there’s a drop-down menu that gives you a full list of contractors to choose from.
The CSLB Provides A Wealth Of Information
For example, I’m looking for a plumbing contractor in the 92562 area code. I used the drop-down and found the license classification C-36 – plumbing contractor. The CSLB provides a wealth of information for both consumers and contractors. Below is a list of resources you can expect from the CSLB.
- Checklist for Pre Screening Contractors (PDF)
- Ten Tips for Making Sure Your Contractor Measures Up (PDF)
- Mandatory Arbitration Program Guide (PDF)
- Voluntary Arbitration Program Guide (PDF)
- A Consumer Guide to Asbestos (PDF)
- What Seniors Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor(PDF)
- What You Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor (PDF)
- A Consumer Guide to Filing Construction Complaints (PDF)
- A Consumer Guide to Home Improvement Contracts (PDF)
- After A Disaster Don’t Get Scammed (PDF)
And the list goes on.
Your Call Will Get Answered By A Professional
Big B’s Plumbing is a full-service C-36 licensed plumbing contractor. We have been serving Murrieta, Temecula, North San Diego, and the Greater Inland Empire for over a decade. We’re an A+ rated plumbing company with the Better Business Bureau and have over a thousand top-notch reviews on Yelp!, Google My Business, and Facebook. Every phone call gets answered by a knowledgeable customer service professional.
