True story: I’m on a road trip for a long weekend on a Friday afternoon, and a tenant calls and says the plumbing is completely backed up. What do I do?
After a few panic calls to my dad and a friend for advice, I decide to call the only plumber I know of from their well-marked vans that I’ve seen driving around on the highway – Roto-Rooter. They come out the next day, and after a couple slow hours, they’re able to clear it enough that it will drain somewhat but warn me that they haven’t really fixed the problem. I’m out $600 for a service call that was less than 3 hours, and didn’t involve any materials.
A few months later it happens again, but this time I know better. I ask around for recommendations, and also look in Yelp to get contractor ratings. I choose a contractor who is both recommended by another landlord and who has good ratings online. They come out that night at 7, try to snake the problem and determine that the pipe is broken somewhere under my yard. They can’t fix it that night, but are out the next day for the whole day (with an assistant), dig a small hole in my yard, replace the broken pipe, and the problem is permanently fixed (they even replaced the sod over the hole they dug). This time I’m out $700 (including materials), but the problem is fixed, not just patched.
Repairs are a cost of doing business, and I try to get them done promptly to keep the tenants happy. But there are a few lessons learned from this scenario:
- Don’t blindly trust the name brand corporations.
- Ask around for good recommendations.
- Use rating services such as Yelp to find quality contractors.
What do you think? Any other advice for good repairs?