We know that owning or managing a commercial business or property can be stressful and there’s so much more to do than you may have expected! You may have budgeted for plumbing and gas fitouts and upgrades, but general maintenance isn’t always front of mind – and the wear and tear in a commercial property will happen faster than any residential property.

That’s why you need a commercial plumber available at the touch of a button, at any time for any issue, is crucial for the smooth running of your commercial property or business.

A quick Google search will give you tens of thousands of results for plumbers, so you need to be sure that when you’re selecting someone they’re qualified in the commercial plumbing space and have the right experience for the job.

1. Commercial Plumbing Licensing & Insurance

The first thing you need to do is make sure that your commercial plumber is insured and licensed – you should be able to easily see this on their website.

Plumbers must be insured for adequate public liability protection for a minimum of up to $10 million. At Emu Plumbing, we are insured for up to $20 million in public liability – covering us for all damage to property or persons.

Commercial plumbers in Queensland MUST be licensed through the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) – the Queensland Government’s building industry regulator that licenses all contractors. If you can’t see this license number displayed clearly on the website, you can look up the business on the QBCC website.

Additionally, there are a number of other peak industry bodies that you want your commercial plumber to be a part of. In Queensland, a commercial plumber is recommended to also be a member of the Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland (MPAQ) and Queensland Gas Association (QGA).

Being a part of these associations as well as being licensed and insured means that if you run into any trouble, you’ll also have the support of these bodies to help you get things back on the right track – so it’s a little less risky for you when choosing a commercial plumber.

2. Experience 

Residential plumbers are great a fixing anything around the home and can be very reliable, however it’s a whole different story when working on a commercial scale. You need to be sure that not only does your plumber have the knowledge to complete the job, but the resources and team to back it up.

An experienced commercial will have a range of case studies or testimonials from businesses they’ve worked with on their website. This will show what they’re capable of and how they can help you get your job done right.

3. Great Reviews & Recommendations

While experience is all well and good, we know that this doesn’t always mean that a job has run smoothly and the commercial plumber has been professional and easy to work with.

Research your plumber to see reviews on their website, Facebook and Google. This will help you understand what the company was like to work with from a client perspective. Look at both the positive and negative reviews to get a full picture of what working with the plumber will be like.

4. Scope of Services 

A commercial plumber who focuses solely on restaurant fit outs is great if you’re opening a new restaurant. But if you’re running a hotel, an apartment block or something that’s a bit more varied, you need to be sure that your commercial plumber will be able to handle it. Having all your plumbing done through one company will be infinitely easier to handle and you’ll get a much better service than if you have 4 or 5 different contractors working for you.  

For example, plumbing and gas go hand-in-hand, as does fixing leaks, overall maintenance and backflow issues. So make sure that when you’re looking for a commercial plumber they can help you will all your needs.

Find out all the commercial plumbing services that Emu Plumbing have to offer to see how we can be your one-stop-shop for all your commercial plumbing needs.

5. Hours of Service 

Having a commercial plumber with a 24/7 service is crucial to your business running smoothly without any hiccups. The last thing that you need is a plumbing emergency at 1am and not be able to contact the commercial plumber who’s familiar with your business.

Not only will you need to search for a random new plumber that you can only hope will get the job done, but downtime means lost revenue. And if you’re running a busy cocktail bar, 1am on a Friday night is the worst possible time to have to stop service.

Make sure your commercial plumber can be there for you, day or night for any situation.