Choosing a plumbing supply company to take care of all your plumbing needs can be difficult.
But identifying your needs is an even tougher task. As a matter of fact, the right supply company will depend on the type of needs, whether that be for smaller or bigger projects.
If you’re quite the DIY guy, then there are plenty of options to choose from. And that’s exactly what we’ll be helping you do. So if you’re interested in the things to look for when choosing a plumbing supply company, this is the article for you.
With all that said, let’s start.
Table of Contents
What Sort Of Schedule Are You On?
This is the first thing to look out for and one that determines the type of plumbing. If you’re a plumber that repairs people’s homes, then you’ll probably need the supplies sooner than later.
If that’s the case, then you need to find a supplier that can deliver fast. From fixing toilets to showers, a plumber needs to work fast when they get to call. Commercial plumbing, however, usually involves working on bigger projects where time is a flexible commodity. You have a timeframe to come in and do a job, so you’ll have plenty of time to order supplies.
While there are unique cases where you’ll need supplies to be delivered fast, they’re just not as common as repairing people’s homes.
Another thing to point out is that certain plumbing supply companies charge extra if you need supplies delivered faster. So that’s yet another thing to consider. Whenever on the market for a reliable supplier, make sure that they can deliver the goods based on your schedule.
Are You Looking For Value Or To Pay Less?
It’s safe to say that certain suppliers are much more expensive than others. This means that their products will cost more compared to others. But when something costs more, it usually means that the product is better or of higher quality.
So you need to make a very important decision. Do you want to sacrifice quality just to pay less or do you want to pay more but get quality products in return? No doubt many plumbing supply companies have a bit of both. They have hundreds of products, all varying in price. So for the same part, you can pay extra or pay less. And like we mentioned earlier, you are sacrificing something in return.
The best option can be either, but it can also be a combination of both. You don’t have to pay huge amounts for certain parts, but you will have to for others.
You’ll need to find that healthy middle-ground and one that suits your needs and budget. What we recommend is to supply the common parts from general suppliers, but look for a more specific supplier when it comes to supplying the harder-to-get parts.
With plenty of plumbing supply companies out there, it can be difficult to find the right one. By taking all that we’ve said into account, you can make a decision as to which one works best for you. With all that said, we recommend www.citysupplygroup.com as the supplier that will cover all of your needs.
Can You Order Online?
Plumbers understand the importance of going to a physical store and inspecting the part before buying it. But everything is slowly digitizing, meaning that every business moves to the online world. And that is certainly the case in the plumbing supplies industry.
Nowadays, you can find reliable sellers online and do your shopping there. Since all that it takes for a business to sell their products or services online is to have a website, many suppliers are digitally revolutionizing the industry. As more suppliers look to transition and offer their services online, many more will follow.
This offers you a unique opportunity to shop for the desired parts online. While it can be challenging at first, you’ll quickly become a pro at it.
With all that said, many plumbers will tell you that physically inspecting the part is very important. And while that certainly is true, there are dozens of suppliers with physical locations and online stores. Depending on what feels more comfortable and natural to you, you can make the decision whether or not online suppliers meet your needs.
Can They Replace Your Part?
Everyone should be aware of the potential risks when ordering supplies from an unreliable supplier. Considering that the internet offers businesses a unique opportunity to sell products all over the world, there are bound to be a few bad eggs.
We’ve all seen it and we all hate to see it. There is nothing worse than a seller that doesn’t offer a replacement part if the part they’ve sold to you is faulty or doesn’t fit your needs. You should always make sure that the supply company you’ll be doing business with is professional enough to offer a replacement part in such cases.
Are They Licensed?
Moving onto the more important things to look out for, every plumbing supply company can get a license that legitimizes their business. While a license isn’t necessary for a supply company, they still exist.
A license tells the customer that the business is legit and professional. If this is something that helps you make a better decision, then look for their licenses.
Check Customer Reviews
Whenever looking for suppliers online, the risks of bad services are always in the back of our minds. Brick and mortar suppliers also have these issues, but word of mouth can spread like wildfire.
In the online world, you’ll need to look for reviews to make sure the company is right for you. Luckily for us, there are plenty of ways to do that. You can go on Google and type in the particular company and see if anyone has said anything about their level of professionalism.
You can also visit their social media pages and see their ratings and reviews. There are plenty of ways to make sure you’re making the right decision, all you need to do is invest your time into it.