Questions · Hiring a plumber
What licensed and insured actually means
They are three separate things. Licensed means registered with the state to do that class of work. Bonded means a financial guarantee is on file, with limits. Insured means liability coverage for damage caused while working. The phrase gets used as one word, and the three protect different people in different ways.
What each one actually is
- Licensed: registered with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors for a specific classification of work, and answerable to it
- Bonded: a contractor's bond is filed with the state, and it has a limit. It is a route to recovery, not a blank guarantee
- Insured: liability insurance, which is what responds if the work damages your property
- Workers compensation: separate again, and it matters because it covers the people on your property
How to verify instead of assume
- 01
Look the license up yourself on the Registrar's public search, using the ROC number
- 02
Ask who the insurer is and ask for a certificate of insurance if the job is large
- 03
Check that the business name on all of it matches the name on your paperwork
- 04
Check the classification actually covers the work you are having done
Why it matters on a plumbing job specifically
Plumbing goes wrong in expensive ways. Water finds finished floors, drywall and cabinets, and gas work has a different order of consequence altogether.
The reason to check before the work rather than after is simple: afterwards, you are checking in order to make a claim. Ours is ROC #359690 and it is printed on every page of this site so nobody has to ask.
From the job log
Work we’ve done
Answers
Does a bond mean I get paid if something goes wrong?
It is a route, not a promise. Bonds have limits and a process, and they are not a substitute for the contractor being insured.
Should I ask for a certificate of insurance?
On a large job it is a fair and normal thing to ask for, and no legitimate contractor is offended by the question.
What if a handyman offers to do it cheaper?
Then ask what license the work would be done under and what happens if it goes wrong. For gas, sewer, water heaters and anything needing a permit, that answer matters a great deal.
If you need this done
- Gas line installNew lines for appliances, water heaters and outdoor kitchens, installed to code by a licensed contractor and tested before we finish.
- Water heater installOld unit out, new one sized for your household, connected, tested and left to code. Gas or electric, tank or tankless.
- Sewer line repairBackups, several slow drains at once, or foul odors: clogs, root intrusion and damaged or collapsed lines, repaired or replaced.
- Where we workEvery town and ZIP across the Valley we cover.
In-home estimate
Rather have someone look at it? Tell us what's going on
We come out, look at the problem and explain what it needs before any work starts. For something urgent, calling is fastest.
Rather talk? Call or text (602) 833-4133.