Say which fixture it is, how long it has been doing it, and whether water is going where it should. A dripping tap, a cistern that keeps running, a toilet that rocks at the floor, and a mixer that is loose on the bench are different jobs. Treating them as “a tap” or “the toilet” makes the quote vague. The plumber can still inspect, but the request should carry the distinction.
Taps and mixers
Name the fixture: a basin mixer, a bath spout, a shower mixer, a laundry set, a kitchen mixer, or an outdoor tap. Say whether it drips from the spout, leaks at the handle, leaks under the bench, or is loose. Say whether it is one tap of a pair or a single mixer. A washer, a cartridge and a whole mixer are not the same replacement. You do not have to choose which one. Ask the quote to say which part is included, and whether the finish and the model have to match what is already there.
Many fixtures have a small isolation valve underneath. If it turns without force, you can stop one tap without shutting the house down. Do not force a seized valve. If it will not move, leave it and say so. Do not take the mixer off the bench to bring it to the plumber. The leak, the bench, and the connections are part of the visit.
Toilets
Say whether the pan leaks at the floor, the cistern fills and never stops, the flush is weak, or the seat and pan are loose. A cistern that runs can be a valve. A leak at the floor can be the pan seal, and that is a different repair. You do not need to empty the cistern or take it apart. Say if water is reaching the floor, because that changes how urgent it is and whether the room below is at risk.
In a unit, a leak can affect the property below before it looks serious upstairs. Tell the owner or the managing agent as well as the plumber. If you are the agent, say whether the tenant must be home and who approves replacing the suite rather than repairing it.
What to ask the quote to include
Ask whether the price is a service call plus parts, and which parts are included. Ask whether an after-hours attendance is a different price from a visit in ordinary hours, without asking this website for a number. This site does not publish one. Ask who supplies a replacement mixer or suite if the existing one cannot be repaired, and whether removal of the old fixture is included.
If the toilet sits in a small room away from the shower, say that. A leak there is easier to keep away from other finishes than one beside a wet area, and the plumber can plan the visit around that room.
Ask for the licence that covers the work, and check it on the state or territory register before you accept. Water supply and sanitary plumbing can be separate classes. PlumberQuotes introduces you to a local plumber. It does not sell tapware, and a request does not book the work.
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PlumberQuotes introduces you to a local plumber. It is not a plumbing contractor, and it does not promise a time.