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Puget Sound Emergency Plumbers

Hiring questions

Questions to ask a plumber before work starts

Shut off the water first. Then ask these while you wait, and keep the answers in your texts so you can match them to the bill.

On the phone

  1. What is your plumbing contractor license number? Any business that employs plumbers has needed one since January 1, 2021. (RCW 18.106.020) Look it up on L&I Verify while they drive over.
  2. Who is coming, and which L&I certificate do they hold: journey level, specialty, residential service, temporary or trainee? (RCW 18.106.020)
  3. If a trainee comes, who supervises them on site? The law requires supervision. (RCW 18.106.020)
  4. Is there a charge to come out, and does it come off the repair?
  5. When does the after-hours rate start, and how much does it add?

At the door

  1. Can I see your certificate card? Plumbers must carry it with photo ID. (RCW 18.106.020)
  2. Do you work for the company I called? A licensed contractor may not subcontract plumbing to anyone unlicensed. (RCW 18.106.020(5))
  3. Can you stop the leak tonight and quote the full repair for business hours?

About the job

  1. Does this job need a permit, and will you pull it? L&I lists a contractor asking you to get the permit as a warning sign. (L&I F625-084-000)
  2. In Seattle or unincorporated King County, are you filing with Public Health? It issues plumbing and gas piping permits there. (King County)
  3. If the trouble is the side sewer, do you do that work, and which permits does it take at my address?

About the paperwork

  1. Will I get the price in writing, by text or email, before you start?
  2. Will your plumbing contractor license number be on the written price? The license comes with a $6,000 bond. (RCW 18.106.410, read Oct 18, 2026)
  3. On a big repair, will you get lien releases from your suppliers? Unpaid suppliers can lien your property. (L&I)
  4. Can you email your liability insurance certificate?

Next

Compare what you hear against the plumber red flags, and read Washington plumber licenses, explained for what each credential covers.

Sources

We read each source on October 18, 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the linked page before you rely on a number.

  1. RCW 18.106.020, plumbing certificates and contractor licenses
  2. Washington L&I: Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business
  3. L&I publication F625-084-000, What You Should Know About Hiring a Contractor (10-2024)
  4. Public Health Seattle & King County: Plumbing and gas piping permits
  5. Chapter 18.106 RCW (plumbing contractor license, bond and insurance: 18.106.400-.420)
  6. RCW 18.106.410, plumbing contractor bond

Written by the Puget Sound Emergency Plumbers team. We list businesses; we do not employ, bond or insure them. Spot a mistake? Use the claim page to tell us.