Washington State Licensed Plumbers

Washington state began to issue plastic wallet cards to licensed plumbers.
We must carry the card while working the trade.
We must show the card on demand.
We must go to school every year to maintain the license. We must pay for the school.
We must pay for the renewal.

The following is from the state's site. Notice the pictured card is for Donald Duck, the electrician. His boss is Mickey Mouse.

Licensing & Registration

New licenses for construction, electrical, elevator contractors and electrical administrators.
New colored plastic cards for tradespeople.

The Department of Labor & Industries has redesigned the license, registration and certificates issued to construction, electrical, elevator contractors, and electrical administrators. Contractors and administrators will no longer receive a wallet sized card.

Tradespeople, (electricians, trainees, elevator mechanics, plumbers, and manufactured home installers) must have their certificate/license card with them when on the jobsite. Tradespeople will be issued a new more durable plastic wallet sized card. These new cards will also have a color stripe to help identify their qualifications and certification. An example of the new cards to be issued to individuals is shown below.

• :
  • Indicates person is certified to work without supervision within a specific specialty. Individuals with this color have qualified for, taken, and passed an examination for a specific specialty. No supervision is required for workers with a yellow stripe when working in their specific specialty.
    • Specialty Master Electricians.
    • Specialty Electricians.
    • Specialty Plumbers.
    • Modified Electrical Trainees (unsupervised).
• 
  • Indicates journeyman status – No supervision is required for workers with a green stripe when working in their respective industry.
    • Master General Electricians (01).
    • General Electricians (01).
    • Plumbers (01).
    • Elevator Mechanics.
    • Manufactured Home Installers.

• 
  • Indicates person is a trainee or has a temporary certificate. Individuals with this color have not qualified for, taken, and passed an examination for the certification.
    • Trainee: requires some level of supervision.
    • Temporary elevator mechanic: does not require supervision.

The department will begin issuing the new licenses and cards beginning September, 2011.

The department will not be re-issuing cards/licenses to those who have an active license. The new licenses/cards will be issued through standard renewal, new license or the request for replacement card process.

This is an example of the new wall licenses that will be issued by the department beginning September 2011. These will be issued to Construction, Electrical and Elevator contractors and Electrical Administrators. We have added the UBI number to the contractor licenses and registrations issued. The information indicating the contractor type and specialty has been relocated and is more clear. These licenses will be on green card stock with the Washington State seal in the background.

For questions, contact Phyllis Cooper at Phyllis.Cooper@lni.wa.gov or 360-902-5293.

Sink Stoppage in Sedro Woolley, WA

We got a call about a stopped up bathroom sink (aka basin) in a small rental house off Hwy 9. I tried to clear the stoppage through the trap for about 15 minutes, but it wouldn't clear. Mind ya, this bathroom is about 6 feet wide, so it should have cleared quick enough.

I crawled under the house and found this and yea, I did replace the pipe and a few other leaks:

Broken drain pipe

Blaine Toto toilet

Once in a while, we get plumbing jobs that amaze us. This was a stoppage in the branch sewer caused by inadequate pipe wash down caused by a water saving Japanese toilet called Toto.

The toilet is gorgeous with a hidden tank in the wall that has no access to it. The Chicago tank has a 10 year warranty on parts, but I didn't see anything about labor coverage.

The toilet bowl hanger is rated for 350 pounds.

The water spot--the amount of water in the bowl--is about 2" in diameter and located in an odd spot. I didn't take a photo of it, but  in my world, it ain't enough.

Blaine, Wa Toto toilet

Toto toilet set up

Ball Plumbing Prices and Services

We are 100% transparent in our prices and post them on the internet: http://www.ballplumbing.net/services.html

Here's the short version:

Ball Plumbing offer two ways to purchase our services: Fixed (Contract) or Time and Material (Hourly plus parts). It's your choice.

1. Fixed Price (Contract): Our plumber will give a written quote before work commences. The contract price includes parts, labor, service and estimate charge, everything except tax.

All quotes have to be on-site; no phone quotes. A $88.00 estimate fee applies.

2. *Time and Material (Hourly plus parts):

• Monday-Friday, 8-5: $88.00/hour
• Trip Charge: $45.00 (Charged daily)
• After Hours/Weekend: $132.00/hour
• Parts, equipment, and tax are extra.
• Minimum Charge: $88.00 (1 hr) plus $45.00 (trip charge)= $133.00

There's a minimum charge of one hour plus trip charge on all jobs, thereafter work is charged in 15 minute increments.

All rates exclude the cost of materials and are subject to tax.

Charged to the closest 15 minutes.

Additional workers extra (also charged to the closest 15 minutes).

Trip Charge: Charged daily.

Hourly Rates: There's a minimum charge of one hour plus trip charge on all jobs, thereafter work is charged in 15 minute increments. All rates exclude the cost of materials and are subject to tax.

Extreme/Hazardous Conditions: $99.00/hour

Materials: Materials supplied by Ball Plumbing will be charged at our cost plus mark up.

Material Collection: Material collection labor cost for non-stock items will be kept to a minimum - any charge will be agreed with the customer in advance and not exceed $100.00 + tax.

Invoice: An invoice will always be produced clearly showing a full description of work carried out - time started/time finished, a full breakdown of the cost of labor and materials used.

Payment: Payment must be made in full by check, cash or credit card to the plumber upon receipt of invoice.

*Prices are subject to change without notice.

Other Charges

Hazard Pay: Before the job is started, the plumber may quote a higher rate due to extreme conditions. Company policy is to charge the overtime rate.

Estimate Charge: $55.00 (For standard estimates only. If the plumber has to crawl, dig, etc. hourly rates apply.)

Estimates are available from our plumbers on site. We are happy to make an appointment for a plumber to visit you. Estimates will incur a charge depending on the nature of the work, the area and the time of the appointment. If the plumber has to crawl, dig, etc. hourly rates apply.

Ferndale, Wa Copper Pipe Water Leak

This water leak was under a house about 75' from the crawlspace entrance. I replaced the section of that bad pipe and got the family its water back in a reasonable amount of time.

Ferndale, Wa Copper Pipe

Mt Vernon, Wa Apartment Complex

Sometimes, being a plumber entails hard work, long hours, and nerve wracking complications. These pics are from a job at an old customer who removed some big trees between his big apartment buildings. Evidently, the stump removal shook loose all sorts of nasty handyman repairs that we were able to fix. Until.....

the final leak. We had a backhoe gently digging back to the next leak (4 all told) when yours truly ripped a tee out of the ground. The kicker was that this section was 2" copper pipe in the middle of 2" pvc. The copper tee broke off in the worst possible spot in an already bizarre angle. We had to use the end of a shower curtain rod to temporarily plug the leak.

I came back the next day and used propress technology to install a 2" shut-off (yea!) and tee and hook everything back up. The pvc was coming out at a weird angle so we right-angled it together. There will be a vault there, so if the pvc gives, it won't be an issue.

Tough job for everyone, but it got did.

Broken 2" copper pipe Mt. Vernon, Wa

Fixed 2" copper pipe with shut-off

Bellingham Plumbers

I hope everyone had a relaxing Bellingham Labor Day and many thanks to all who worked through the holiday.

In honor of local Bellingham plumbers and the labor we do, here's a few pictures:

Bellingham plumber apprentice

Hand Dug Pit Bellingham