Ask These 15 Master Plumber Interview Questions to Find the Best Candidates

To find the best master plumber for your growing plumbing business, you need to ask the right interview questions that test both their technical skills and their ability to fit in with your company’s culture. Given that a master plumber has had a lot of training and experience, you should ask them more than just basic plumbing questions.

This article provides a comprehensive list of 15 smart interview questions to identify top master plumber candidates who will excel on complex jobs and in leadership roles on your team

Overview of the Master Plumber Role

Let’s briefly summarize the key responsibilities and qualifications of a master plumber:

• 10+ years experience in all aspects of residential and commercial plumbing.

• Extensive technical knowledge to diagnose and solve complex plumbing system issues.

• Advanced skills in planning and designing large-scale plumbing projects.

• Expertise training and mentoring apprentice and journeyman plumbers,

• Management skills to lead plumbing teams and oversee operations

• Master plumber license indicating mastery of plumbing code and regulations.

• Ability to accurately quote plumbing jobs of all sizes and scopes.

Now that you know what the job entails, let’s look at some interview questions that will help you find out if you have these skills.

Technical Plumbing Knowledge

Evaluating a master plumber’s technical expertise is crucial. Ask these questions:

1. How would you ensure proper water pressure when designing plumbing for a high-rise building?

This demonstrates their understanding of commercial plumbing system mechanics for large, complex projects. Listen for discussion of pressure regulation methods, pipe sizing, pump configurations, and testing procedures.

2. What methods would you use to troubleshoot low water flow in a house with copper piping?

This tests their strategic diagnostic approach and technical grasp of common residential plumbing issues. They should show systematic methods to pinpoint and address the root cause.

3. What are the most important plumbing considerations when designing healthcare facility piping?

This reveals their knowledge of specialty plumbing systems like medical gas, sterile processing, laboratory waste, and water treatment. Infection control, redundancy, and maintenance access should be emphasized.

4. How has plumbing code evolved in recent years?

This assesses their understanding of current code and ability to adapt plumbing designs and methods to meet updated regulations. They should highlight newer energy-efficiency, material, sizing, and safety standards.

5. What methods do you use to avoid scale buildup and corrosion in water systems?

This proves their expertise with preventative maintenance for optimal plumbing performance and longevity. Water treatment systems, filtration, pipe materials, and water chemistry management should be discussed.

Leadership Skills

A master plumber must demonstrate strong leadership. Ask these behavioral questions:

6. Describe your approach to mentoring apprentice plumbers.

Their response should emphasize teaching both technical skills and professionalism through hands-on training, check-ins, reviewing work, constructive feedback, and inspiring passion for the trade.

7. How would you handle a disagreement between plumbers on your team over the best repair method for a job?

They should highlight conflict resolution skills by listening to all perspectives, finding compromise, and making a data-driven decision based on experience, resources, and client needs.

8. Tell me about a time you successfully managed a large, complex plumbing project with multiple team members.

Look for a specific example demonstrating helpful leadership strategies like clear direction, role assignments, progress monitoring, motivation under stress, and celebrating wins.

Advanced Problem-Solving Skills

Master plumbers must demonstrate creative thinking and tenacity solving difficult plumbing challenges. Ask these situational questions:

9. How would you approach rerouting drainage pipes in an old concrete-encased hospital plumbing system?

Solutions involving cameras, ground penetration radar, careful demolition, creative rerouting methods, off-hours work, infection control, and minimizing patient impact indicate strong problem-solving.

10. Your team can’t clear a severely corroded cast iron drain stack. What creative solutions might you try before completely replacing it?

Ideas like chemical treatments, power rodder snaking, pipe relining, partial replacement if accessible, or temporary bypasses show out-of-the-box thinking.

11. You’re called to fix low water flow in a house with old galvanized piping. Describe your troubleshooting process.

They should demonstrate a logical sequence: checking valves/fixtures, measuring pressure, running cameras in pipes, checking for corrosion, isolating sections, process of elimination testing, and proposing re-piping if needed.

Plumbing System Design Expertise

For senior-level plumbing roles, system design skills are essential. Ask these questions:

12. How would you design the plumbing system for a 15-story apartment high-rise?

Listen for discussion of water pressure regulation, circulating pumps, larger supply risers, zoning by pressure, valved branches per floor, vent stacks, drainage considerations, and coordinated access panels.

13. What unique factors do you consider when designing healthcare facility plumbing versus residential?

Key factors include redundancy for uninterrupted service, specialized medical gas/waste systems, stringent infection control, coordinating with HVAC, compartmentalization, and centralized shutoffs.

14. Describe your process for planning the plumbing for a new commercial kitchen.

They should mention collaborating with kitchen designers, high hot water demands, grease management, multiple fixtures, proper venting, code compliance, and coordinating with other utilities and building systems.

Assessing Experience & Credentials

Of course, you’ll want to confirm prerequisites:

15. Can you summarize your plumbing training, certification, and experience?

Find out how they attained master plumber status. Ask detailed followups to probe years in the field, on-the-job training, manufacturers trained on, types of projects, leadership roles, and biggest accomplishments. Validate necessary credentials.

Tips for Interviewing Master Plumbers

Keep these additional tips in mind as you interview:

• Ask candidates to describe specific examples of complex jobs they’ve handled.

• Inquire about their ongoing learning – key for this rapidly evolving field.

• Assess communication skills needed to train apprentices, lead teams, and consult clients.

• Make sure they have business and management expertise to mentor others in your company.

• Validate necessary advanced plumbing licenses and credentials.

• Consider asking them to review a plumbing diagram or technical scenario.

• Get input from other master plumbers on your team.

Using these in-depth master plumber interview questions will help you identify exemplary candidates with the specialized expertise your company needs. Focus on plumbers who not only have masterful technical capabilities but also the leadership, critical thinking, teaching, and communication skills to excel. With the right hiring decision, you’ll reinforce your team with a highly skilled plumber ready to take on your most complex and mission-critical projects.