Show Me The License

Is Your Family's Health and Safety Going Down The Drain?

By S.J. Peters, Executive Director of PAMCANI

From doctors to lawyers to surgeons and airline pilots, most of us prefer to have the best and brightest, most highly trained professionals in our corner when our lives or those of our family are on the line, and rightfully so. It’s reassuring to know these professionals have years of education and training, are under constant professional regulation and are required to be fully licensed. This helps to ensure the general well being of the American public.

But many people are surprised to learn that another profession dedicated to protecting the nation’s health and safety also demands years of training, government regulation and stringent license requirements.

That profession is plumbing. That’s right. Your local plumbing contractor.

The Illinois General Assembly regulates plumbing and the plumbing trade for the protection of the public’s health, convenience and welfare. Anyone who plans, inspects, installs, alters, repairs and maintains plumbing systems must meet certain licensing requirements. All licensed plumbers must follow the Illinois Plumbing Code as a minimum standard for all work performed in the State of Illinois, and continuing education is required each year by the State for plumbers to renew their plumbing license. That translates into four hours of approved, accredited on-going training.

You also may not be aware of the fact that licensed plumbers and plumbing contractors in the State of Illinois are required to display their license number in all advertising.

In short, it’s illegal to perform, operate or advertise plumbing services as a plumber or plumbing contractor in the State of Illinois without a license. If they have a license, they need to show it.

Illegal plumbing contractors may be draining local homes and businesses of proper safety. From the water we drink or bathe in to proper sewage drainage, plumbing is serious business. If it’s not done right, it can make us sick…or worse.

Since many of us only call a plumbing contractor when there’s an emergency, thinking about whether or not they’re licensed can be one of the last things on our minds.

That’s where we can help. We’re PAMCANI…the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Authority of Northern Illinois, a non-profit trade association.

We have obtained a current list of all licensed plumbing contractors in Illinois. If you have a contractor in mind, call us toll-free at 1-800-273-5966 to verify that they’re a licensed plumbing contractor. If you’re looking for a local contractor recommendation, visit our website at www.pamcani.org. All PAMCANI-affiliated contractors are licensed professionals who have the right training to keep your family’s health and safety from going down the drain.

We cover a wide area, so if you’re a home or business owner in northern Illinois, then you are in our service region and our PAMCANI service contractors will be able to meet your needs.

Why should you count on PAMCANI?

To begin with, your local PAMCANI-affiliated contractors are professionals who set and maintain the highest standards for quality and value. Our union contractors cover a six-county area hiring journeymen and apprentices from United Association Locals 93 and 501. We perform plumbing, heating and cooling work in every area of construction, including residential, commercial, industrial and more.

Our trained, skilled and capable work force live in the community and may even be your neighbors. They devote their considerable experience and expertise to local homes, businesses, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, schools, office buildings, factories and more — all with a devotion and proven track record for safety, quality and professionalism that’s second to none.

The PAMCANI Alliance represents association members who take an active role in promoting and advancing the plumbing and mechanical trades. Many who belong and lead the association participate in the selection process for future apprentices. This participation occurs jointly and cooperatively with our counterparts from the union to ensure that only the top candidates enter and remain in the industry.

PAMCANI Alliance members share and endorse the duty of establishing and maintaining rigid standards and continuing education programs to protect the health and safety of society, while keeping our workforce fully prepared to meet the challenge of doing the job right — first and always.

Our contractor members volunteer to serve on Trust Funds, take part in collective bargaining, speak out in legislative matters and much more. They do it with the goal of improving the lives of those we serve and the livelihoods of those who work along side us in this industry.

So the next time you turn on a faucet, flush a toilet or water your garden, you may not be thinking about all of the education and training that goes into the union plumbing industry, but we do.

And when a situation arises where you need a plumbing contractor for your home or business, remember that the one you choose needs to be licensed and properly trained. The easiest way to be sure they are is to call us toll free at 1-800-273-5966 or log on to www.pamcani.org.

Do it now and keep their number on hand before there’s an emergency. That way you can rest easy knowing that you have a PAMCANI-affiliated contractor protecting the health and safety of you and your family.

This article originally appeared in the Business Ledger and the Aurora Beacon News.