Contact us with the details of your property:

• Address and construction date^{(1) (2)}
• Advise if you have a usual plumber
• Details of your plumbing system (# bathrooms, toilets, and if more than 1 kitchen)
• Specify any known issues with the plumbing system and if maintenance is needed during the visit such as replacing the water filter, servicing the hot water system or fixing/replacing a fixture ⁽³⁾ 

• When the property is available for the visit (date and preferred time). It is preferred if someone is present.

⁽¹⁾ Houses built before 2000 usually have an old-generation plumbing system that may not be compatible with UpKeep Assessment methodology. Our Lead Plumber will make the decision on a case-by-case basis. 

⁽²⁾ Houses that are 5 years old or newer get a 50% discount.

⁽³⁾ If you let us know in advance, we could give you a quote and come on the day with the necessary parts. This is what we call pre-approved maintenance which attracts a 20% discount on parts and labour, and of course no call-out fee.

Things to get ready before the assessment

• No dishes in the sink or clothes in the laundry trough
• Easy access  under the sink and basins to enable our assessor to inspect the flexihoses and the drain
• Ensure at least 30cm around the water filter to be clear for easy access
• Clear access around the hot water system
• Easy access to garden taps and water meter (ensure free of weeds)

What happens during a standard assessment:

Our certified plumber starts by greeting their host by completing the preliminary details of the house and owner via the UpKeep assessment application. This is usually the best time for our assessor to show the occupant where the main shut-off valve is.

Our assessments are comprehensive and can take up to 2 hours. The visit may take longer when some maintenance is required. The presence of the occupant is preferred but not mandatory.

Our assessors are using a tablet with a software application that guides them. It ensures our service is not a random check but a methodical assessment using proven practices for reliable and repeatable results. The assessment involves visual checks (e.g. flexihoses, leaks), operation of fixtures (e.g. taps, toilet flush, hot water safety valve, main shut-off valve) as well as cleaning (e.g. Over-flow Relief valve), and pouring preventive drain cleaner.

Pre-approved maintenance:

If there is pre-approved maintenance, we will supply all parts and accessories and perform the work  at the end of the visit. The maintenance will be recorded in the report as well as in the logbook.

Pre-approved maintenance work attracts a 20% discount on parts and labour (and of course no call-out fee), and the work is recorded in the report, as well as in the logbook.

Unexpected maintenance:

Our assessor may find during the visit some equipment requiring maintenance, or even urgent fixing. There is no obligation to use UpKeep for this unexpected work. However, as an UpKeep customer, a 15% discount will be applied on parts and labour and the call-out fee will be waived, even if we need to get parts and come back later. We can prepare a quote on the spot and submit it for consideration to the owner (or send it to the property manager in case of an investment property).

What's happening behind the scene and what you receive

Once the assessment is completed, the checklist, the notes, and the photos are uploaded to our database. The information pertaining to the plumbing system is saved into a secured folder. This helps us be better prepared for the next inspection and also be able to raise quotes quickly if requested as we have virtual access to the plumbing system of the property.

We also save a copy of the receipts of fixtures and equipment replaced (and recorded in the logbook) so that we can help our customers use the manufacturer warranty if a failure happens during the warranty period (e.g. 10 years for a tap).

Our computer program then generates a report which is finalised by our admin team and includes:

• All the Fixtures that were checked, organised by area (kitchen, laundry, …)
• Their status and need and urgency for repair, marked by a colour code for ease of understanding.
• The fixtures and equipment that have been fixed on the spot or maintained (under free or pre-approved maintenance) are also clearly indicated.
• The report also has a summary page that regroups the fixtures and equipment requiring attention, urgency for repair and a cost estimate.
• The report ends with a list of FAQs and good practice tips, and the logbook on the last page indicates what has been replaced/maintained and when is the next service date.

The report and logbook are reviewed by our Licensed plumber before being sent by email to our customer (home-owner or property investor).

Our assessments are guaranteed 30 days, which means that if we have missed a fault we will come to fix it and not charge a call-out fee or labour.

Next step:

Our mission is to deliver Trust and Peace of Mind.  There is no obligation for our customers to lock into an auto-renewing assessment. Instead, we are betting the quality and value for money of our service will ensure our customers will return to us every year.  We will send a reminder a few weeks before the next assessment (and water filter change¹) as well as before major services such as the hot water tank².

¹ Most water filter manufacturers recommend replacing the cartridge at least every 12 months.

² Most manufacturers of tank hot water systems recommend a yearly inspection of the valves and a major service every 5 years to comply with the terms of the guarantee.