How To Find Good Plumbers

You know the feeling of dread when a pipe bursts in your bathroom and kitchen. Everywhere is flooding quick and you start to panic. You desperately need the services of a plumber. However a dilemma presents itself to you. Nobody has explained to you ever about how to find good plumbers. Where do you begin to look. Do you refer to the Yellow Pages? Do you frantically use your smart phone to go on the internet to find a local plumber? If you are are in a rush you your main priority is to get any plumber. Any will do because you just want to talk to a professional and find out out long it will take to arrive at your home. However phoning the first number you see isn't always the cleverest thing to do. In fact you may find that you regret doing so. Now the key thing to remember is there are reliable plumbers and really bad plumbers. You just need to make sure you hire one of the good ones. So here is a little guide that may help you find good plumbers that are in your local area.

How To Find A Good Plumber

1) Do A Google Search

If you are looking for a plumbing service in your area, then quickly go onto Google. Now what you will find are a collection of business directories and businesses. Business directories simply provide advertising to companies willing to pay to be seen on them. So if the first Google result is a business directory plumbing section, be cautious. Directories do not go by service quality. Yes, some may have a specific section where customers can leave reviews or give ratings. The reality is that the only ones on the directory are the ones willing to pay. There are free business listings but there is no way you can initially know the true quality of their plumbing services. So what you could opt for are companies whose websites are on page one. These tend to be the more established businesses who have been around for a while. Whilst their web position is not a sign of quality of service, there will be more reviews written online about them. Also there are possibly many reviews on Google, left by previous customers.

2) Ask Your Friends / Family

Any recommendation from your friend or family member is usually held in high regard. If they used a service and they didn't like it, they would be the first to tell you. So if you have heard about a plumber which they say is the very best - get the plumber's number. Store it in your phone contacts list. So if an emergency does happen, you can simply press one button to dial for help.

3) Check Credentials / Qualifications

Many plumbers are registered with recognised organistations that represent qualified professionals. CIPHE (Charted Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering) is one such recognised organisation. It is one of the leading ones and is held in high regard. If your plumber turns up with their 'Water Safe' card, then you will feel an added element of trust towards them. Also organisations like APHC (Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors) are clearly recognised and associated with qualified professionals.

4) Ask Questions

Some people are very good at trying to pull the wool over your eyes. To make sure you do not end up with a cowboy plumber, you should ask as many questions as you can. For example you can ask:

How long have you been in business? - If somebody has been in business for several years then the answers to all your questions should have fluidity.
What qualifications do you have? - If they can't tell you the specific qualifications they have, then it is a worrying sign.
What year did you fully qualify? - They should have a clear idea they gained their plumbing qualifications.
How much is your hourly rate? - This should be a clear price. Ask them if the rate changes due to the type of work they do.
Which person will be carrying out the work? - If it is a company the person you speak to may not be the person who does the work. As who will be doing the work.
Do you offer a warranty on the work you do? - If something goes wrong with a plumbing repair or installation, you should find out if you are covered.
Are the cost of materials included in the price? - This is a key question as you don't want to be unpleasantly surprised by extra charges.
How Do I Make Payment? - You may want to make an online payment, but they may only take cash (and vice-versa).
When Do I Make A Payment? - You may need to pay the plumber all or part of the cost, before they start work.

5) Check Their Website

Not all plumbing companies have a website. However the bigger, more established ones do. Professional companies have a website that has information about every service they offer. They list important information about each service as well as costs for them. By them having a website does not prove they do excellent work. However it is an indication that they are organised and want to connect with their customers. You can do a check online to see how long their website has been on the web. The longer means there might be more reviews about their company, that you can refer to.

Compare Quotes For Plumbing Work

Comparing quotes is key to understanding who are the trusted professionals and who are the con artists. You should always ring a company twice and see if they give you the same quote. If you got a quote on Tuesday and rang them back Thursday and the quote is different, then that should act as a warning. It is recommended that you use a trusted pricing guide that has independently been researched by a trusted company / organisation. The best pricing guide for finding out How Much Does A Plumber Cost is the Which? Local online guide. They conducted a survey in 2012. It is 2016 now and of course some prices have changed, but not as dramatically as you think. If a company charges you over £100 more than what a larger, more established company would - don't use them.