We all need the services of a plumber at some time, whether it’s for advice about updating the central heating system, a clogged drain, or an emergency leak that needs attending to. However, finding someone reliable that doesn't cost the earth, is in your locality, and isn't already booked up well in advance isn't always the easiest of tasks!
It’s advisable to have a list of service providers next to the phone in the case of an emergency, of course we aren't all as organised in real life and generally when we need a plumber we end up calling out the first one who picks up the phone. Ask around friends for a name as they might have past experiences with a particular company or individual and be able to offer advice and references.
A quick search online will provide you with a list of plumbing companies in your area, and most large ones will have websites where you can read through testimonials to see what previous customers say about the service they received. Small firms won’t always have a website but there are still various online sites whereby you can read reviews about them and check they have a good reputation before booking an appointment or calling them out in an emergency. They might also have a Facebook page where you can see how they respond to queries and interact with their clients.
Every plumber has to be licensed as well as be fully insured so clients are protected in case something drastic happens, so always check their qualifications before letting them work on your property. Find out how long they have been in operation, if the business is a new one it might be more risky to employ their services as their reputation is harder to find out about.
Trades like these generally charge by the hour so once you have found a few companies in your district the next question to ask is what the hourly rate is. Some will start charging from the minute they leave their depot so find out exactly what their price includes and how long they expect the job to last, and they should be able to give you an idea of cost from past experience.
It’s worth checking out 3 or 4 businesses to compare prices and get a feel of how professional they are. Anyone who doesn't reply to your email or phone call within 24 hours should be disregarded; prompt replies are more likely to mean a prompt and good service. Any service that’s slow to respond, is vague about what time they will arrive, or doesn't tell you exactly what the work will involve should be avoided. There are plenty of first-class plumbing companies around that will make appointments, won’t let you do all the chasing, and pride themselves on a high level of customer satisfaction.
Finally, ask them if they offer a guarantee for work undertaken, and how long it lasts. If they have fitted a boiler for instance the guarantee could be as long as 7 years or so, whilst the replacing of a broken part will be much less. These are all questions you should ask of most services if you want the very best there is.
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