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How To Find A Good Plumber

If you're a homeowner, one person you may wish to keep handy in your address book is a good plumber. Plumbing emergencies may not happen often, but when they do, they usually are a big inconvenience. A leak in a pipe may force you to shut off all the water for your property, which then affects cooking, drinking water, showers, toilets, and more.

Types Of Work

Plumbers typically work in a variety of different areas. They can handle the installation, repair, maintenance, and replacement of various water-related fixtures and devices, including but not limited to the hot water heater, toilets, sinks, the piping that goes through and under your house, outdoor sprinkler systems, and drain pipes. Not all plumbers will handle all types of work.

It's also worth mentioning that there are also "handyman" companies available which can handle smaller jobs. If you just need a connection tightened, you might try one of these services, especially if you have other small work items around the house.

Finding A Great Plumber

So how do you go about finding a great plumber? If you have friends or coworkers who have used a plumbing company in the past and have been satisfied, that is a great start. Ask them questions about the work that they had done and how they felt the experience went. Was the plumber responsive and on-time? Was the work performed efficiently and correctly? Were there any hidden charges or surprises that popped up at the end? Most importantly, would they use them again?

Regardless of whether you have any recommendations, you probably want to contact a few plumbers, so you can compare them against one another. You can describe the work you wish to have performed and see how they respond. For many situations, plumbers will stop by and take a look at your property at no charge. Ask for an estimate of the work.

Homework For Researching Plumbing Contractors

You can also ask for their license number. Or you may be able to check it yourself with the licensing department for your state, which is probably available online. This at least ensures that the plumber in question has at least complied with the most basic requirements to go into the plumbing business.

You may also wish to check for reviews. There are many websites such as Yelp and Angie's List and right here on YLocale where you can find user reviews. Some areas may have companies which specialize in reviews for that local area. For example, there is a magazine called Consumers' Checkbook which has local reviews for the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Delaware Valley, Puget Sound, Twin Cities, and Washington, DC areas. You can also check the website for the Better Business Bureau to make sure they are in good standing with that organization.

You may also wish to consider how long a plumber has been in business. A plumber that has been around for 10 years is less likely to disappear overnight. Also, does the plumbing company have an address? A phone number? Or a contact area on their website? It is generally a good idea to make sure the plumber is easy to contact.

You can also ask for references from the plumber. While plumbers and other service companies will try to give you the names of those customers who have been the most satisfied with their work, you can still contact the references and ask them specific questions about their experience and look for areas which might be of concern.

Making The Choice

After having a few plumbers over to take a look at the site and give you written estimates, you can put all the information together to make your choice. The price estimates may vary, but keep in mind that it's not always the best decision to go with the cheapest estimate. You'll have to weigh price against experience, reviews and references, and how comfortable you feel about working with each one. But if you've followed the advice above and gotten a list of plumbers from YLocale you should be well on your way to finding a great plumbing contractor who will perform the needed service well.