Hiring A Good Professional

No matter how handy you might be around the house, chances are there will come a plumbing incident that is too much for you to handle. If you have very little experience with these matters, that time will come sooner than later. So, no big deal, right? Just thumb through the phone book and find a plumber. It really is that easy to find one, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be getting the best guy, the best deal, or even an honest worker. If you want someone you can trust that won’t charge you way beyond what could be termed a fair price, you can either take your chances or you can do a little extra legwork.

The best place to start your search is with some other homeowners you know and trust. It’s likely they have worked with a good plumber in the past and can recommend someone to you. If possible, talk to several such friends and get a list of names. If you see the same name start to pop up frequently, chances are they are a very respected plumbing professional, though they may be very busy as well.

Another good place to start is with any contractors you may know. If your house was built from scratch, call the company that did the work and ask if they can recommend anyone. Contractors for house work tend to have a network of other workers they can trust for specific jobs. They should be able to give you a name or two. The only thing to be cautious of here is any backroom deals the contractors could have in place for commissions and so forth.

You can also ask local real estate salespeople if they know anyone in the plumbing trade they can recommend to you. Try the real estate salesperson who sold you your home. It’s not uncommon for these salespeople—who often have great ties to the community—to be able to give you the name of a good local professional or a company you can call for help.


Before you hire a plumber for the job, make sure you do a thorough background check. Ask for any references and call those references to make sure the worker is legit. Run a search through the Better Business Bureau if you’re dealing with a larger company. Remember that this is someone you are trusting to be in your home and perform repairs on your sensitive facilities.