A good plumber’s number is something everyone should have stored in their phone or written in their address book. You never know when a plumbing emergency is going to happen but when it does you want to be sure that your problems are going to be fixed quickly and easily. So take some time to find a decent, reliable emergency plumber who you know is going to make plumbing emergencies more bearable.

What to look for in a plumber

When starting out on your quest for finding a reputable local plumber there are some factors that you need to look for. These are the things that will tell you whether or not this plumber is worth having in your contacts list.

1. Reputation

If you are looking for someone local it should be easy to find out what kind of reputation they have. Start by asking friends with their own homes who they use for their plumbing. Often homeowners have gone through a process of finding the right plumber and will have a list of who to use and who not to use. You will find there will be one or two who are always recommended. This is the plumber you want, the one everyone else trusts. Local building contractors use plumbers all the time so if you are still looking for a recommendation, try calling a few to get their opinion.

2. Competitive prices and estimates

The first thing you want from a new plumber is someone who is willing to give you free estimates on the work you need done. When speaking to your friends, neighbours and building contractors ask them how much they usually pay for their plumbing services. From this you should be able to get a general idea of what is reasonable and what is expensive. While you may be wary of a plumber claiming to charge much, much less than everyone else, you still want to go with someone who isn’t going to overcharge.

3. Gas Safe Registered

All qualified plumbers who deal with Gas should be able to show you their Gas Safe Registered licence on demand. This guarantees that the work done will be that of a trained professional. Don’t be afraid to ask for this Gas Safe number, it is your right as a client to know that everything is as it says it is.

4. Service warranty

When you are having extensive plumbing work done you want to know that the work is guaranteed to last. If there are mistakes you don’t want to be the one to have to pay twice. Check each potential plumber’s policy on service warranties. If someone is refusing to guarantee their work within reason, then you may not want to risk having them do any work for you.

What to watch out for

When you are looking for a reputable plumber, look out for these red flags and trust your instincts:

• Not taking your call and not getting back to you: If you have to keep calling then this may not be the kind of plumber you can rely on in an emergency
• Not being able to provide a guarantee on the work to be done should warn you that there may be trouble ahead with this plumber
• If you have found a local plumber that nobody in the area seems to know about, try see if you can find out more about them before hiring them. If they are good they should be recognised by at least one person or business.

If there are more complaints than compliments about a plumber, it is better to stay away. You don’t want to take the risk that you may end up being one of the people to complain, rather go for a plumber with plenty of praise.