How to Find a Plumber Near Me

Finding a good and trustworthy plumber near you is serious business when you have an emergency that’s causing a neighbourhood stink, or a mini tsunami in your home.

Your family’s health is directly linked to your water and amenities, so when an emergency arises you don’t have time for DIY and Youtube videos, you want the closest, best, plumbing professional to fix your problem, but without you having to dig too deep into your pockets.

Britains are faced with making ongoing home repairs and hiring the perfect local tradesperson is important for your peace of mind, and wallet. So, what can you do to improve the chances of finding your Mr. Right for your kitchen pipes? Here are a few tips that you can consider when it’s all cisterns go and you need someone to take a peek at your leak.

Talk the Trade

Did your handyman or electrician do work you were happy with? See if they can recommend a good plumber. Tradespeople often know each other and work together on projects. They value long-term relationships and will recommend someone who is reliable to their clients.

Find a trustworthy company

In most cases, it makes more sense to choose a reputable plumbing company over one that is relatively new and unknown. A company’s reputation that precedes it, speaks for itself, and sometimes it is good to value other people’s opinions.

Associations for the Plumbing Industry

Most professional and knowledgeable plumbers belong to a trade association. Members of trade associations are exemplary in their commitment to quality and customer service, as well as delivering top results. Being a good plumber involves more than just being technically competent. Reliability, trust, and communication are key factors. We all know that an unreliable plumber is no use to anyone and that professional tradespeople deliver everything they promise.

Two of the most respected trade associations in the UK are the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) and the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE). A tradesperson who belongs to these associations is unlikely to risk their reputation by doing inferior work.

Friendly Family Advice

Referrals from your family and friends are another great source of plumbers. There is a good chance that they have dealt with similar situations and can recommend someone you can trust. In today’s world, personal recommendations still carry a lot of weight. Invite the neighbours for a spot of tea and play ‘name the best plumber’, or if you are having a pint at your local—ask the barman who he calls at the crack of dawn when he’s backed up.

Check out rating pages and directories

You are more likely to find a reliable plumber when you browse through directories and ratings pages. One is less likely to find “fly-by-nite” or wanna-be plumbers there. If it looks fake, it probably is and remember ‘anonymous’ stuff cannot be verified. Here are some popular and tenable directories and aggregator sites:

• One of the biggest directories on the web is YellowPages.com
• Yelp.com – another great directory with ratings
• Using Truspilot.com, you can search by rating
• You can find the top 3 plumbing companies in your region on Threebestrated.co.uk
• Trustatrader.com – a directory of qualified trade professionals

It’s best not to rush a decision unless it’s an absolute emergency. Search on the second and third pages, being on the first page does not necessarily equal impeccable service.

How to Hire a Plumber Near Me

For an emergency, call a plumber and explain the nature of the problem in detail. An experienced plumber will be able to quote you a price for a call out, but you could have additional expenses if any parts have to be ordered. Travel and parking may also be charged.

You may be able to spend a little more time looking for the right candidate if the job isn’t urgent. Get at least three quotes from competing plumbing companies and compare potties with potties.

You might ask:

• What is the company’s history?
• Is there a reference to a similar piece of work?
• What kind of guarantee do you offer?
• Do you have business insurance and does it cover my property?
• Do you have additional expenses, such as travel, parking, or waste removal?

It is possible that the plumber can give you a quote over the phone, or they may need to visit your property to assess the situation. You should consider a phone quote as a ballpark estimate based on assumptions (that your pipes are in good working order, for example).

A visit from prospective plumbers should provide you with insight into whether they are trustworthy. Does the company arrive on time and explain your options without unnecessary jargon? Do you understand what work will be completed and what the expenses will be?

A payment instalment may be required if your project involves extensive work. You should not pay more than 25 percent of the total cost in this case, and only pay the full balance upon check-out and approval.

And always bear in mind that if it wasn’t for plumbers coming, we wouldn’t have any place to go.