For the rest of us finding a plumber can be a hit or miss proposition using the yellow pages or the internet
. This is a less than ideal way to find a plumber, as anyone who has ever had an emergency plumbing problem can attest to.
When your pipes freeze during sudden unexpected cold snaps for example, time is of the essence and having a plumber you know and trust can make the difference between thawing frozen pipes and avoiding the massive damage of a burst pipe, or salvaging your home after the pipes burst.
So in the hunt for the perfect plumber, many consumers are finding that using consumer driven websites are helpful in finding a plumber with built in references. Web sites like this will allow consumers to rate a business and tell other consumers who to avoid and who to trust. This can be a great asset when you need to find a plumber and you don't have the luxury of a recommendation from a trusted friend or family member.
Hopefully you are looking for a plumber for a non emergency job and can take your time to look for at least three or four plumbers to interview. Once you narrow down your list to the top contenders you should call each of them and get some idea about the business such as their hours and their rates including what they charge for after hour's emergencies. How many plumbers are in the business and how long do they usually take to respond to a call? These are just a few of the questions you should ask to make sure you have a list of a few plumbers you can call for emergencies or non emergencies without having to gather information and do a comparison when you are pressed for time.
If you need a plumber for a bigger job such as a remodel or a new construction you should also take the extra steps to ensure that your plumber has an up to date contractor's license and doesn't have any complaints on file with the state contractor's board. And of course as with any contractor make sure you get the bid for the job in writing so there will be no questions later on about what was and was not included in the price and when the final payment is due.
Hopefully your experience selecting a plumber will be a positive one and you can pass down your recommendation on a website and help the next consumer out.