An unskilled plumber can end up deepening your troubles. You won't want to hire just an underqualified contractor, only to spend more to have another plumber fix his mistakes. Choose well the first time by following the advice in How to Find a Plumber.

An unskilled plumber can end up deepening your troubles. You won't want to hire just an underqualified contractor, only to spend more to have another plumber fix his mistakes. Choose well the first time by following the advice in How to Find a Plumber.

• Your sink is clogged, or worse, your toilet is backed up...and overflowing! Trouble is, you've just moved to town and have no idea how to find good repair help.

• A predicament, yes, but not a tragedy. Simply finding a plumber may be a matter of flipping through the phone book. To find a quality plumber, follow these helpful hints:

1. Ask around. Your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors can provide a recommendation and reference in one. Ask about the nature of the work done and how satisfied your friends were with the service.

2. Look online. If none of your friends has had a plumber in lately, you can try to find a pro online. On sites such as findaplumber.com and findaplumbernow.com, you can search by location and/or specialty. You might also find testimonials from past customers.

1. [[Image:Plumber_DO_20090507.jpg|frame|none|right| (Creative Commons photo by

2. Mike Licht)]]

3. Ensure the plumber is fully licensed. You want any work performed to be up to local code.

4. Be sure he is insured. You won't want to be liable for any injuries that might occur while the plumber is working at your address.

5. Find out if he is a member of a trade organization. Maintaining membership may not guarantee quality work, but it may reflect a seriousness of purpose.

6. Determine how long the plumber has been in business.

1. Apart from online testimonials, you might want to check with the local Better Business Bureau to see if complaints have been lodged against the contractor.

2. Get references. If you were not lucky enough to find a plumber through friends, be sure to get at least three references...and contact them all. Find out what kind of work was done and how well.

• An estimate should be clear and easy to read; the information should be professionally presented. If it is vague or unclear, beware.

1. If any contractor balks at providing an estimate, move on.
2. If the price seems too high, get estimates from others before making a selection.

Finding a good plumber is a matter of doing the legwork. The internet can be a terrific tool, but before you spend money, thoroughly investigate the contractor's reputation and credentials. Getting the job done right the first time is your ultimate goal.

• Introduction
• Step 1: Find a Professional
• Step 2: Investigate Credentials
• Step 3: Look into Reputation
• Step 4: Get a Written Estimate
• Conclusion