Having plumbing work done is the sort of thing that most of us might only need every five or ten years, with the exception of annual boiler services. For that reason, many people don’t have a regular plumber. We’re left looking online, in local papers or asking friends and family for recommendations. That’s usually fine, but it’s good to know whether a plumber is reliable, safe and reasonably priced before booking them, however urgent the need.

Obviously, we are plumbers ourselves, so we’ll try to resist the urge to say “look up Able Plumbing Solutions” because you might think we’re a little biased! Also, if you’re reading this from outside the Milton Keynes area, we probably wouldn’t be able to help anyway, but the advice we give should apply to other parts of the UK too. There are thousands of really good plumbers all over the country, it’s just knowing how to find them.

What do you need?

The first question you should ask yourself is – what exactly do I need? If you’re looking directly at plumbers’ websites, look out for the specific reasons you need them, and services they offer. There are two main reasons to call a plumber:

  • Emergency (burst pipes, gas leaks, broken down boilers etc.)
  • Planned (bathroom renovations, central heating upgrades etc.)

While many plumbers offer emergency call-outs, there are those who only work 9 to 5, so this is a good place to start, especially if it’s an emergency. Do note that it’s quite normal for plumbers to charge more for an emergency call-out and repair than they would for the same repair booked a few days in advance. That’s just how the industry works – there are costs involved with being on call 24/7, which need to be recouped. If you have insurance cover for emergency repairs, you can probably claim it back anyway.

Some plumbers have areas of specialism, which could be gas, water, bathrooms, kitchens, central heating, boilers or something else. When you’re looking, seek out those specialisms, with a portfolio of completed jobs if possible.

Is it a big job or a minor repair? While many plumbers say “no job too big or small”, it’s not always how they operate in practice. Some might not think it’s worth their while to come and change a washer, or could charge you over the odds for it. Others, which tend to be local, independent or family run plumbers, tend to be more sympathetic to the seemingly minor needs of their community. At the other end of the scale, there are big jobs. Any task that will take days or weeks to complete, like a major heating upgrade or moving a boiler, will probably need to be booked quite far in advance, as they’re unlikely to be able to squeeze you in tomorrow.

Essential qualifications and certifications

A non-negotiable thing to look out for is Gas Safe registration if you’re having work done on a boiler, central heating or kitchen gas cooker. They should advertise it on their website and other marketing materials, but since these can be faked, go straight to the source – the Gas Safe Register – and check them out. You can use this to find a plumber (select “Find”) or to check the credentials of one that you’ve found (select “Check”). 

Also look out for:

  • City & Guilds qualifications for individual plumbers
  • OFTEC membership
  • CIPHE (Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering) membership 

Where to find local plumbers

In the past, you’d reach for the Yellow Pages to find a plumber, but that has now been replaced by the online version – Yell.com. However, there are many more places to look nowadays. 

You’ve probably seen ads for online directories like Trust a Trader, Check a Trade and Rated People. These are all pretty much the same thing – directories with customer reviews. Look at the dates on the reviews, if they publish them, and pay more attention to recent ones than old ones.

Another name that Brits of any age will be familiar with is Which? This started out in the 1950s as a magazine, and is now also a valuable online resource full of reviews and consumer advice – and that includes plumbers.

Although they can be useful, always treat customer reviews with caution. They can be a decent gauge, but people tend to leave reviews only when the work was either excellent or terrible – never when the trader just did a decent, competent job. And of course, some reviews can be fake – negatively or positively – although the websites do claim to work hard to filter out fake reviews.

Word of mouth remains a great source of information. Ask friends and family if they have used a plumber recently, and whether they would recommend them. You might also get info on local Facebook groups, and it’s always worth asking local tradespeople who aren’t plumbers (e.g. builders, electricians, kitchen fitters) as they probably work alongside plumbers regularly, and should know which ones are trustworthy.

First impressions and pricing

It’s always a good idea to find more than one plumber – perhaps three or four – who fit your needs. You can then check out their websites, credentials and reviews, and if they publish their pricing, you can do a rough comparison (although note that most plumbers will need to check the task in person before they can give an accurate quote). Find out if they offer a callout charge to assess a job, or whether it’s free. 

Now you can set about giving them a call, emailing them, or contacting them through their website or an app. You can get a good first impression from how quickly they respond, how professional they sound and such like. That said, plumbers are often sole traders, and could be working on a job when you call, so you don’t have to expect a receptionist – or a good phone reception, for that matter. Tell them your problem and listen to what they say. You can take the opportunity to ask what they typically charge, how soon they can start, and if they have completed similar projects recently. 

Tell them you’ll call them back and run through the other options. Then you can choose one based on the information they have given you. There’s an old saying that you should dismiss the lowest and highest quotes, but it’s not necessarily true. A personal recommendation from someone you trust, especially if you have personally witnessed their work, might be worth a few pounds in peace of mind and future repair costs.

Red flags to avoid

  • No evidence of accreditation
  • No fixed address/landline
  • Unusually low or high quotes
  • Ignored phone calls/voicemail not responded to
  • Demands for upfront payment
  • Pushy sales tactics
  • Bad online reviews that look genuine