how difficult is it ti get a plumber

[xxxbingbunnyxxx]

Hello all,

I am in dire need if a plumber,simple job, replace old shower pump. First plumber was on a job but never got back to me, second never answered, and third quoted £180 just for 3hours labour! To me this quote is very night, would you agree? Just feel abit ranty as haven't been able to have a bath or shower since Sunday (at home anyway) x

£180 for three hours doesn't actually sounds that bad. Are you in London? I can recommend a good and not eye watertight expensive plumber if so.

Thank you, but I'm in the midlands, looking on forums £180 would be a full day rate

Thank you, but I'm in the midlands, looking on forums £180 would be a full day rate

• call out
• it is winter and everyone boilers just went kaput from the cold weather last week so they are buys
• it sounds fiddly job not a straight forward pipe-pipe-done job

Have a look on check a trade - I found a good plumber there

you should have asked "how difficult is it to get a good plumber"

this is the wrong time of year to look for anyone who does boilers or heating, because customers pay no attention to it until the cold weather comes.

The best thing is to ask around friends and neighbours for a recommended local person. Often little jobs are done by a person who is semi-retired.

The interweb is not a good source, because the advertising recommendation websites are paid by the tradespeople. The customer comments might or might not be written by the tradesperson. It can be surprisingly difficult to get an unfavourable comment published.

Look for someone with a recognisable local landline phone no. Don't use an 0800 or 0845 number because it will be an agency who sells your lead. Check the number because the same agency will be listed as "local Bermondsey plumber" "local Becontree plumber" "local Bromsgrove plumber" and is not really local to any of them. A mobile phone no is not as good as a local landline, even if it is just to their home answerphone. If you say "I live just down the turning by the Red Lion" see if they don't know where it is.

Local tradespeople with a good reputation don't need to pay advertising websites, or agents.

Which Trusted Traders is good - which actually checks them as well as members of the public

I have actually got good plumbers from my builder.com - you post the job and whoever is available will reply. These guys usually do their best to do a good job as they will get feedback from their customers .

I always use mybuilder.co.uk, never had an issue getting someone out at a decent rate, it's well worth a try