If you live in the UK and are looking for a builder, how can you ensure you employ a good builder who is competent and trustworthy? Finding builders or tradesmen is generally quite easy. You can find a number of trades and craftsmen like electricians, plumber's roofers in local papers or the yellow pages or on the internet. But a list of companies is just not enough. Because builders have a bad reputation it is important to find a company that isn't likely to turn up on one of the television programs exposed as a poor con artist. The trouble is, anyone can set them self up as a builder so finding a seasoned expert rather than an ex window cleaner should be foremost in your mind. You also want a company that can accommodate you budge and do a professional job.
If you need an emergency drain repair, toilet repair, or some other plumbing job completed you'd be better off to go online and find a proper business. The best businesses are almost always ranked towards the top because Google is so accurate with their searching relevancy. So if you type in your city and the word plumber you will be given the best in your area!
You can then possibly fix the drain yourself with over the counter products. You can then learn how to prevent the drain problem from ever happening again. Another step is to purchase all your own plumbing supplies. If the plumber does not have to leave to get an item that you already have, this will lower the amount of money you will have to pay them. If you do have to call the professional, make sure that you check everything that involves your garbage disposal in your home from dripping faucets to clogs. This way when he arrives, you can have him look and fix everything that you are having a problem with. This will keep from spending the money to call him again.
For this reason it is highly important to make sure you are prepared in a plumbing emergency. The first thing to do then is to make sure that you already have the number of a plumber in your phone book that you can find immediately. The sooner the emergency Trustworthy plumber gets there, the less damage you'll do and the less water you'll waste. Meanwhile you will be more likely to be successful in having your plumbing repaired. Don't make yourself rummage around to try and find the number of a plumber at the last minute - keep it somewhere where you can retrieve it easily when necessary.
Your septic tank has to be emptied sometimes, and there's no easy answer to when it should be done. It depends on the size of the tank and the (sorry to mention it) consistency of the stuff going into it. Basically, if the septic tank isn't pumped out regularly, it will cause you thousands of dollars worth of problems. Ask your Local plumber for advice on your septic tank maintenance.
As precautionary measure, you have to tell all your tenants where their individual water shut off valve is located, as well as the entire building's so they can turn it off in case of emergency. And don't forget to make them accessible. It won't do any good if they know where it is but it's locked and they can't break in.
Hourly fees are another thing you want to check out before you hire a plumber. Call around and get a few estimates for a job. Ascertain if the plumber is willing to sign a quote and give you a price warranty before he begins working. You should also find out if the plumber will require you travel time to and from your job and how they will compute that time and prove it to you. Giving you a precise price may be challenging, but any plumber who can't give you a comprehensive explanation of how you will be billed with an estimate of the cost should be avoided.