There are some things that are just guaranteed to mess up your day, as soon as they happen. For example, a leaking pipe in your house. From the moment you spot that first pool of water, however small, you can see the damage that might be done long-term. Sometimes, you won’t be so lucky and the damage will happen pretty quickly. Either way, when there are plumbing repairs to be done you need to act fast.

Don’t rush into finding a reliable plumber, but it’s clear that you’ll be more than aware how quickly you need to act. Look online and you’ll be able to find a reliable plumber that’ll do your job well, for a price you can afford, without ripping you off.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for repair or installation services, or whether you’re in search of a plumber to do domestic work, industrial work or plumbing work on your office, there are a few things you should do to make sure you’re getting an affordable service you can trust.

Firstly, remember that you’ll find no more reliable reviews than word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family members. There can be nothing more important than finding a reliable plumber that’s done work for someone you already know and trust. Plumbers that have built up a good reputation and have done great jobs in the past are the best ones to receive your custom, so ask around and see what your friends have to say.

Second to direct reviews from people you know are reviews on the internet. Seek out websites for your local community, or your city, and see what other people have to say. If you can’t find information out there already, ask on a forum or a community site. People are always happy to give their own recommendations when asked, even if they’ve not offered the information up before.

Even the best recommendations are no substitute for professional qualifications, however. You’ll want to find a plumber registered with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE). A CIPHE registered plumber will be qualified and experienced, holding the appropriate essential qualifications to show that they’re safe to work on plumbing or heating systems in any environment. If you need to know whether or not your plumber is CIPHE registered, you can find the information online in seconds.

The best thing to do will always be to ask your plumber for a quote and for a full list of qualifications, complete with proof. If you’re unsure about any qualification, you’ll be able to look up the awarding body and to check directly with them. If someone can’t show you their qualifications, the alarm bells should be ringing.

Don’t rely on prices to tell you the full story, but always ask a number of plumbers for quotes before you give any of them the job. You don’t necessarily want to go for the cheapest quote – remember that it can sometimes be a sign of a low-quality job – but you don’t want to let someone rip you off with an extortionate service either. Check if plumbers are doing the job alone, or if you can expect multiple people to be working. Remember that paying a team of plumbers might be more expensive, but that it should get the job done a little quicker. Always check if you’re paying by the hour, or for the full job on completion, and never pay in full, up front, for a job that’s not been started.

You’ll want to get a quote and a clear list of jobs written down. The only way to find a truly reliable plumber is to make it clear exactly what they’ll need to do. You should never leave jobs open to interpretation, if it can be helped. Of course, you won’t need to be the expert yourself, but you should make it clear exactly what your goals are so that the plumber you choose can determine exactly what you need to do – if you’re asking for a simple leak fix, they should be able to work it out quite easily themselves, but if you’re seeking a full installation or fitting you’ll want to describe things in a bit more detail.

Feel free, at any time, to ask for a full quote breakdown. If you do this early on, you can check if prices for parts seem unreasonably high, and you can search online to make sure that the prices are realistic and that you can’t find the same thing cheaper yourself. Look at labour rates, too – consider the quote as an overall package and as a broken down description of the work to be done.

Most importantly, you’ll need to remember that no amount of preparation will guarantee you a risk-free plumbing experience. There will be no substitute for keeping an eye on a job as it goes along. You don’t need to watch your plumber like a hawk every second, but ask them how things are going as they work, perhaps over a cup of tea or coffee offered for their efforts. If they start to say that it might be a bigger job than they expected, or that there are a few more parts they need to order in, be brave enough to question their motives, and check the prices of the extras they say they require – don’t get stung when they reach the end of their job and have increased their prices by hundreds.

Remember that you can find a reliable plumber by being aware and in control. You’ve got plenty of opportunity to question and to ask around, but ultimately the only thing really required is a little bit of vigilance.