Ask around. Ask your friends, ask your neighbors and get referrals. Nothing is more powerful than the testament of someone who has had a local plumber in their home and can speak to his/her capabilities.
You can find out what people have to say about service companies by reading reviews online. If you find a lot of negative reviews from one company, you should definitely stay away from them. There are many positive reviews online, so you should not have a problem finding a Trustworthy plumber that you can turn to for many years to come.
The more plumbing services they offer, the better because this means that they know what they are doing and that they will be able to help you with any plumbing that is needed.
Ask yourself if you truly have an emergency plumbing situation. Your plumber may try to convince you that the work needs to be done immediately and want to charge you an additional fee for his "emergency" work. If your plumbing is still usable, then it's possible that the repair work could be done later. If so, then you have some time to get additional quotes from other plumbers and compare their fees. Evaluate just how bad your plumbing problem is and decide if delaying repair will cause further damage to adjoining pipes and so on. It is also wise to consider the time it's going to take you to have other plumbers come out and give you their quotes. If your time is valuable, it may be to your benefit to go with the quote from your initial plumber.
Talk water leak to the plumber about your options. Generally, you can install a new tank or switch to a tankless system. There are benefits to either option, but for those who want to have hot water right away and keep costs low as well, a tankless system may be one of the best options on the market. Most of the time, these systems run far more efficiently than others and they can also be longer lasting.
Comparison shopping among your Local plumber will also give you a better value for your money. Take a look at the rate that they charge for the hour as well. To better help yourself you should get specific references or go through a service that has pre-screening. Choosing a plumber is based on the ability to deliver and his or her customer satisfaction. Checking your fixtures yourself can also save both time and money. This allows you to get multiple problems taken care of at the same time and reduces charge time.
A word of caution: If you have natural gas or propane and you smell gas in the house, shut off the main valve (where the gas comes into the house) and call for service immediately!
If you have cold called a plumber, that is just found their name in the local paper or the internet, ask them for a reference. Getting in touch with a recent client is a great idea, they can give you an honest testimonial of the plumbers services. Even if you are looking for someone to complete a small job, finding a good plumber who you can trust is a great contact to have.