Hi Keith, I’ve heard some horror stories about using plumbers. Although I’ve never had to use one in my five years of home ownership, I am certain there will come a time. What would you recommend on how to find and work with a reputable plumber and not get ripped off?

—Cindy B. Ann Arbor

Hi Cindy,

As with most contractor’s stories, the “out of the ordinary” ones are the ones that get the most attention. Most contractors are decent, honest hardworking men and women. That being said, you do have a reason to be concerned, as there are “bad guys” in every industry looking for the easy rip off. By asking the right questions and being prepared for that emergency call it will help you find the “good guy” plumber.

Below are the five things every homeowner must know when working with a plumber.

Know what the service fee includes.

Unless giving a free estimate, most plumbers charge a service fee to arrive at your home. This covers their time and gas to make the appointment. Be sure to clearly ask and understand what this amount includes. Does it include the first 15 minutes, first hour or the service call only?

Have an emergency number of a reputable plumber handy.

Lee from Westland was changing a light bulb, and the next thing you know he needed a plumber, immediately! How? Let’s continue the story.

He was changing a light bulb in the ceiling of his unfinished basement when the bulb became loose, fell and dropped onto his old water pipes only inches below. This caused a small hole to form in the pipe, and it started spraying water up to three feet away onto the floor. (The pipes were old galvanized, and they had started to rust through and become very thin in the exact area that the light bulb hit.)

After turning off the main water supply, he realized his continued unfortunate situation. There was only one main shut off in the house , which meant he had no water in his entire home. With a wife and three kids, he knew it couldn’t stay that way for long. He immediately went to his emergency contacts list and called is favorite, trusted plumber. Yes, this is a true story.

Know where your main water shut off is for the entire home.

See the story about Lee from Westland.

Get everything in writing.

Although this jas been written about in many of my articles, I cannot stress the importance of this step. Does the bid include materials? Does it include cleanup? Does it include a trip charge in case they don’t have the materials? What is the warranty, and what does it cover?

Any reputable plumber will be glad to give you this information prior to starting the work. Although, if water is gushing out all over your home, you may want them to turn the water off first.

It’s ok to ask for advice over the phone.

Many reputable plumbers will help guide you over the phone to solve an issue, but you must ask. The owners of these companies believe this will create good will and trust with prospective customers as long as it is an easy fix and not a liability issue. (Which I too believe; if they help you, keep their number).

I know many plumbers who are asked to check a homeowner’s non-working garbage disposal, who then asked the homeowner to press the reset button underneath the disposal prior to charging them a service call. Now that’s customer service.

Again, most contractors are the “good guys,” and taking the time to prepare and find them is time well spent.

Paul is a State of Michigan Licensed Builder. Paul serves as President and founding member of Nationally franchised HandyPro Handyman Service, servicing Washtenaw, Wayne and Oakland Counties. www.handypro.com. Listen to Paul every Saturday at 11 a.m. on “It’s Your Business, Make It Happen” WAAM Talk 1600AM. Email questions or comments to kpaul@handypro.com.