Getting a plumber

[Bodd]

Out of all the tradesmen i've got in touch with to do work around the house, plumbers are the worst: and whatever you do, do not get in touch with Rightio. I'm still trying to find a fair trade plumber to give a fair price to do a competent job on a bathroom renovation.
I know there're several awkward aspects to the job but i'd rather an honest refusal than the messing about they do.

Best of luck to you.

The problem is lots of customers don't know what a fair price is. There's plenty of push fit plumbers out there that give a low price and finish the job in let's say one day.... A good plumber who knows his stuff will charge for 3 days and do a good job with no call backs, but his charges are higher....

End result is the push fit plumber earns well for a day of chucking it in and walks out that door never to be seen again.

The customer gets a crap job.

The good plumber isn't bothered because he's working for someone who's main concern was getting a job done properly than getting a plumber for what the customer thinks is a fair price.

 

[Odds]

There're ways to check online to find an average price for your area: you can check a quote against the average and make a judgement according to the tradesman's approach.
The last guy i talked to regarding a bathroom conversion came in under the average but his approach to the job stank, so i'm still looking.

 

[Bodd]

Exactly; your main worry in getting any trades is finding a decent one... I'm not interested in working for the Average or what some website tells me what I should be working for.
I'm looking at doing a good job at my rates so I can sleep at night and the customer is happy...

 

[FiremanT]

As has been said, don't go through the "middlemen". They take a fee or commission, which the punter pays in one way or another. If you cannot get recommendations, then do it the old way - pick up the phone. It is not always successful, but (until we opened a shop) every single one of my customers came to me via the phone, either after a recommendation or "out of the blue" from the very limited advertising that I did at the start of my SE. Don't phone late in the evening, weekends, or before, say 8.15. Unless or is an emergency. (After your first contact with a Trades, consider asking what times he is comfortable with being phoned)