Check the plumbing license first
Plumbing is a licensed trade. Ask for the license number and look it up on your state's public register — in Florida that is the DBPR license search. Confirm the license is active and held by the business you are hiring, not by someone who left years ago.
Understand how plumbers charge
There are usually three parts to the bill, and you should know all three before anyone starts.
- A call-out or diagnostic fee just to attend
- Labor, charged hourly or as a flat rate for the job
- Parts and materials, sometimes with a markup
- An after-hours or weekend premium for emergency visits
Ask for a written estimate before work starts
For anything beyond a simple unblock, get the price in writing. If the plumber has to open a wall or dig before they can be sure, ask for the diagnostic price in writing and a range for the repair.
Questions worth asking on the phone
A few minutes of questions filters out most of the risk.
- Are you licensed and insured, and what is the license number?
- Is the call-out fee credited against the repair?
- Do you guarantee the work, and for how long?
- Who will actually come — an employee or a subcontractor?
- Will you need a permit for this work?
Repair or replace
For water heaters, ageing supply lines and repeatedly blocked drains, ask for the cost of both options. A good plumber will tell you when a repair is only buying a few months.
In a real emergency
Shut off the water at the main valve before you call. Knowing where that valve is, before you need it, is the single most useful thing you can do about plumbing.