Why is it that some people find the idea of contacting a new plumber to do a job, just a little bit worrying? There have being a spate of documentaries on the TV and stories in the media about "Cowboy" plumbers, sad tales of people losing their money. Yes, there are rogues out there but in truth they are few and far between.
Television or radio - There are many plumbers that will put an ad on the television or local radio stations to let people know they are available for hire. Pay attention the next time you watch television or listen to the radio because you never know when you will hear about the right plumber that you can hire.
You can then possibly fix the drain yourself with over the counter products. You can then learn how to prevent the drain problem from ever happening again. Another step is to purchase all your own plumbing supplies. If the plumber does not have to leave to get an item that you already have, this will lower the amount of money you will have to pay them. If you do have to call the professional, make sure that you check everything that involves your trustworthy plumber in your home from dripping faucets to clogs. This way when he arrives, you can have him look and fix everything that you are having a problem with. This will keep from spending the money to call him again.
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.
Preventative care is what is needed here such as using commercial products for unclogging a drain and wrapping your pipes and having them insulated. You may also want to invest in drain covers for your drains to catch hair and grease before it becomes a problem that warrants the call to your Local plumber. If you have pipes outdoors that have hoses, before fall sets in, disconnect these hoses and bring them indoors. This is just some of the preventative maintenance that can be used.
As precautionary measure, you have to tell all your tenants where their individual water shut off valve is located, as well as the entire building's so they can turn it off in case of emergency. And don't forget to make them accessible. It won't do any good if they know where it is but it's locked and they can't break in.
Once the work has been completed, ask for a breakdown of the bill before it's paid. That way, you know what you're paying for and it stops the plumbers asking for more money down the line.