What is going on with your plumbing?
Pick the one that fits. Every page below decides between named options, with sources.
Water everywhere, right now
All 8- Call a plumber tonight or wait till morning?
- Get out first: gas smell, or water reaching anything electrical
- Call tonight: water you cannot stop, or sewage inside the house
- Wait till morning: water stopped, nothing spreading, a night without water is manageable
- Pay the emergency rate or book next day?
- Pay the emergency rate: water still running, or sewage in the house
- Book next day: main off, leak stopped, household can manage overnight
- Shut the water off or wait for the plumber?
- Shut it off now: valve found, reachable on dry ground, turns by hand
- Call the water utility: valve missing, stuck, or only at the street or meter
- Plumber first or water cleanup company first?
- Plumber first: source still unknown or water returns when the main reopens
- Cleanup company first: source fixed or stopped, materials still wet
- Sewage coming up: plumber or the city first?
- Plumber first: one house affected, or a septic system
- City first: neighbors affected too, or sewage coming from the street
- Call your insurer or the plumber first?
- Plumber first: water still running, or the source not yet found
- Insurer first: water stopped, damage visible, repair can wait a few hours
- Gas smell: plumber or gas company?
- Gas company and 911: any gas or rotten-egg smell, even faint
- Plumber: only after responders clear the house and name a repair
- Take the first plumber who answers or keep calling?
- Take the first who answers: water still running, and they pass basic checks
- Keep calling: main is off, or the first answer raises warning signs
Something's wrong, but it can wait
All 9- Plumber, drain company or handyman?
- Licensed plumber: pipe replacement, permit work, anything behind a wall
- Drain company: one stubborn clog with nothing else going wrong
- Handyman: small visible jobs, where your state and city allow it
- Flat-rate or hourly plumber?
- Flat-rate price: defined jobs where you want the number before work starts
- Hourly billing: unknown problems where nobody can yet say how long
- One plumbing quote or three?
- One quote: small, clearly defined jobs from someone you can check
- Three quotes: bigger, unclear or pressured jobs where you have a few days
- Free estimate or paid diagnostic visit?
- Free estimate: replacing something visible, where the job is already known
- Paid diagnostic visit: a mystery problem where someone must investigate first
- Camera inspection first or dig now?
- Camera first: anyone told to dig without seeing the problem
- Dig now: anyone holding video, written quotes, permit answers and an 811 call
- Repair the leak or repipe the house?
- Repair the leak: one known leak and no pattern anyone can show
- Repipe the house: a documented pattern, confirmed by more than one written quote
- Get a second opinion or go ahead?
- Second opinion: big, surprising or rushed recommendations with time to check
- Go ahead: small, clear work from a firm you have checked
- The plumber's parts or parts you buy?
- The plumber's parts: repairs where one answer for labor and part matters
- Parts you buy: fixtures you chose, agreed with the plumber before the visit
- Replace the water heater now or wait for it to fail?
- Replace it now: older units where a failure would do real damage
- Wait for it to fail: newer units in spots where a leak does little harm
Planning ahead
All 9- Pay a deposit or none at all?
- Deposit: larger contracted jobs and parts ordered only for you
- No deposit: short repairs using parts already on the truck
- Licensed plumber or someone cheaper without a license?
- Licensed plumber: permit work, pipes in walls, anything you cannot easily undo
- Cheaper, no license: tiny tasks your state allows, with no permit needed
- Permit or no permit?
- Permit: new fixtures, pipe replacement, and work your city lists
- No permit: work your local office confirms is exempt
- Service plan or pay per visit?
- Service plan: owners who want scheduled checks and read the terms
- Pay per visit: most homes with few calls and some savings
- Home warranty or money set aside?
- Home warranty: buyers without a cushion who have read the exclusions
- Money set aside: anyone who can build a fund and pick plumbers
- Pay the plumber by card, check or cash?
- Card: most jobs, especially larger ones or unfamiliar firms
- Check: firms not taking cards, made out to the business
- Cash: small settled bills with a signed receipt, if at all
- The plumber's financing or your bank?
- Plumber's financing: anyone who has compared it and found better written terms
- Your bank: most planned jobs, where you have time to shop
- Water softener through the plumber or bought separately?
- Through the plumber: one firm answering for unit and fitting
- Bought separately: buyers who compare models and hire fitting apart
- WaterSense or standard fixtures?
- WaterSense fixtures: replacing anyway and wanting lower water use
- Standard fixtures: matching an existing look when no labeled option fits
It has already gone wrong
All 7- Call the same plumber back or hire someone new?
- Call the same plumber back: recent work, clear fault, money still unpaid
- Hire someone new: urgent damage, no reply, or trust is gone
- Complain to the company, the board or the attorney general?
- The company: every dispute starts here, while a fix is possible
- The licensing board: license problems, skipped permits, conduct on the job
- The attorney general: deceptive dealing, or a firm that ignores you
- Small claims court or a lawyer?
- Small claims court: loss under your state limit, simple facts, good paperwork
- A lawyer: loss above the limit, a lien, or a disputed contract
- Dispute the charge or pay and argue later?
- Dispute the charge: credit card, unsettled balance, firm stopped helping
- Pay and argue later: small amount, non-card payment, or card route closed
- Lien notice: pay it or push back?
- Pay it: the debt is real and a signed release comes with payment
- Push back: already paid, wrong amount, wrong job or bad work
- Cancel the contract or keep it?
- Cancel the contract: signed at home recently, doubts, deadline still open
- Keep the contract: you asked for it, fair price, complete papers
- Post a review now or after it is settled?
- Post now: firm has gone silent, facts are documented, others could benefit
- Post after it is settled: talks are moving or a fix is booked