One common and oftentimes costly mistake is when homeowners wait till something needs immediate attention before they begin thinking of which plumber to call.

Your sink is backing up and you have 20 guests over for dinner, price is the least important thing on your mind at that moment, quality for that matter may not be on the forefront of your thoughts, but it will be later. Avoid waiting for the forced moment of decision and get to know your preferred local provider before you run into a crisis.

The smartest way to choose the right plumber for you is two-fold; do some research through the Better Business Bureau or Angie's List, read customer testimonials, most plumbers will provide testimonials and many references can be found on their websites, or through search engines; look to see if they belong to your local chamber of commerce or other reputable organizations. Lastly, ask around town, or look to see what trucks are in front of your neighbors home.

Then call each plumber to perform a general maintenance inspection - something you should have looked at regularly, such as having your drainage system cleaned for the winter to avoid root buildup and basement flooding, or check your exterior and interior valves to prevent leaking throughout the year; if they perform services on your heating and cooling system, have them perform your yearly maintenance service. Lastly, be sure they perform 24/7 emergency services and determine their on-call rate.

Taking simple measures to make sure you have a "go-to" plumber, reduces the panicked moment of having someone you are unfamiliar with, but who the first company you could reach that was available to come out during the snow storm to fix that burst pipe that is surging water onto your floor.

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