What happens next?

Once you have decided which firm to use, you must book a time for a plumber to come and see you. Plumbers are some of the busiest tradesman and may not be able to visit you right away, but you should not have to wait longer than a week. Make sure that you are aware of all costs before the plumber comes out – there may well be a hidden call-out charge.

At this point, you should tell the plumber what the problem is and provide any information that they might ask for – for example, the brand and model of your dishwasher – so that they can prepare for their visit and bring the correct parts.

Before any work is carried out, be sure to arrange the price. Plumbers will either ask to be paid for the completion of the job or per hour. Be sure to obtain multiple quotes and ask for a written estimate, which breaks down all the costs.

In any case, never pay the full amount up front because you will not have any bargaining power if you are unhappy with the finished job – in the worst case, the firm may delay doing your work for a long time or not turn up at all!

Once you have decided on a plumber and are happy with the estimate, you must book an appointment for plumber to come and have a look at the problem. If they don't need to order in any parts, they will complete the job then and there.

If the problem is more complex and a part is needed, which the plumber doesn't have, they will give you a price estimate and guide as to how long it will take to get the part in stock and the problem fixed. Here you can clearly choose to go ahead with the repair, or, as is sometimes easier, replace the entire machine.

After the work has been completed, be sure to get a written invoice so that – if anything should go wrong – you can go back to the plumber and complain.

Questions to ask your plumber?

• How long have you been practising?
• Does that price include everything (call-out charge, first-hour rate)?
• How long will the job take to complete?
• Can you please give me a written quote with a full cost breakdown?
• Are you CORGI-registered?