Typically, a professional can assist a homeowner with a variety of ways, including the snaking of clogged pipes, toilet backups, running cold and hot water supplies to the bathroom or kitchen and installing central heating or gas/oil supply systems.

In a plumbing emergency, it's extremely hard to interview and find a good plumber when dealing with a flooded basement or overflowing toilet for example. Choosing the wrong provider from the Yellow Pages could cost thousands of dollars and cause more damage to the initial problem if the plumber was ill-equipped to handle the job in the first place.

Admittedly, the best way to find a good plumber in an emergency plumbing situation is to ask trusted friends and families for a referral. These are people that have already seen the tradesman's work first hand and feel confident passing him or her along for your disposal.

If you can't find a good plumber using a recommendation from trusted friends or family, start in the Yellow Pages or on local search engines such as Google Maps or Yahoo Local.

You will be given the option to enter your zip code and find the providers closest to your current location. Local search engines also include consumer generated reviews left by former clients to help weed out the good from the bad

When contacting plumbing providers during an emergency plumbing situation, it's important to find out whether the contractor specializes in immediate fixes or tends to focus on new construction/remodeling- which allows for a more relaxed time frame in completing the job.

Don't forget to ask how long will it take after the initial estimate to complete the work, as the company may be backed up and unable to handle your job in a time appropriate manner.

Alternatively, if you are seeking a plumber for a non-emergency plumbing job, there is more leeway and options in finding the best provider for your current situation. Again, the best way to find a plumbing contractor is to seek referrals from trusted friends or family. In this situation, you'll be able to personally inspect the contractor's work and ask your family or friends questions regarding the plumber's turnaround time, prices, etc.

However, if asking friends and family yields few results, begin soliciting estimates from as many providers as possible. Sources can come from local advertisements, the Yellow Pages or online local search engines.

Spend time looking for a plumber that specializes in your current need (i.e., running pipelines for new home construction, installing a new heating/air conditioning system in an older home), and don't be afraid to ask for 3-4 references from previous clients. Plumbing work is expensive and speaking with a former client is not out of the question when spending that kind of money on a service.

It's equally important to inquire about workman's compensation insurance or liability insurance should something go wrong on the job. The provider that carries insurance may not be the lowest bidder, but you'll be glad you erred on the side of caution if someone gets hurt or something breaks on the job.

Finally, upon receiving a satisfactory estimate from a local plumber, do a brief Google search of the company's name or check with organizations such as the Better Business Bureau.

This simple step can save you from incurring thousands of dollars of wasted money and a plumbing crisis, should the plumber have a bad reputation with other members of the community.