The best way to find a good plumber is to ask friends and neighbors, remodeling contractors, and real estate agents. Nothing holds up a home sale faster than plumbing problems, so Realtors often have a list of reliable, fast-response plumbers.GoodGuyList.com provides you direct access to qualified licensed and insured Kansas City plumbers that are currently working with Kansas City's top real estate professionals.

When making a selection, ask for proof of a license. Most states require plumbers to be licensed, and they typically provide a number you can call to verify that the license is current and that there are no active complaints against it. Any plumber you consider should also hold a current workers' compensation policy and a minimum of $500,000 liability insurance.

The best way to find a good plumber is to ask friends and neighbors, remodeling contractors, and real estate agents. Nothing holds up a home sale faster than plumbing problems, so realtors often have a list of reliable, fast-response plumbers. Once you find a plumber you're satisfied with, keep his numbers (office, home, and cell phones, and beeper) handy for emergencies.

What You'll Pay

The bill for emergency plumbing is almost always a shock. Are plumbers just taking advantage? Occasionally, but the short duration of the work contributes to the high rates. Though the plumber might spend only an hour at your home, you pay for his time (driving to and from the job, picking up parts) and more.

For a plumber specializing in drain-clearing services, expect to pay at least $70 per hour for drain lines and $125 per hour for sewer lines. Most problems can be fixed in an hour. For weekend or night calls, add more to the hourly rate.

For basic plumbing services, such as leak repair or installing new traps, you'll pay $45 to $65 per hour in addition to parts, which the plumber will mark up from his wholesale price. For weekend or night calls, you'll pay as much as $100 just for the call and $75 an hour after that. At these rates, you don't want to spend much time chatting, but do ask what the repair/parts options are and get advice on how to prevent the problem from recurring.