Avoid the Most Expensive Plumbing Repairs in Your Home: Here's How

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There are few things more stress-inducing than a major plumbing emergency in the home. Due to the cleanup, repair, and mold remediation potentially involved, significant plumbing problems—such as leaking pipes, broken water heaters, cracked sewer lines, or slab leaks—can cost thousands of dollars to address.

In this article, we’ll review what you can do to avoid and prepare for the most expensive of these plumbing emergencies.

Image - How You Can Avoid the Most Expensive Plumbing Repairs in Your Home — How You Can Avoid the Most Expensive Plumbing Repairs in Your Home

For a full review of the three most expensive home plumbing repairs and what you can do to avoid them in your home, take a look at the infographic below from Reimer Home Services, a plumber in Buffalo, New York.

It contains a cost breakdown for each repair, as well as tips for keeping your home’s plumbing in great shape.

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Build a Budget for Preventative Maintenance and Emergencies

When they first buy their home, many homeowners start a “rainy day” savings account designed to pay for needed upkeep and repairs. However, this account can quickly get used for other, seemingly more important things.

After all, when things are tight, it’s hard to portion off part of your paycheck to go toward a future emergency at a yet-unknown date.

However, saving is about more than just preparing for the day your roof needs to be replaced or your sewer line needs repairs. It’s about paying for and keeping up with essential home maintenance.

If you want to avoid expensive plumbing emergencies, preventative maintenance is the key. With the right upkeep and attention, your home will be far less likely to encounter serious issues.

Here’s an example

In many parts of the country, frozen pipes are a major threat to homes on the coldest nights of the year.

In a vast majority of cases, pipes freeze when the home’s furnace stops working in the middle of the night. A fall tune-up for your furnace can prevent this from happening altogether.

If you’re interested in additional protection, have a plumber install protective, insulating sheathing around the pipes in your exterior walls.

At the First Sign of Trouble, Act Decisively

When confronted by a potentially expensive and extensive plumbing problem, the path of least resistance is often procrastination.

Unfortunately, most plumbing issues do not get better over time; if anything, they tend to get worse or cause more damage.

A leaking pipe is not going to stop leaking on its own. If you want to stem the damage to your home and keep your repair costs from escalating, you need to call a plumber as soon as possible.

Hire the Right Contractor for the Job

No matter where you live, there’s probably at least a dozen—if not far, far more—plumbers in your area. However, not all plumbers are the same.

Some have certifications, experience, insurance, and can be trusted in your home. Others do not meet any of those criteria. If you’re trying to sort out what plumber to hire in the middle of the night during an active emergency, you’ve put yourself in a tough position.

It’s going to be very difficult to find a qualified person who offers emergency service at the right price without calling around, and every minute matters.

There’s a much better way to do this. Instead of waiting until you desperately need a plumber to find one, do some research on plumbers—and, for that matter, other contractors, such as HVAC technicians and electricians—in advance.

Start by talking to your friends and neighbors about who they’ve worked with and what their experiences with that person were.

Next, pick a few companies to call, and ask them about their certifications, experience, licensing, and insurance.

Finally, pick a top choice and put their name and phone number on the fridge. Keep a few backup plumbers around, too, just in case your top plumber doesn’t get back to you in an emergency.

Don’t Panic!

If you’re prepared and fortunate, you and your home should avoid most major plumbing problems. However, some plumbing emergencies seemingly come out of nowhere.

A leak appearing above your living room or a clogged sewer line is among the most stressful things a homeowner can encounter. It’s important to remain calm: you planned for this.

Call your trusted plumber right away and get them out to your home for a closer look. When it comes to a leak or plumbing emergency, every minute counts.