1. Observe and protect
Note the symptoms in detail, stop further damage if it's safe to do so, and gather whatever history is available.
2. Evaluate the house and site
Every service call starts with the same groundwork: how the fixtures are behaving, what the pipes are made of, what the water pressure is doing, how drainage and venting are routed, where the shutoffs sit, what access looks like, and what prior repairs already touched the system.
3. Define a written scope
A written scope should cover prep, protection, materials, access, permits, testing, cleanup, finish restoration, exclusions, and how change orders get handled.
4. Compare providers
Check credentials, then compare the reasoning and boundaries behind each proposal -- the total is the least useful number to compare.
5. Inspect closeout
Confirm testing was done, cleanup is complete, documentation is in hand, warranties are recorded, and any ongoing maintenance is understood.