Worthless?? Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
If it wasn't for that "worthless association" and their other associates (APHC CIPHE, HVCA, JIB, BPEC, IDHE, Summit Skills etc) this trade would be in a much worse state than it is at the moment.
Without getting into an argument that would cover everything from rates of pay, pensions and benefits to health and safety and training and standards of works, it is them and their like who set the standards for others to follow.
Not everyone is a course cowboy and some of us still willingly pay a subscription to be a member of an organisation that acts for the benefit of all in the trade whatever your background.
Recommendation is always a good thing and should perhaps be a first call as finding a good knowledgable tradesman is hard to do these days but the above link gives you a better chance of finding reliable, established, businesses which employ fully trained plumbers committed to high levels of customer service.
There is always Findaplumber or Trusted trades.com and the other internet bandits out to make a living (or a killing) if you are stuck but don't hold out much hope of actually getting a decent one who is capable of much more than a tap washer.
Most good plumbers don't need to use this internet dross but unfortunately for the masses they are hard to find.
For the OP: An approximation: more than a ton and less than 2 grand: how long is a piece of string?
Phone a local plumber!
