DIY repair or call a plumber?
Some jobs you can easily handle yourself; others cost you more without a professional. The honest dividing line.
Safe to do yourself: unscrewing and cleaning the trap under the sink (bucket underneath), attacking a blockage with a plunger, replacing a tap washer or the cistern mechanism, and clearing hair from shower drains. Tools and parts rarely cost more than € 25 combined.
Do call a professional for anything involving fixed pipes (soldering, joints, rerouting), hidden leaks, heating breakdowns and the sewer. One overtightened joint or a missed leak inside a wall quickly causes consequential damage worth a multiple of the plumber's visit you saved on.
For gas work the choice is not yours: since 1 April 2023, companies working on gas-burning installations must be CO-certified in the Netherlands, and doing the work yourself on those appliances is a criminal offence. Your insurer watches too: damage from unqualified DIY work is regularly rejected, while a professional's work with an invoice and warranty is covered.
In doubt? Submit a free request and describe the job. A professional can often tell from the description whether it is a DIY job, and will honestly say so: nobody earns anything on a ten-euro fix.