A leak, one plumber, one quote.

The 4P check (people, pets and environment, production, possessions) says act now: the water is damaging the house while it waits. So the job goes to one plumber with a mandate, a price limit they work up to without asking, rather than to a round of quotes. For a half-day plumbing job, 4 hours at €70/h plus a call-out fee and materials, the mandate came out at €575. Above it, the plumber stops and explains in writing first.

One quote came back: €540. It is inside the fair line (€489 to €604, where a fair price for this job lands) and under the mandate, with a year of warranty on the work and a stated rate for anything extra.

The house and the quote are fixed, so nothing here saves.