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_JAFO_
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Joined: 11/9/2007
Msg: 26 | |
| Call A Plumber Lately?
Posted: 2/9/2008 10:11:45 AM | And here I've been thinking of suggesting a "National Plumber Day" in honor of all those really GOOD plumbers who get us out of a jam on a regular basis.
I discovered a slab leak a few weeks ago. My plumber not only fixed the slab leak but also was conscientious enough about his work to notice there was still water going "somewhere." He isolated a second slab leak. I had everything re-routed through the attic to avoid ever having the problem again in the slab.
Had he have fixed just the one slab leak I probably would have fixed the leak in the slab and sealed it up again. By him finding the second leak right away rather than a week or (agggggghhhhhh) a year down the road I was able to make a decision based on multiple slab leaks rather than one.
The plumber wasn't "mr. personality" but by gosh he did a heck of a WONDERFUL job. He got in, got out and did everything right.
The drywall guy that had to "clean up" after him asked who the plumbing company was because he did such minimal damage getting into my walls that it was amazing in itself.
I didn't get off cheap. I paid HUGE sums of money for the work to be done. I'm grateful to my plumber. So grateful I think we should all go without running water for a day every year to pay homage to our wonderful plumbers!!!! For me... he was my hero! | |
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grog27
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Joined: 2/25/2005
Msg: 27 | |
| Call A Plumber Lately?
Posted: 2/9/2008 4:57:24 PM | "Wow. I didn't mean to start anything here."
Bullshit. Why else would you have posted it?
We gpt the same kind of idiotic comments whenever our band played a dance. "Gee, you guys just play for two hours and make all that money!!"
Right. Never mind the 8-hour drive to get to the gig; paying for the instruments/agent's fees/gas/maintenance/rehearsal space rental/etc.etc. People just don't realize (or choose to ignore) all the hidden costs in doing business. | |
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| Call A Plumber Lately?
Posted: 2/9/2008 5:25:58 PM | Let's see.
It took him 20 minutes, each way, to get from his shop, to my house. He was at my house for about 10 minutes. Throw in another 10 minutes for himself together to come to my house, and get his next call, when he got back to his shop. That's an hour.
He quoted me $600 to do a job that took me, an inexperienced plumber, about 30 minutes to do, and another 30 minutes to wait for the PVC glue to dry. That's an hour, for ME to do the job.
Let's be generous, and just presume I spent $30 in parts.
Most contractors, in this area, use the following equation to "bid" a job: Cost of Materials, double it, and add 20%. Doubling the cost of your materials pays for your time to do the job. The 20% is to cover overhead costs; i.e. the cost of "doing business."
Cost of materials: $30 x 2 = $60
Cost of materials doubled, plus 20%: $60 x 20% = $12
Total "bid" for the job, from another Contractor? $72
This guy's quote was, 833% of what another Contractor may have charged.
I seriously doubt the cost of doing business is anywhere near that high. | |
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| Call A Plumber Lately?
Posted: 2/10/2008 9:35:00 AM | best deal is to get to know a tradesman and then he will usually work for beer.....
I cant afford to have myself come to my place for a service call!!!! It is unreal the rates that are charged... but look at automotive---$90 to $120 an hour, high end onsite computer support---$500 an hour, lawyers???? $400 to who knows>?
Rates for jobs include EVERYTHING that business has to support to be there. We always hear "you didnt spend 15 minutes!" The reason we didnt spend much time is we have had years of experience so we didnt have to fart around with it for hours | |
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| Call A Plumber Lately?
Posted: 2/10/2008 11:41:32 AM | As a Paralegal, my time was billed to clients at rates varying from $75 to $150 an hour, depending upon what I was doing. My boss, the lead lawyer in the firm, billed his time at $250 an hour. Both of us worked in a specialized, Beverly Hills, law firm.
I don't care how many years you spent learning your trade, or how much business you have to support; $600 an hour for someone to glue pipes together is exhorbitant; by any stretch of the imagination. | |
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| Call A Plumber Lately?
Posted: 9/3/2008 5:40:53 PM | I know this post is very old, but I just had to comment.
I dont mind paying the actual PLUMBER, Dr, Attorney, Veterinarian the fees they charge because I realize THEY went to the trouble to learn the practice! What I do MIND however, is paying PLUMBER rates, and they send out the apprentice. You have to know the apprentice is paid (depending on where you live) anywhere from $15 to $30 and hour...NOT the $75 an hour the plumbing service COMPANY charges you.
I dont know about you, but in my work I dont make the big money until I get the BIG experience to command it. Why should I pay the going rate just because the company feels like charging it when I am NOT benefitting from the EXPERIENCE of the actual person with the KNOWLEDGE? Come on....we all know this just bites! They do this because they can...because no one really challenges them. I had the audacity to actually ASK the guy that came to the house , to see HIS plumbing license....guess what....he told me he was ONLY THE APPRENTICE and didnt have a license but he was covered under the companys insurance and license. All I can say is ...in the future, I will be VERY specific when getting estimates and work done. And I will be VERY specific as to what charges are on my bill....why pay for caviar and get tuna? | |
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| Call A Plumber Lately?
Posted: 9/3/2008 6:03:47 PM | Funny thing about the plumbing company that prompted the original post here.
It seems they're having a bit of trouble getting, or keeping, business.
I had a chance to speak to the owner of the company not long after the fiasco discussed in this thread, and I explained my opinions to him.
I also explained to him, that coming to my home to do a small job was a test drive, so to speak. I have a rental property that I am going to be adding more units to in the not too distant future, and I really don't feel like putting in the new water lines.
It's not a huge job. But, it would have kept a couple of plumbers, and at least one piece of equipment, busy for two or three days.
At $600 an hour, I can afford to rent the trenching machine I'll need, and put the pipes in myself. | |
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