Why a plumber charges like an Attorney

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OKLAHOMAN

OKLAHOMAN

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Seven years ago we put in granite counter tops along with a black granite composite sink. The sink had a lifetime warranty against staining. Last year Diane noticed a brownish stain and I've been putting off removing it and taking it back to get a new one. Early (6AM) this morning I decided it was time, got all my tools together and emptied out the area under the sink. figured by 7 the sink would be out and I could drive to Lowe's and exchange it....NOT SO CAMEL BREATH (damn I miss Johnny Carson). I forgot Diane also bought the largest disposal known to man, the thing weighs as much as a Sherman tank and takes two men and a small boy to remove it. Then I forgot the sink was epoxied to the counter. After working under the sink (in an area with me under it a flea would not fit) for over an hour just to get the disposal removed from the twist bracket I started with a putty knife trying to loosen the sink from the counter two hours later the sink was loose... Whew. Looked at the clock it's 12:30, hell it only took me 6 1/2 hours to get it out. Back from Lowe's with a new sink and Diane reminds me we had a new Grohe faucet so it's now 2PM and I start to reinstall the sink and all goes well until I see the supply lines on the Grohe are 8 inch to short, off to Lowe's to buy 2 extensions, install them check all fittings, turn the water on to check for leaks....damn I'm good ...none. Turn on the faucet look at all the drain lines for leaks , started gathering animals two by two, it wasn't leaking but pouring from........you guessed it the flange where the disposal is attached, finally stopped the flood...no leaks, sink looks great and only 11 hours work...now you know why plumbers charge as much as lawyers are worth every penny....
 
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Roy we use floor jacks to put those grinders in....LOL heck small animals can be dispatched in some of those....Glad to hear most of it went smooth!!
 
What? Only 2 trips to Lowes? You had an easy time of it. Quit Showingoff how good you are! :)

Every DIYer knows amature plumming requires at least 3 trips - you are halfway to pro status!
 
Not always

But then there is the one that charged me $90 (and I had a "plumbing" contract and got a "discount") when my disposal stopped....I didn't realize there was an allen head in the bottom....He put in a 3/8th allen wrench turned it twice and it was fixed. Time from his truck until job completion 4 minutes. Charge $1350/hour. Took longer to write up the bill than do the work.

Then the AC coil leaked....covered by warranty, so I got the replacement free but had to pay for installation...Charge $856.00. Time: one guy did the job in an hour and forty five minutes....less than three hours counting the 20 minutes travel time to and from their office. Right around $300 per hour.
 
What a fun day, I love doing plumbing work, I also like sticking my tongue in live electrical sockets, but my favorite thing is slithering on my back under my Daughters 20 year old trailer in mud and yuck fixing plumbing. Now that's fun, but only if the weather is near or below freezing.
 
When attempting plumbing fixes I find I always need something that doesn't exist. I either have the wrong sizes and there is no adapter. The piece is female and I need a male and they are out of stock. Its i inch to short or 12 inches 2 long. Radiator hose and hose clamps will come back to haunt you. I no longer have the body of a contortionist and bifocals dont help.
 
bitshird said:
What a fun day, I love doing plumbing work, I also like sticking my tongue in live electrical sockets, but my favorite thing is slithering on my back under my Daughters 20 year old trailer in mud and yuck fixing plumbing. Now that's fun, but only if the weather is near or below freezing.
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Been there done that... about 20 times since moving to TN... was much better when I lived in Houston, had a house on a slab of concrete, was working and could call in the plumber...
 
Roy, I used to do granite countertops for a living. You were lucky to replace the sink with one that fit. It sounds like whoever installed everything originally did a good job if it was that hard to get loose. You done good
George
 
My annual garbage bill to the county is about $300 or so dollars and I get pick-ups for house garbage on Monday and Thursday, recycles on Wednesday, and lawn debris on Friday. I often wonder what these folks do on Tuesdays!!

For a six pack of cheap beer I have been known to get them to take 'items' that are not regularly found in the dump ... like fresh road kill, nosey neighbors, oversized limbs etc.

Best government deal of the year for me and those that live in this county. :)
 
Have I mentioned before that I (*&#$(&* hate plumbing?

If not, let me say that I (*#&$(&# hate plumbing!!

Glad it worked out Roy but I feel your pain. Sounds like my endevour every time I get into that stuff.
 
Actually, you did much more than most plumbers would have. Removing the old sink that had been epoxied to the granite countertop would have stopped most plumbers. When we had granite counter tops put in, I had just undergone surgery to my upper chest, so I called a plumber to simply attach the new sink drains and water lines. No garbage disposal so it would be a relatively simple job. He wanted $450 to do the job and he couldn't get there for three days. I got disgusted and did the job myself. It took me a total of 90 minutes without all the plumber's tools. I can't imagine what your job would have cost you? Look at it this way, assume your plumber would have charged you around $600 to do the job, plus parts (marked up of course) for a total of around $700. Then figure how much you have to make to net $700. It sounds to me like your's is a job well done and well worth it.

Jim Smith
 
bitshird said:
What a fun day, I love doing plumbing work, I also like sticking my tongue in live electrical sockets, but my favorite thing is slithering on my back under my Daughters 20 year old trailer in mud and yuck fixing plumbing. Now that's fun, but only if the weather is near or below freezing.
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Yep; But if the temp is below freezing, the yuck will be solid yuck. Except of course where your body heat melts it directly under where you are laying... :frown::frown::frown:
 
Roy, that's why it was called DIY project. it's not supposed to take little time. And, the plummer do charge that much because no ne else want to put up or touvh our Crap. LOL:biggrin:
 
True

bitshird said:
What a fun day, I love doing plumbing work, I also like sticking my tongue in live electrical sockets, but my favorite thing is slithering on my back under my Daughters 20 year old trailer in mud and yuck fixing plumbing. Now that's fun, but only if the weather is near or below freezing.
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Does anything on a trailer break any other time?
 
many moons ago when i worked at a hardware store in HS, a wise plumber was tlaking to me one day and was saying how people are always complaining how much plumbers charge. he said "you know why? Here's an example. because when someone calls me at 3 am complaining of no heat, and I walk up to the boiler, hit the reset button, and the unit fires. so i hand them a bill for a hundred bucks(or so). and they say a hundred bucks, why so much. and I say to them, because I had the knowledge to push that button, and apparently you didn't.":laugh:
 
You also forgot to mention the cost of the truck/van, tools and testing equipment, insurance and parts in stock on the truck on top of what the Plumber makes as a wage. I've turned a thermostat up at 2:00 am on a Sunday morning and charged the minimum service charge. This has to include my travel time to the job and back home. There used to be an old saying - $50.00 for a service call, plus $150.00 if you tried to fix it first.
 
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