WELCOME TO RIVER DAVES PLACE

Hey Plumbers!

Kachina26

Inmate #RDP158
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
9,679
Reaction score
14,873
Curious if I got hosed. Found a bunch of water on the floor and traced it to a broken drain pipe in the kitchen wall. I already have a lot of irons in the fire, so I called a plumber to handle it. He got there, quoted a price, ran for parts and was out the door all under 3 hours. I had already exposed the area in need of repair. How much do you think something like this would run?
AF56C421-0185-419A-984B-A45B04AD41F4.jpeg
 

JayBreww

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Messages
2,213
Reaction score
3,579
From a consumer, I would think 250-300?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

JayBreww

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Messages
2,213
Reaction score
3,579
Although you probably could have fixed it yourself for less than 50.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Riverfamlee

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2019
Messages
2,044
Reaction score
4,886
Sounds like you paid more BUT one thing I hate is plumbing. For me it never fails, one thing leads to another and another so I would be happy paying to let someone else deal with it. Sucks that you started it and made it easy for him though
 

JUSTWANNARACE

I will not let them take me🤣🤣
Joined
Aug 28, 2018
Messages
8,760
Reaction score
24,188
My plumber is $85 per hour +materials, not sure what the going hourly rate in your area would be.

Being a drain pipe inside a wall I wouldnt have allowed him to fix it with furncos(rubber clamp fittings)! Vent pipe no big deal, exposed wet pipe no big deal, wet pipe in a wall with no access absolutely not!! JMO
 

Kachina26

Inmate #RDP158
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
9,679
Reaction score
14,873
My plumber is $85 per hour +materials, not sure what the going hourly rate in your area would be.

Being a drain pipe inside a wall I wouldnt have allowed him to fix it with furncos(rubber clamp fittings)! Vent pipe no big deal, exposed wet pipe no big deal, wet pipe in a wall with no access absolutely not!! JMO
Well the show up charge was $85, so maybe that's the hourly.
 

HCP3

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2018
Messages
3,797
Reaction score
6,261
I was going to suggest $80-$90 an hour plus material.
 

Deckin Around

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 18, 2010
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
5,805
$320.

If it was a 3" line (shitter) I'd pay A LOT not to have to cut into it.
 

Bobby V

Havasu1986
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
23,300
Reaction score
12,842
Curious if I got hosed. Found a bunch of water on the floor and traced it to a broken drain pipe in the kitchen wall. I already have a lot of irons in the fire, so I called a plumber to handle it. He got there, quoted a price, ran for parts and was out the door all under 3 hours. I had already exposed the area in need of repair. How much do you think something like this would run?
View attachment 848134
Put in a access panel in case you have to fix it again. :)
 

lbhsbz

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2010
Messages
11,666
Reaction score
28,505
Depends...to the right side of the photo...what’s that clear silicone looking shit on the pipe?

The problem with these types of jobs is that you’re paying trade wages for driving around and shopping for half the job...or more in many cases. It is what it is, but it’s irritating. I’ve had stuff like this take me the better part of a day driving around finding the right stuff to spend 20 minutes fixing it.
 

NicPaus

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
12,973
Reaction score
12,379
$250-450 in SoCal. He probably didn't want to notch that 2x anymore so he used the bands.
 

Rondog4405

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2015
Messages
5,111
Reaction score
4,814
Glad i have a home warranty for that shit...even without it anything over $200-250 seems like robbery. Doesnt look like that big of a job..
 

C-2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
Messages
12,131
Reaction score
7,540
Damn senior citizens always complaining bout' something. :p

I'll guess $400. That's enough for the guy to go home and feel good enough about his day of work.
 

bk2drvr

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
1,659
Reaction score
2,099
Interested to hear the price as I do most of my own work and don't have a clue what most repairs cost. Sounds like youre pretty handy but just didn't have the time to deal with it. I already know without calling a repair person that it will be more than I want to pay and will likely be shocked at the quote.
 

boatnam2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2007
Messages
13,249
Reaction score
6,677
My 300 included installing bathtub also which i helped put in to cut cost lol. I also installed access door.
 

Kachina26

Inmate #RDP158
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
9,679
Reaction score
14,873
Interested to hear the price as I do most of my own work and don't have a clue what most repairs cost. Sounds like youre pretty handy but just didn't have the time to deal with it. I already know without calling a repair person that it will be more than I want to pay and will likely be shocked at the quote.
$586
 
  • Like
Reactions: DWC

braindead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2013
Messages
1,120
Reaction score
1,367

He quoted u that price and u agreed, U fucked your self! That's like $15 in parts and maybe 40 mins worth of actual work for an experienced plumber taking his time
I know it's after the fact but U need to find a local supply house and talk to the sales guys, see who they recommend, small crew or works by themselves and is honest and reliable. The phone book plumbers will rape u dry
 

braindead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2013
Messages
1,120
Reaction score
1,367
On a side note, did u check to make sure it was those fittings that were causing the problem?
 

riverroyal

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Messages
13,893
Reaction score
18,371
How much is a service call for a union pipe fitter...:):p
We dont do service calls. I dont see 5 hours of work in the picture. Minus 2 hours MAX for road time. 50 in material.

Doesnt matter, you may have over paid by 1 hour. Its done!!
 

bk2drvr

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
1,659
Reaction score
2,099

What a shame that this is what it’s come to. Sorry to hear this.

I’ve been thinking about what sort of part time job I’d have in retirement, plumbing is one I’m considering. I wonder what a part time honest plumber could make at half these prices?
 
  • Like
Reactions: DWC

NicPaus

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
12,973
Reaction score
12,379
What a shame that this is what it’s come to. Sorry to hear this.

I’ve been thinking about what sort of part time job I’d have in retirement, plumbing is one I’m considering. I wonder what a part time honest plumber could make at half these prices?


Depends if you plan on having a stocked service van or using your pickup and running for parts constantly. One of my rigs is setup for plumbing and kitchen bath remodels. Doing plumbing 1 or 2 days a week on my jobs instead of farming it out to one of my 8 plumber buddies I paid it off in 2 years. Fully stocked cost me almost 100k. If I could only find someone to run it 5 days a week. To busy running and selling jobs.
 

hallett21

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
16,853
Reaction score
20,152
I was going to say 4-500.

It really doesn't matter that its $50 bucks in parts.

A legitimate contractor has to pay for tools, truck, fuel, insurances, rent for business, payroll and then hopefully make a profit. Why would you take on all of that risk for $100?

Im sure the guy billed a minimum charge. He's tied up on the job and will lose billable hours driving to the next one.
 

riverroyal

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Messages
13,893
Reaction score
18,371
What a shame that this is what it’s come to. Sorry to hear this.

I’ve been thinking about what sort of part time job I’d have in retirement, plumbing is one I’m considering. I wonder what a part time honest plumber could make at half these prices?
Handy man that does plumbing. Nice relaxing gig
 

DLC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
9,855
Reaction score
14,350
Don’t look at the cost it’s done! Move on

you could have taken the day of and spent 5-6 hours and 3 trips to Depot!

When it’s all done your like hey that was easy
 

4Waters

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2016
Messages
30,213
Reaction score
75,046
You guys need to quit complaining, my dads neighbor bought a new toilet and called a local plumbing company out to install it and they charged her over $500, they did replace the valve as well :rolleyes:
 

Bobby V

Havasu1986
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
23,300
Reaction score
12,842
What a shame that this is what it’s come to. Sorry to hear this.

I’ve been thinking about what sort of part time job I’d have in retirement, plumbing is one I’m considering. I wonder what a part time honest plumber could make at half these prices?
Now your a expert after fixing your water meter leak..lol :p
 

bk2drvr

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
1,659
Reaction score
2,099
Now your a expert after fixing your water meter leak..lol :p

I fix a lot of things. The list is long. I was lucky to have a dad that fixed everything and passed that along to me. We live in a new world of everything being over priced. It’s sickening.
 

Carlson-jet

Not Giving A Fuck Is An Art
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
7,785
Reaction score
7,947
You guys need to quit complaining, my dads neighbor bought a new toilet and called a local plumbing company out to install it and they charged her over $500, they did replace the valve as well :rolleyes:
Lets be real, disturbing the dead on a pressure line is a different situation from gravity feed. 5 hundy is a bit high but I wasn't there. I know I have paid more than that because I gambled on disturbing the dead. Never trust 20-30 year old plumbing.
 

Jed-O

Shitter was full!
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
3,697
Reaction score
5,060
I was going to say 4-500.

It really doesn't matter that its $50 bucks in parts.

A legitimate contractor has to pay for tools, truck, fuel, insurances, rent for business, payroll and then hopefully make a profit. Why would you take on all of that risk for $100?

Im sure the guy billed a minimum charge. He's tied up on the job and will lose billable hours driving to the next one.
Exactly this!
 

77charger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
5,815
Reaction score
6,773
Easy fix but like said sometimes what you think is a 10 min job becomes a couple hours after you start and things dont go as planned.LOL
 

Riverbound

Banned
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
Messages
26,751
Reaction score
19,204
I wouldn’t expect an experienced tradesmen to come to my house and do a repair including having or acquiring parts for less than $500. But then I’m biased and know the actual costs involved in running a service company.
 

Riverbound

Banned
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
Messages
26,751
Reaction score
19,204
I was going to say 4-500.

It really doesn't matter that its $50 bucks in parts.

A legitimate contractor has to pay for tools, truck, fuel, insurances, rent for business, payroll and then hopefully make a profit. Why would you take on all of that risk for $100?

Im sure the guy billed a minimum charge. He's tied up on the job and will lose billable hours driving to the next one.

Finally someone who gets it. There’s a lot more to “cost” then the parts and time spent doing the actual work.
 

fishing fool

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2007
Messages
5,463
Reaction score
5,905
Finding and exposing the leak $0.00
Calling the plumper $85.00
Plumber fixed in 3 hours $586

Spending more time on RDP than it took plumber to repair that day Priceless
 
Last edited:

highvoltagehands

Laveycraft Nuera 2750
Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
2,672
Reaction score
3,398
$586 wasn’t the Worst part, it was hearing his wife say:
“You paid what? Next time call me, I’ll come home and deal with the plumber myself, cause those plumbing techs always take advantage of men like you.”:p
 

Kachina26

Inmate #RDP158
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
9,679
Reaction score
14,873
I was going to say 4-500.

It really doesn't matter that its $50 bucks in parts.

A legitimate contractor has to pay for tools, truck, fuel, insurances, rent for business, payroll and then hopefully make a profit. Why would you take on all of that risk for $100?

Im sure the guy billed a minimum charge. He's tied up on the job and will lose billable hours driving to the next one.
I get all that, that's why I asked if they were out of line.
$586 wasn’t the Worst part, it was hearing his wife say:
“You paid what? Next time call me, I’ll come home and deal with the plumber myself, cause those plumbing techs always take advantage of men like you.”:p
After watching him make the repair, I must admit I felt a little emasculated. Live and learn.
 
Top