Wild plumbing estimate.

[J F]

If the plumber wants to stay in business he is going to have to get down to the $500-600 range for a job this easy, and even then, I would be tempted to do it myself.

This (and the rest of the thread) would be interesting to post on forum for plumbers, for the business owner's viewpoint.

 

[MasseyWV]

The more I charge, the more work I seem to get. I know it's not how it works, and there has to be a point of being too expensive, but I'm not there yet.

It seems counter-intuitive, but I've encountered the same phenomena when selling vehicles or equipment. If the price is too low people often don't show as much interest, but when the price is raised interest sometimes picks up considerably. Personally, I've always believed that it has something to do with the "pay more, get more" mentality.

 

[N80]

This (and the rest of the thread) would be interesting to post on forum for plumbers, for the business owner's viewpoint.

I agree. But a couple of plumbers have responded. And I want to state again that as cheap as I am, I'm not complaining about plumber's fees in general. They have a skill that is in demand...and often in immediate demand (when you gotta have one you gotta have one)...and its a skill that most others do not possess. They have overhead like everyone else. And they have to make a living just like everybody else. And I think they often get the same rap as doctors, lawyers and auto mechanics. Most people do not understand the nature of the problem that they have or the solution to it and so they complain about the cost. Unfortunately, doctors and lawyers and plumbers and auto mechanics often have a reputation for overcharging and sometimes that reputation is valid.....and so many honest ones suffer that reputation unfairly.

Part of the problem is also that amongst auto mechanics and plumbers (probably doctors and lawyers too) the estimates vary so widely that it generates suspicion. Why did one plumber give my neighbor an estimate of over $4000 while the next estimate was $2500? Hard to say.

And as mentioned above, sometimes you wonder why the low bid is so much lower. Is the low bidder sloppy or less skilled? Hard to know.

Being a tight wad I find the correlation between price and quality to be of ultimate interest. I will pay top dollar for something that I know to be better than the rest. But there is a lot of stuff out there that is priced high just to make you think it is high quality. And I would rather get caught paying a small amount for something that is less than average in quality than paying a large amount for something that is of average quality. At least in the first case I got what I paid for. To me there is NOTHING worse than paying top dollar for average goods, there is GREAT satisfaction in paying top dollar for top goods but NOTHING is better than getting above average goods for below average prices!

 

[J F]

Good post, George. :thumbsup:

 

[MarkV]

Have I missed it or is this the only quote you have gotten? I saw mention of the "other neighbors" getting quotes but not you. I would shop around. Maybe the guy is covered up with work, doesn't like you or there is something he sees that you don't on this project. Never hurts to get more opinions.

MarkV

 

[kenmac]

Have I missed it or is this the only quote you have gotten? I saw mention of the "other neighbors" getting quotes but not you. I would shop around. Maybe the guy is covered up with work, doesn't like you or there is something he sees that you don't on this project. Never hurts to get more opinions.

MarkV

He knows he's a DOC. and has all that $$$

 

[N80]

He knows he's a DOC. and has all that $$$

I got all that $$$ because I pinch it!

No, I have not gotten other estimates and I have not called the plumber that I have used in the past. So yes, before I do anything I will get other estimates. If I get an estimate less than $1000 and I'll probably bite. Otherwise, the doc is going to pick up his shovel!

 

[kenmac]

I got all that $$$ because I pinch it!

No, I have not gotten other estimates and I have not called the plumber that I have used in the past. So yes, before I do anything I will get other estimates. If I get an estimate less than $1000 and I'll probably bite. Otherwise, the doc is going to pick up his shovel!

I think your handy enough to do it yourself. It amazes me the things ( seems like easy stuff ) people pay me to do, because they don't have the confinence to do it. . That's how I stay in business & pay the bills

 

[N80]

I think your handy enough to do it yourself.

I like the idea of being a DIY kind of guy and I admire folks who are..........but for folks like me who will attempt things that maybe their friends wouldn't attempt.....there are always those moments of unexpected disasters that take a simple job and turn it into a nightmare. I can't think of many specific examples (my wife calls that selective memory because there have been plenty) but its things like stripped threads, broken bolts, not having the right tool or that unexpected thing you find (hit) in a wall or underground that turns a 2 hour job into an all day job. Or a $100 project into a $500 project. The fear of those sorts of SNAFUs usually make me prefer to call the plumber, mechanic or whatever. A job well done, by a pro, for a reasonable price is often as satisfying as a job I do myself.

Its a fine line between a frugal DIY hero and an expensive, bumbling putz. In my 50 years I'd say I'm batting about 500.:laughing:

 

[J F]

Its a fine line between a frugal DIY hero and an expensive, bumbling putz. In my 50 years I'd say I'm batting about 500.:laughing:

That's a pretty nice line to straddle my friend. We're all lucky if we can do so.