OK, we've talked at length about replacing the toilet seal (wax/rubber/whatever). Now, I'm asking, how much should it cost to have it done professionally. I ask this cuz I'm responsible for my mother's home. She has alzheimers and I have legal authority to use her assets to maintain her property, which I've determined is now necessary.
So, how much should it cost? And how long should it take? Can it be done inside a day (8hrs)? Is there a flat rate for the job, or can I be hosed by an inexperienced plumber who charges by the OJT hour? If I hadda pay, I do it myself, but I don't. So, what should I expect from a reputable plumber?
BTW, I'm hoping no dry rot, but we'll see. Also, the actual toilet is in excellent shape. Jes needs new floor seal.
Assuming no problems other than a wax seal gone bad , I can do one in under an hour and I'm not even a plumber . Should be a minimum-charge call IMO for most plumbers . If there's anything else that needs to be done be prepared to be bent over . Once that toilet is up they got you by the nuts and they know it . Research plumbers in that neighborhood - ask the neighbors who they use/like , etc .
The job should take less than an hour and will be what the minimum a plumber charges, usually $75 to $100.
Be prepared though, to spend a bit more. I know of two recent jobs that had to have the flange replaced as it was corroded. Each took at least another hour. Fortunately, no floor damage to repair.
I got a call to help some friends, whose toilet rocked. I found a bad flange. Fortunately, the flange had cracked, and I was able to break it up with a hammer. The replacement flange ($25) fit into the pipe, and the toilet went on without too much trouble. Needed some shim, of course.
The wax seal was five bucks or so.
A reasonably honest plumber, maybe an hour labor and ten bucks for the shim. Maybe hundred bucks, as Ed comments.
Usually takes me less than an hour including the drive to the plumbing supply/hardware store. The labour charge should be within the normal "service call" minimum. Around here that's $60. If it takes more than a day, call the undertaker because your plumber has died on the job.
atever). Now, I'm asking, how much should it cost to have it done professio nally. I ask this cuz I'm responsible for my mother's home. She has alzheim ers and I have legal authority to use her assets to maintain her property, which I've determined is now necessary. So, how much should it cost? And ho w long should it take? Can it be done inside a day (8hrs)? Is there a flat rate for the job, or can I be hosed by an inexperienced plumber who charges by the OJT hour? If I hadda pay, I do it myself, but I don't. So, what sho uld I expect from a reputable plumber? BTW, I'm hoping no dry rot, but we'l l see. Also, the actual toilet is in excellent shape. Jes needs new floor s eal. Thnx. nb
A reasonably competent plumber should have wax seals on his/her truck, espe cially if you tell her/him what you want done at the time you make the init ial contact. If the flange is in good shape (seal not leaking for too long a time) there are two bolts to remove, lift the toilet, exchange the seal, and replace toilet and rebolt to the floor. Even if the tank is removed t o make lifting the toilet easier, it should not take more than 45 minutes t odo the whole job.
This week, Menards sent me link to a video show the process in detail. I no longer have the link but it shouldn't be too difficult to track down. I signed-up to get more of their "How-To" videos.
Long enough to learn how to monetize every link and graphic on their webite to direct unsuspecting rubes to other commercial sites providing nothing but money grubbing promos. Thanks fer nothing.
Yet almost all respondents managed, or at least attempted, to reply with some useful/helpful information. Only you, among all, came off like a jerk. Gee, whatta stellar accomplishment.
I'm being very picky with your wording. You said THE drive. There is neve r a THE drive, singular.
A pro has the parts on the truck and doesn't need to drive.
An amateur always has THREE trips on a plumbing job. One to get the parts you think you need, one to get the parts you really need, and one to replac e the parts you broke or dropped down the hole.
Sorry, but three is a MINIMUM!
When I do this job I take the tank off for two reasons. One is to spare my back lifting it, and maybe slipping and dropping it. The other is to repl ace the tank seal and bolts now rather than when they eventually need it. I work slow and careful and check everything twice; it takes me about two h ours, including the three trips to the hardware store. Anybody reasonably c ompetent and accustomed to this job should charge under an hour's labor. T hat's $85 in my local area.
I learned what I wanted to know. I thought it would be much more expensive --and it still might be-- but my fears of being hosed for hundreds of dollars for a mere seal replacement job have been allayed. Thank you all.
Well, I'm not exactly an AMATEUR - I've learned to take it apart, find out what I need, make ONE trip to get all the required parts, and put it back together. Occaisionally that one trip ends up having to hit 3 or 4 suppliers before I get everything I need - but again, I've learned who generally carries what, so usually get what I need at the first or second stop.
I don't go to the hardware store for car parts, or the auto supply for plumbing parts, or Wallmart for anything.
I have auto supply (x3) hardware store (x2) electrical supply (x3) and plumbing supply (x2) plus home despot within 2 miles of home. As well as 2 WallMarts. Wihin 10 miles I can add 2 Ronas, another 4 hardware stores, a Lowes, another Wallmart, another Rona, 2 Home Building Centers, another Home Despot,and half a dozen more electrical supply houses and another 5 or 6 auto parts suppliers. Not to mention a few appliance parts outlets and electronics supply shops.
When doing work for friends out of town it's a 2 trip minimum - one to load the truck, and one to empty it.
Many years ago I had a toilet that leaked around the base. When I pulled the toilet, I found that the concrete base that used to support the tile had disintegrated, the wooden sub floor was rotted out and the cast iron flange was cracked. Obviously I had no clue in what order any of those things occurred, but I knew that I could only fix 2 of the 3. I called an old time plumber, one who knew how to deal with leaded-in cast iron flanges. He told me that if I wanted to save some money, I could chisel out the old solder and oakum, remove the flange, repair the floor and then have him come in and lead a new flange onto the pipe.
I did as he suggested, then used some pressure treated wood to build up the floor under the toilet and around the flange so that there was a nice solid base for the flange to sit on. He came in with his torch, his ladle, his pack of oakum and put a new flange on in just a few minutes. It was a long time ago so I don't remember the actual cost, but since I did all of the upfront work and then reset the toilet myself, the cost was minimal.
Watch this video to get an idea of what I did and then what the plumber did. After that, you can decide how much of the work you want to do yourself. You might not even have a leaded-in flange, but at least you'll get somewhat of an idea of what it looks like under a toilet.
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My suggestion would be to at least pull the toilet, clean up the area around the flange and clean the bottom of the toilet. Then have the plumber come and fix whatever needs to be fixed and replace the toilet if you don't want to do it yourself. You can't hurt anything by removing the toilet and cleaning the area, so why pay a plumber to do that?
Cuz I can and it's neither my house nor my $$$$ and I think I should have it done professionally instead of playing DIY, Which I'm not afraid to do.
Regardless, thank you very much for the youtube link. I had no idea the underside of a toilet was so involved. I rather doubt it's an iron pipe and flange, so will need to rely on the plumbers expertise, anyway. I'm sure it's all PVC, cuz I hadda hook up a new sewage run (I did a little plumbing when I worked for a pool building company) for my mom when I came out to visit about 8-9 yrs ago and got a look at the under floor plumbing at that time.
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