Is it normal accepted practice for a plumber to charge double on materials of what I can pay retail. I understand there is time involved in purchasing parts.
- posted
18 years ago
Material prices charged
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- posted
18 years ago
I don't know what is normal, but one plumber that I spoke with told me that he buys his materials wholesale and charges the suggested retail price.
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- posted
18 years ago
Double the price, maybe not. The big box stores sell fixtures at about 40% off MSRP. Most plumber charge between 80% and 100% of MSRP.
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- posted
18 years ago
One other thing: I can't tell you how many times someone I've worked with didn't know that a toilet seat, and sometimes the trip lever, is extra. The plumber may be giving a price for a complete setup, and you are looking at the price of one piece of the puzzle.
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- posted
18 years ago
I think this depends on the guy....
If they have to go to your house to look at what they need, then go to the store and order it all. Following that pay for it with some deposit money and some of their own (maybe but usually not), pick it up and then deliver it to your home...
Then maybe. Its all a matter of time and how much the'll charge for it.
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- posted
18 years ago
Everything is broken down, but the pump itself I was charged 188, at HD it is 109, online 89-99$. I was just curious as to what is standard or what is excessive markup.
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- posted
18 years ago
Tradesmen usually pay more than what you can get something for at the BORG. They get better service from their supplier (delivery, back ordering, consolidated billing etc) and they pay for it. They then mark that price up to cover their overhead and pass that on to the customer. Overhead would even be higher if you had plumbers wandering around retail stores looking for things they may or may not stock.
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- posted
18 years ago
I suggest not even looking at the breakdown of prices. You pay the bottom line and that is what is important. Who cares if he charges less labor and more for parts or more for labor and less for parts?
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18 years ago
I agree. Use the total price when comparing quotes.
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- posted
18 years ago
Double? No.
1/2-again more? Rarely.1/3-again more? Likely.
My plumber/friend just replaced my water heater. He ordered it from his supplier and charged me his cost: ~$90 more than I could have bought it from Lowes. He didn't charge me for the installation and "fronted me" the cost of the thing. I didn't complain. No big deal.
Yeah: They pick-up the phone and make a call. Presto! The stuff is waiting at the job site the next day.
Material and parts mark-up done by professionals in the course of their work has been "the norm" for as long as I can remember. As JM said, it's the bottom line - and a GOOD installation - that counts.
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- posted
18 years ago
They do have overheads in addition to the work involved in purchasing the parts and delivering them to your worksite. They may be paying for it with other funding or financing besides any deposit you have already paid.
Then there is warranty issues, which many seem to forget. If you purchase it yourself and pay someone to install it, if there is a problem with the item, YOU will have to deal with the place you purchased it from or perhaps with the distributor or manufacturer directly.
When you pay a trade for supply and install, that supply price tends to be a bit higher, but you only have to deal with them when it comes to warranty issues (at least, with a good tradesman you would). As they say, little in life comes free.
As others have posted, the bottom line on the whole job is what really should matter to you. Just realize that this also includes things like, "who do you deal with if the item was defective?"