It may be naive to assume that someone will "cut-a-break." But when did it become acceptable for home-improvement contractors to work for "one reason only: to make money." I'm in my field of work because I love what I do, and I take pride in a job well done, knowing that it not only satifies me, but my clients.
BH
I like what I do too. But If I did not get paid well for it, I'd like it a whole lot less. Ed
Wayne, any idea of the costs he has to be able to show up at your place and spend an hour or two? If he carries his paid helper and drives his rather pricey truck/van with that few thousand dollar machine and many thousands more for all the tools and parts he needs, from his place to yours, should he not recover his costs of doing so? Would you if you were him or do you think he's mismanaging his business?
What about all the time he spent learning his 'trade' and his liability whether he knows what he's doing or not? What if he chewed a hole in your pipe, you expect him to take the cost of fixing it outta were? Yesterdays' wages? How about his previous profits? You do realize he's self employed and pays his and the employer's parts of FICA etc. right? That's on his helpers too. What about anything for retirement since he's both employer and employee? I could go on some more but.... the lawyer writes off his rent or lease payments, or more likely owns his building while it appreciates in value. He probably leases his office equipment while the plumber probably has a large expense if he leases his vehicle(s) but he can't lease his tools and special machines. The lawyer has E&O insurance and liability if you fall on his business property but he isn't going out to your place and doing anything close to causing your house tens of thousands of dollars in water or other damages like mold discovered three years later. That BTW, the plumber can no longer buy insurance to protect himself against; or so I think since my coverage has been deleted from my insurance coverage and all I do is install equipment on existing potable water line plumbing. So IMO, that's a bad analogy and it's really wrong as to what your plumber's charges have to be for him to stay in business; he doesn't work for hourly wages although he may charge labor rather than flat rate. There's a whole other world on the other side of this equation and it seems you have no factual clue as to what it's like from the other side.
Gary Quality Water Associates
"Wayne" wrote
"George E. Cawthon" wrote
I certainly agree with the poly pipe being a much better choice than copper but... I do this type work in my well pump business and I'll tell you the prices you are stating are very low if the job were hired out. I wouldn't be the guy to do yours if you're comparing my charges to a DIYer buying the material from the big box store and doing the work himself; like you and most others are in this case.
If the DIYer screws it up he starts over at his expense. If I did that, it's at my expense, my insurance premiums, time and materials etc.. Plus my related travel time and expenses etc. plus any job I may have had had I not had to go back out to your place to redo something. I'm not risking my financial and other well being working for laborer's wages ya know. They couldn't pay but a very small part of my expeses. So, we're talking two widely different things here and really, they are not comparable.
Gary Quality Water Associates
Come on. You could do that job with iron pipe, including cutting threads on every pipe end in less than hour. What the plumber did was charge the guy not only for the work the plumber did but the work the house owner did in digging the trench. It was a rip off
If you're a plumber, I want your phone number. I'm hiring you to be on my crew. You are one fast, cheap worker and I'm lookin' for you!! I'll pay you $25 an hour....no benefits, no 401K, no unemployment, no workmens comp., no vacation, no sick time, no health insurance, you provide tools and transportation and you're a 1099 independent contractor. How fast can you put in a replacement 40 gal gas hot water heater? Under an hour? NY Metro area.......
Hell no I'm no plumber. How long do you take to replace a length of pipe when everything is out in the open?
Haven't ever replace a gas water heater. But I guess about an hour. The 50 gallon electric one took about 1-1/2 hours but I was eating lunch at the time. BTH, that's about what I work for minus the $25, but then I work for myself and usually just save money. Can't beat saving $100 buck for an hours worth of work.
art wrote:
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