Questioning faucet install charges

Here's Mom's new kitchen faucet:

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It's an American Standard. Existing sink, no change in configuration or anything. She needs a new backsplash but I digress. I bought the faucet online and Mom called a plumbing company to install it.

Here's underneath:

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Previously it was copper all the way up. No flexes and perviously there were no shutoffs. So the new installation included those shutoffs and the chrome plated lines you see. Quality of the installation workmanship seems fine.

Is $482.00 a fair price for this install (including the shutoffs and short bits of tubing)?

Parts and labor are not broken out but the invoice says $336.00 for the faucet installation and $146.00 for the shutoff valve installation. Was this fair or did a senior get taken taken to the proverbial cleaners? I am aware that skilled labor and a truck and shop filled with parts don't come cheap but it seems outrageous to me but then maybe I am just out of touch.

This is suburban Chicago if it matters.

Reply to
Steve Kraus
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You got took, you didnt get a bid I bet, you just had it installed. My elderly neighbor once had sears out to put in and supply a similar

150$-200$ setup and was charged 900, I got sears to lower it to 400. If it were me id stop pay if it was a check or dispute it and complain to the plumber. I find this common in plumbing.
Reply to
ransley

I'm in Rochester NY, where I got quotes for ripping about about 10 feet of iron drain pipes in the basement and replacing them with PVC. The numbers ranged from almost $1000 down to $250. The cheapest guy came with great recommendations from some very picky friends. When he finished the job (one hour), I told him about the highest quote. He said it was absurd, but "they're out there - you have to be careful".

The most expensive quote came from a guy who did pretty much the exact same job in my previous home, for about $400. He explained the price difference as "travel charges", because he was already at my house for something else when I had him to the extra work. He lives 5 minutes from my current place. That explains the $600 travel charges. And, I'm the next king of Denmark.

Anyway, sounds like your mom should've shopped around and asked some acquaintances for recommendations.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Hmmm, I did not realize USD value is so low now, LOL! What's breakdown on the bill. How much for material, how much for time? Typically seniors get some discount.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

I'd a done it for half that. I assume you supplied the fawcett? He couldn't have been there an hour.

s

Reply to
S. Barker

It would have been a fun do-it-yourself project for you and your mom.

Reply to
Duff

For that price the least he could have done is soldered some MIP X COPPER adapters.

Reply to
Molly Brown

We supplied the faucet. The charges were just for labor and the shutoffs and bits of tubing.

I wasn't present but I don't see why that would be. There is a main shutoff for the house.

Dunno but I doubt it.

Reply to
Steve Kraus

re: $146 for the shutoff install - Are they platinum?

As far as I can tell from the pictures, he cut the copper pipes and installed the shutoffs and then the risers (the fill tubes)Since the copper pipe is bigger than the riser he would have had to install adaptors anyway - exact same labor as installing the shutoffs. So in reality, the only extra Mom should have paid for is the cost of the shutoffs themselves.

Unless they are made of platinum, or are perhaps remote controlled, I can't imagine 2 shutoffs costing $146. You can buy shutoffs *and* risers as a set for under $20 and there should have been no additional labor cost for the install.

re: $336 for the faucet install - - $482 total

As noted above, the risers and shutoffs are really cheap. - we're talking maybe $60 for all parts. OK, let's call it $82 to make the math easy. That means he charged at least $400 for labor.

How long was he there? Was he in and out in an hour or did he have to remove Mom's knick-knacks from the back of the sink and the dishwasher soap, sponges and plastic grocery bags from underneath? Time is money, so if he had to waste time doing things other than plumbing, he wouldn't have done it for free.

All that said, if it was as simple a job as it appears it should have been, Mom was taken advantage of and it's time to make some phone calls.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

read this part

If the labor was $336, yes it sure seems high.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Mine took 4 hours, but the phone kept ringing, and the cat kept climbing on my chest while I was working. She's a union cat. She did nothing while I worked.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

It's apples and oranges, sort of, but two years ago our condo paid $600 for a Sunday evening spent rooting out the sewer line all the way to the far side of the street. Three guys? Four? Don't remember. If I was calling a plumber to install a faucet, I would try to buy the faucet from him. I like to make points with good contractors. If a contractor is good enough to do work in my home, he is good enough to let him have the profit on the parts.

Reply to
Norminn

You got took complete tap install shutoffs and all 130.00 .

Reply to
jim

I'll just never understand some customers. You bought the faucet online. She calls (evidentially) an unknown plumber? Did anyone think to ask for an estimate, guesstimate, price per hour and/or anything in writing? Once again, a pure and simple reason for flat rate pricing. You are charged a service charge for the tech to come out and then acess the situation. You should then be given IN WRITING, a cost to complete the repair and a warranty. You then decide whether you want the repair or not and are only responsible for the service charge if you choose not to have the repairs done. In your case, the only warranty I would give is a "Workmanship" warranty on the install meaning it was installed in a professional-like manner. Any defects or problems related to your faucet you purchased are all on your dime. Its kind of hard to argue after the fact when they have already completed the work, you paid them and then you go back and cancel the check. Thats pretty much putting you in jail when you have work done and then stop payment. I take those kind of checks straight to the county prosecuting attorney. Thats what they are for. Bubba

Reply to
Bubba

Not sure why you're telling *me* to read that part.

Read this part:

"I bought the faucet online and Mom called a plumbing company to install it."

The only parts supplied by the plumber were the shutoff and risers. The cost of the faucet doesn't even enter into this discussion.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Not sure why you're telling *me* to read that part.

Read this part:

I wasn't telling you. I mistyped "I read". Read and read are spelled the same. Yes, I re-read that part but also read the part I posted that was a bit ambiguous.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

there was a violation then if it was a union job. If only the cat was watching you work, then you were 2 people shy. There has to be 3 watching and 1 working.

s

Reply to
S. Barker

LETS SEE. That's 40 hours a week, 50 weeks (if you take 2 weeks off) so that equals 2000. Standard working year.

s

Where do you get 2000 working hours (at best) in a year?

Reply to
S. Barker

That's what I thought you meant. Now, let me think...I've been working for well over 30 years...when was the last time I had a job that required only 40 hours a week? Uh, that would be...never.

2000 hours a year...yeah, right.
Reply to
DerbyDad03

Well that's certainly up to you. If you like the overtime and the extra pay. No one can force you to work over 40 a week. I personally liked the

40 , so that's what i did.

steve

That's what I thought you meant. Now, let me think...I've been working for well over 30 years...when was the last time I had a job that required only 40 hours a week? Uh, that would be...never.

2000 hours a year...yeah, right.
Reply to
S. Barker

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