Damn Plumbers (this one, anyhow)

[RT DAVE]

I just paid a plumber $312 to replace a $5 part.   I would have attempted to do it myself, but my wife wouldn't let me tinker with it because she doesn't trust me to do anything.   It took him 15 damn minutes to do the work.   How do these guys live with themselves charging that kind of money to do next to nothing?   No offense to any of you guys in the profession that don't do this kind of thing.     

PLEASE SEE MY FOLLOW UP POST IF THIS PISSED YOU OFF.   I"M DEFINITELY NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT PLUMBERS ARE CROOKS.   I HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH JUST THIS ONE PLUMBER AND DID NOT INTEND TO PISS OFF ANY HONEST, HARD-WORKING, BLUE COLLAR TYPES.   SORRY IF YOU'VE READ THIS AND ARE OFFENDED!  

[Orange_Crush]

Plumbing is actually pretty easy.  What you're paying for is someone to mess with the shit pipe so you don't have to.

Three cardinal rules of plumbing. 

Hot on the left
Cold on the right
Shit don't flow uphill.

I actually enjoy doing plumbing and electricl work.

[Shakey]

Plumbing is actually pretty easy.   What you're paying for is someone to mess with the shit pipe so you don't have to.

Three cardinal rules of plumbing.  

Hot on the left
Cold on the right
Shit don't flow uphill.

I actually enjoy doing plumbing and electricl work.

Oh yeah!  Got any plans this weekend?  You wouldn't happen to be up in the Toronto area would you?   

[RT DAVE]

Plumbing is actually pretty easy.   What you're paying for is someone to mess with the shit pipe so you don't have to.

Three cardinal rules of plumbing.  

Hot on the left
Cold on the right
Shit don't flow uphill.

I actually enjoy doing plumbing and electricl work.

I watched him work.  All he did was unscrew 4 bolts, take a cartridge assembly out and then put the four screw screws back in.   I feel dumb.  There's probably a reason for that...

[4402tuff4u]

What exactly did he repair?

[Orange_Crush]

What exactly did he repair?

With four screws, I'm figuring it was probably the shower cartridge for a single-handle faucet.

[6pkrunner]

I do all the renovations/electrical/plumbing at my place. I wired the entire garage (220 for the welder and compressor) and only had to get a licensed electrician to sign off on it. Charge for his signature - $50.
I'm the cynical doubtful type and only trust what I do for myself. And given that these guys charge like the abovementioned $300 for 15 minutes of your time, I feel someone justified for being that cynic.

[41husk]

yep and if you do it yourself you know exacly who to blame

[Orange_Crush]

Like I said...I'll pay a plumber so I don't have to mess with poo pipe...even if its my own. 

[RT DAVE]

What exactly did he repair?

With four screws, I'm figuring it was probably the shower cartridge for a single-handle faucet.

You got it.   I messed up...

[Old Moparz]

I watched him work.   All he did was unscrew 4 bolts, take a cartridge assembly out and then put the four screw screws back in.     I feel dumb.   There's probably a reason for that...

Well, that's the problem, you watched. Everyone chargers extra when they have an audience.

[RT DAVE]

I watched him work.   All he did was unscrew 4 bolts, take a cartridge assembly out and then put the four screw screws back in.     I feel dumb.   There's probably a reason for that...

Well, that's the problem, you watched. Everyone chargers extra when they have an audience.

I helped too.  I guess I shouldn't have shut the water off and then turned it back on again when he was done...   Darn...

[dkn1997]

feel free to go out, buy a 25,000 van, stock it with parts, open an account at the supply house,, pay 4 grand a month in insurance/workman's comp, then probablay about another grand a month for your families medical, county/state licence fees.  Good luck passing the practical test if you have not studied or apprenticed for a couple of years at least.   all your tools, pay a helper and part of his insurance and work 7 days a week if it's your own business. and work twice as hard on the days your helper gets loaded and bangs in sick.

After you go out and do all that, then bitch about the rates.  I don't see how you could have paid 300 bucks for 15 minutes and a 5$ part.  There had to have been more to it. 

Or you could have avoided this whole mess by breaking out the wrenches and telling your wife to zip it and let you get to work.

I am not even a plumber, but it does not take a genius to figure out what goes into running a business.  You clearly have no idea what money he has laid out before he even hangs up the phone with you and puts the key in the ignition.

If you got hosed, it's only because you allowed it to happen.

[RT DAVE]

feel free to go out, buy a 25,000 van, stock it with parts, open an account at the supply house,, pay 4 grand a month in insurance/workman's comp, then probablay about another grand a month for your families medical, county/state licence fees.   Good luck passing the practical test if you have not studied or apprenticed for a couple of years at least.     all your tools, pay a helper and part of his insurance and work 7 days a week if it's your own business. and work twice as hard on the days your helper gets loaded and bangs in sick.

After you go out and do all that, then bitch about the rates.   I don't see how you could have paid 300 bucks for 15 minutes and a 5$ part.   There had to have been more to it.  

Or you could have avoided this whole mess by breaking out the wrenches and telling your wife to zip it and let you get to work.

I am not even a plumber, but it does not take a genius to figure out what goes into running a business.   You clearly have no idea what money he has laid out before he even hangs up the phone with you and puts the key in the ignition.

If you got hosed, it's only because you allowed it to happen.

It took no more than 15 minutes and he refused to tell me how much of the bill was labor and how much was parts when he gave me a quote.   In fact, he even said it would take him "at least two hours" and he also made me pay in advance.   I think this was so I wouldn't break his face when he tried charging me the equivalent of $1200 Bucks an hour.     Be mad for all I care, this company isn't on the up & up in my book.     Please rest assured, I'm not saying this is representative of workers in this trade.   In fact, I think 99.9% of them are honest.   My complaint about one company isnt intended to be a slap in the face to all the rest of the honest guys out there.   BTW, the company that did my work is HUGE.  

BTW, way to blame the victim.  

[PocketThunder]

When my toilet was leaking i had a plumber come out and look at it ($50 for the estimate) and he said oh that will be $800~$1,000.....     So i said thanks, i call you.  Pulled up the toilet myself, replaced the flange, set the toilet back down.  Repaired some drywall on the 1st floor ceiling from the leak.   Total cost to me, $60 at Home Depot...

[last426]

You guys have to admit that sometimes you pay for knowledge.  All I really do is put words down on a paper or speak them.  Heck, anyone can do that, right?  But they pay me a bunch of money to do it.

Reminds me of an old joke.  A guy calls up an appliance repair person cause his washing machine won't work.  The repair person looks at the machine and hits it with his fist.  He presents the guy with a bill for a hundred dollars and the guy is stunned, asking how that could cost 100.  The repair person says, welp, it's 5 bucks for the hit and 95 bucks for knowing where to hit it. Kim

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

As per Dave's request