Am I Getting Hosed (no Pun)?

We recently moved into a very old house (70 yrs+) and decided to put in a dishwasher and new sink in the kitchen.

Since the kitchen did not have a dedicated line for the dishwasher we called a plumber/electrician to come give a quote on installing the line and hooking up the sink and dishwasher to an existing drain.

His quote came back as $650. This seems VERY high to me. Am I being too frugal? Is this in the ball park for a simple installation of a dedicated electrical line and a hook up of a sink/dishwasher?

Any advice would be helpful, thank you!

Mike in Canada

In a house that old it seems like the cost may go up if there are unforeseen circumstances (cast iron piping issues, aluminum wiring, etc)

Mike as I tell everyone that asks about prices on the forums, we can not tell you if that is ball park for your area or not. Even If I was in the same town my prices will not be the same as the other guy. When people call me and tell me my prices are to high compared to Joe smoe down the street. I explain to them our prices are not based on what other plumbers charge they are based on our costs.

Now for some advice, call around get at least three estimates and have them be detailed in what they are going to give you for their prices. Also make sure they are licensed, insured, and bonded with your area. License means they know what they are doing (should anyways) insurance is in case the ruin something like burn down your house using a torch, and bonds are more for if they start a job and and skip out you can go after their bond to hire someone else to finish the work. (Bonds are usually for larger jobs like remodels and sewer repairs.

As said very hard to 2nd guess an estimate site unseen
And prices vary widely around the same area, let alone across the country

My apologies, I'm new to home ownership and plumbing in general so excuse my newbie questioning....I was just seeing if there's any basis to me questioning this estimate. Can a simple plumbing job really top over $500??

I think I'll call a 2nd or 3rd quote in (though my wife's not going to like me tacking on ANY extra time to this reno....GULP! LOL).

Again, my apologies if my questioning was out of line...

Mike in Canada

It sounds reasonable to me. Infact, too cheap.

No no not out of line. It was just fine to ask that, just can not tell you if the price was fair or not. And yes it can easily cost around $500 depending on what they need to do to hook it up and such.

I had a home owner that knew my rates before I started a job and she even asked how much the parts would cost before I started, she then gave me the go ahead. When the job was done, the bill was not small but was not by anyway overcharged, but she felt that I was overcharging her. She called a couple of the rooter guys told them the work I done and what I charged and then asked them for prices, of course they are going to low ball the price to make me look bad. I informed her to call a few other local plumbers and have them give a price with out telling them how much I charged then compare the prices. So she had 3 other plumbing shops come in look at what I did and they gave her what it would of cost her if they did the same work, she called me and apologized, the other three where twice of what I charged.

Remember it never hurts to ask a question. You might not get the answer you are looking for, but at least you will have an answer.

dishwasher

Absolutely no way to tell. Is this also providing the space for it by removing a cabinet? Is it next to the sink? If so, then the plumbing is rather straight forward and relatively inexpensive, but the electrical could be very difficult depending on your situation.

Got a 2nd quote and they came in around the same price and got confirmation from a friend's husband (a contractor) that the price is about average.

Oh well, looks like I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and pay the $600+. The silver lining is my wife will be happy the work is now DONE.

Thanks for all the advice!

Mike in Canada (with Happy Wife in Canada)

Papamikey said:

Got a 2nd quote and they came in around the same price and got confirmation from a friend's husband (a contractor) that the price is about average.

Oh well, looks like I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and pay the $600+. The silver lining is my wife will be happy the work is now DONE.

Thanks for all the advice!

Mike in Canada (with Happy Wife in Canada)

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You are welcome. Good luck with the project, and enjoy the happy wife.