How do plumbers decide on what to charge?

**master plumber mark** · 12-28-2006, 08:08 PM

in my area if I had to fix everything I saw

before me every day, I would not get anything

done... bailing wire and duct tape everywherre.....

And something I have noted too......

when you tell someone that thier plumbing is bad and it needs

$$ repairs about 90% of the people you tell dont want ot hear it,

dont want to believe you,

and they also think you are just trying to "grease them"

so I mention things when I stumble on them,

and letting them know is about all you can do....

**Randyj** · 12-28-2006, 08:19 PM

I do think I sold my customer on adding clean outs after he paid me to pull to toilets to snake the lines to the septic tank.

**Randyj** · 12-28-2006, 09:08 PM

If I worked all day every day I'd probably make as much as Cookum's.... untill all the bills come due for insurance, taxes, new tools, repairs to vehicles....yadda, yadda, yadda...

**kordts** · 12-28-2006, 09:09 PM

Cookie, how do you know what I make? I took a pay cut to start my business. I make less than I did as a 4th year apprentice.

**kordts** · 12-28-2006, 09:20 PM

Cookie, all plumbers make less than they charge. We couldn't pay ourselves what we charge the customer. I charge 90 an hour but sure as hell don't make it. I pay myself 25 an hour, while journey scale in my local is 37.50 an hour.

**Randyj** · 12-28-2006, 09:23 PM

Obviously you are going to live forever! But I think you might find a hubby on Yahoo personals tho'....... Hey...I do wish what I charge were ALL PROFIT! And I didn't have to report it on my income taxes! I'm lucky if I get to keep 1/2 of it even if I only get 1 call a week!

**Cass** · 12-29-2006, 05:29 AM

I help people when I can and a lot of it is based on their attatude.

Case and point I had a new customer call with a stoppage. I went a guessed 1-2 hours max. of work. 3" PVC C/O in finished basement utility room under slab running 35'. I quoted 150.00 for the first hour. I normaly don't charge extra if it goes into the 2nd hour. The job took 2 men almost 7 man hours and still needed to be jetted. When finished I explained all that was needed about the job and I asked for an additional $30.00 because of the unusual circumstances and they were first time customer and wanted another steady customer. Husband and wife standing in front of me. Husband looks at me and says I have no more money as he hands me the check. I look at him and asked "so your are flat broke and have no more money?" They both stare at me. Then the wife says but we have already written the check!. I looked at both of them and said O.K. never mind about the $30.00. I gathered up the rest of my tools and on the way out explaned that the going rate was $175-225.00 for 1-2 hours and they needed to call someone else and not me in the future as I walked out of the beautiful $600,000.00 home.

hj · 12-29-2006, 05:43 AM

The first rule that you broke was to quote a price for a sewer job in the first place without a bunch of caveats to cover just that possibility. The second one was to make sure they knew that the price was going to change as soon as the first, or even second, hour had passed. Then to charge $30.00 for an additional six hours for two men? Incredible.

**Dunbar Plumbing** · 12-29-2006, 06:58 AM

I'll take random pictures to show example of those who ask for charity.

Hey Cass you can get cheap tickets on **** for bengals and steelers this weekend. News story last
night stated no one is buying them.

I think what happened last week put the nail in the coffin.

**Cass** · 12-29-2006, 09:24 AM

On the other end of the spectrum is the guy who I replaced the thermocouple in his heater. It took all of 15 minutes. I charged him $100.00 and he handed me an extra $10.00.

**worsnup** · 06-07-2010, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Maxine

I just had my first plumber come on Saturday (here in NJ) to reduce a gas pipe so I can push my new gas range all the way back against the wall. He charged $45 for a site visit. After he assessed it, he charged $319, and he fixed the pipe in about 20-30 minutes. My total with tax came out to almost $400.

How do plumbers decide on how much to charge? I don't want to say I was gouged, but it was pretty expensive. Next time I call for a plumber, is it possible to get an estimate over the phone, or some rate? I didn't ask, figuring they wouldn't tell me. Do plumbers who belong to Better Business Bureau cost more?

Thanks!

you have two basic methods one is time and material the other is flat rate.
time and material is just what it says
flat rate is lump sum
included in the price is the time for travel time to repair and typically the (new) cost of item to be repaired worst case just install new
the repair you mentioned i performed just last week
it was an addition to some work i was already performing at their home
it added apx $40 dollars to there bill
sorry you got hosed
Shane T. Worsnup

**MACPLUMB 777** · 06-08-2010, 08:24 AM

Basically they figure the next truck payment and what

the grocery bill is for feeding

five teenage boys for a week and that is what they charge

**Redwood** · 06-08-2010, 12:47 PM

I roll dice...
The attitude of the customer determines how many I roll...

hj · 06-09-2010, 07:31 AM

Will a dreidel work? I don't have dice.

**Doherty Plumbing** · 06-09-2010, 06:09 PM

I only quote jobs if someone asks for a quote. I much prefer to estimate jobs and work for time and material.

However if I'm doing a larger job for a contractor they are usually quoted jobs, but then again there isn't usually too many suprises.

The going rate for a plumber in my area is $75/hr so that's what I charge.

But yes this is not a cheap business to be in. Vehicle costs, gas costs, liability insurance, gas contracting insurance, payroll... the list goes on.

If I didn't charge what I charge I'd be out of business because when yo'ure in business EVERYTHING costs you money.