Good Plumber recommendations please

Pan · Feb 26, 2008

Hello again,
I apologize in advance if I am breaking forum etiquette by asking for a recommendation for a good journeyman plumber in the Seattle/Redmond area, who installs backwater valves.
How long would something like that take ? Do I need to hire someone to do the digging or will the tend to take care of everything ?
Thanks much

Redwood · Feb 26, 2008

Sorry I can't make a recommendation (unless Terry wants the job) I'm from CT. Generally the digging is more expensive than the pipe work and if you were to have it dug up in the right place with the right size hole to have the work done you would save $$$. I'm not opposed to having Manuel Labor do the digging for me. Ask the plumber you select how he feels.

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Pan · Feb 26, 2008

Thanks Redwood, I did think of that, but

I think they are mainly doing supply type thing right now. I was hoping to get someone that does this sort of thing routinely and I dont have to run around in circles trying to figure out what went wrong!

Maybe I will give them a call.
Hopefully someone else chimes in with recos.

Gary Swart · Feb 26, 2008

One thing to be careful of in hiring cheap labor to do the digging is your liability in case of accident/injury. If the excavation has to be deep, the possibility of cave in increases. When you hire a professional company to do the job, there have to be insured against accidents to their workers, to your property, and to other utilities in the area. Of course, you are paying for that insurance in the long run, but your behind is covered.

Pan · Feb 26, 2008

I think I will let the company do all of it. I am

watching this thread like a hawk- any recommendations ? anyone ?
I have since learnt that not all plumbing shops do this kind of work becaue it involves digging and that there are some that specialize in this.

Cookie · Feb 26, 2008

If I lived in the Seattle area there would be only one plumber I would call:
Terry Love

Master Plumber Mark · Feb 26, 2008

hire an excavator--not a plumber

most plumbers I know of are just too lazy to
acutally dig anything.....

in many ways they feel it is "beneath them"

your best bet to install something in the yard would
be to get someone who specializes in doing sewer work.

who regurally works with a tractor, and installs sewers
and water services for a living.....and they could install 36 inch round manhole too for later access.....

call the BBB or call Terry and ask him who he would recommend in Seattle

SRdenny · Feb 26, 2008

Master Plumber Mark
My experience is that a plumber will dig if he has to. Frankly, no employer in his right mind would want to pay a man what many of us have to pay our plumbers just to dig. Though sometimes unavoidable, it's simply not cost effective.

Master Plumber Mark · Feb 26, 2008

Sr.Denny... I beg to differ with you

perhaps in your neck of the woods you can get
a journeyman plumber to ride a shovel for a good day of digging,

now you might be able to get the apprentices
working their way up the ladder to dig.......
that is how it is in the Unions here....

the apprentices get to all the tough stuff....

You are absolutely right ,,,, its not cost effective
its hard on the back, and its bad on the overall moral....

a little trick I learned a long time ago. if you
want to rid yourself of someone without having to fire them....

if you have a worthless employee that you really
want to be rid of just do a drive by at
some slab site ...any slab site....
and say that is what he will
be doing next week.....hand digging trenches

I can almost 100% guarantee you wont see him again....

I used to do a whole lot of large slab work, and the only way to
be sure everyone would show up for digging day would be to
post the work on the board 2-3 days ahead of when
I actually had to do the digging....

if it was posted on thrusday, usually I could be sure that
they would be at work on tuesday ....
and on tuesday we would do the job....

you should have see the look on their faces..
trapped like rats.........

I have sworn off digging...

Redwood · Feb 26, 2008

Yea Pan I'm not talking deep hole... If its more than a couple of feet deep its a mechanical dig. A Mini excavator for the day is only about $450

hj · Feb 26, 2008

Bwv

You might not be able to just dig a hole 2' long to install a BWV, because the inlet and outlet may be offset 1" to 2" vertically, if so, you have to dig far enough that the pipe has dropped sufficient to accomdate the internal difference.

Good Plumber recommendations please

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