$5800.00 to replace the well pump and wiring

[Jonnie Claeys]

So now what do I do to get the bill reduced, when the verbal quote was 2-$3,000?

[hj]

Maybe nothing, unless your city/county/state contractor's regulatory board has a requirement that any work over a certain maximum must have a written contract.

[rmelo99]

You first should start by asking where the extra $2800-3800 came from? Did this verbal agreement include a cap? Sounds like not.

[ballvalve]

You start by not paying.

Move this to the well forum and ask what it should cost with all the parameters included.

[Tom Sawyer]

I'd have done it for $ 5,798.00

[hj]

quote; ask what it should cost with all the parameters included.

One of the easiest jobs is to say how much it SHOULD have cost AFTER the job is done. I always tell customers who ask it that there is NO WAY I can tell them, because I was not there when it was done to see what difficulties they ran into.

[Jonnie Claeys]

The first guy came out to see why we had no water, and then told us that it would be 2-$3000 depending on how tough it was to get to. Then they proceeded to fry 2 more pumps because they now say the power line to it was bad. This is the same company who put the power line to the pump from our controller in the first place. $3200 of the $5802 was labor. They are so happy for us that the pump company took the fryed pumps back with out charging us! It is not our fault that they took so long working on the wrong thing or that the power line was bad. I am just hoping that someone has an idea about who I can go to about this extra labor charge, isn't there some kind of law to protect me because I was trusting?

[ballvalve]

Yes, the law is that you dont pay, you document the flaws with an inspector, then if need be you go to small claims court or negotiate a settlement. You can wire a whole house for his labor charge.

How much wire, what size? You dont pay for WRONG work by dopes. And you dont fry ANY pump because you test voltage at start up FIRST.

Times are hard. Contractors are starving, lots of people getting fleeced.

[drick]

This could end up as an expensive lesson for you; Never allow someone to perform work without a written contract that includes a not to exceed without written permission clause. Now that you are in this situation, like ballvalve said don't pay it. Make him go to court and prove why he is owed so much money.

[Runs with bison]

This could end up as an expensive lesson for you; Never allow someone to perform work without a written contract that includes a not to exceed without written permission clause. Now that you are in this situation, like ballvalve said don't pay it. Make him go to court and prove why he is owed so much money.

I don't think the contractor is going to enjoy trying to explain this before a judge...chances are the judge has seen this sort of thing a few times.

[DIYPlumber90]

So now what do I do to get the bill reduced, when the verbal quote was 2-$3,000?

I would definitely inquire about where the extra bill came from.