Here's how I figure mark up; having a plumbing supply house in your driveway while I'm there working on your plumbing comes at a price. Do I charge $10 for a wax ring? No. I charge $2 since I'm buying them for .38 a piece. Don't need to get rich off of a wax ring.
When I install sump pumps or shower valves......I sell them for the same price that a homeowner can go and buy straight from the same place I buy.....but I'm getting them significantly cheaper. PRV's and EXP tanks I sell @ $65 a piece if installed on time/materials or customer asks for a breakdown of labor against materials. You can buy those two devices for under $70.
****If you want better pricing for what the plumber is charging, have the CORRECT materials there, ready to install and more than likely the plumber will install them.****
I won't install hardly any materials off the truck without embedded markup because that is a rolling amount that keeps some insurance that I've covered myself if a defective part comes about. I get the money back for the part, but not my time. I can discount my time down to pennies on the hour in those situations without complaint.....that's just par for the course.
In reference to estimates, here's a sampling of 2 situations I laid ears to:
I did a drain cleaning job yesterday and shot the bull with my customer...really nice guy and we probably talked for an hour after I was done. (you can do that when you're the boss
) Anyway this guy has a huge tree in his front yard and we discussed an incident regarding a tree branch that fell on his daughter's car.
The jist of the statement, "I called just about every tree trimming service in the yellow pages, had like 8 different companies and they all came within $100 of each other." He didn't give rhyme or reason what was the deciding factor to which one he picked....but I'll tell you why I mention this.
How would you like to be one of the 7 that didn't get the job, burned up fuel and time not knowing that you was better off flinging a price over the phone instead of the "free estimate" tragedy.
Fast forward to today; did work for a really nice couple last week, Armed Services Veteran and gave them a good size discount over the top of $600 worth of work. They referred me to another customer and they called me about 11am this morning. First words out of their mouth, "I was referred to you by so and so and I need a
free estimate to do work in a home that we are flipping. Moving pipes around and setting fixtures and getting the plumbing back in working order." Basically so they can minimize the expenses to get a higher profit margin on the sale of said home. No problem by me.
Just don't fire the word "free" in the conversation. Don't expect me to drive to said location, waste my fuel and spit out my professional knowledge so
you can have the guideline to hire a handyman to do it for a third cheaper....with not even a thank you in return.
Here's how I fixed the problem. I spinned the call away. The person on the other end of the phone was acting shocked, I guess the referral she figured was solid as a rock and it is. I just won't deal with this sort of thing where I'm forced into competition with either the unlicensed or other perils for the sheer convenience of those who are willing to take of me. My first year in business I must of estimated I know about 40 jobs. Drew up isometric drawings, covered all bases and gave top notch professionalism like the trade deserves.
Most if not all the time the plumbers who moonlighted or contractors that don't actually do plumbing as a profession but as a carpenter or general contractor would get the jobs because they could button up the job once the work was done. (drywall, finishing, trim, paint....the whole monte) Basically cheaper than what I can do just the plumbing work for.
So I guess all of my babbling in print should send one clear message to those who have a good working relationship with their plumber....or know of a really good one.....if you wonder why this plumber oddly abandons the idea of working for you,
you've possibly crossed a line in regards to implied thinking that your intent is to shop one's opinion and move on......or brow beat a low price.
Being smart involves being a quick read and using your background knowledge of how people are....and not all are there to take from you. But calls like the one I received today is prime example that I'm just going to victimize myself by being a fool to partake in helping someone gauge their work for the cheapest price they can get it. I'm not the cheapest plumber out there.......why bother? I'm charging for my reputation of being exact, professional, straightforward and honest without wishwash after I'm long gone. Am I the best? Hell no, far from it. Not exactly pleasing to the eye either; made a dog puke the minute they saw me one day. Still going to counseling over that one.