Plumbers pipe costs!

[JamesD]

Is it just me or are plumbers perhaps on similar salaries to surgeons?

Had a guy come over today to move a gas pipe 4metres to connect my oven on the other side of the kitchen. Apart from the labour, he 'tried' to charge me $220 for materials (4metres of pipe and a connector!!) (and the pipe was 2nd hand).

Holy camolly!!! I phoned him later to complain further but his butler said he was busy.

[seriph1]

still laffin

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Lucas]

I would be worried about a plumber that used secondhand materials to start with
what you have to ask is where did he get it from was it just that he told someone else that it was faulty

thought that gasfitters had to use new materials
I must be wrong
would be like an electrician using S/H wire or plugs

[Jacksin]

That sounds really excessive James. Was the pipe gold plated?
It might be worth your while to contect the dept of Fair Trading or the Master Plumbers Assoc, if they are in your state.
Jack ;)

[Barry_White]

Did you hear about the Doctor that came home at mid-night to find that his toilet was blocked up.

He called a plumber and the plumber came out and said that it would cost him double rates.

The plumber went into the toilet and had a look. He lent down and got two asprins out of his bag and threw them into the toilet and turned and said to the doctor

"If its no better in the morning give me a call"

[Lucas]

I work building petrol stations and I have to admit that some of the pipe we use is very expensive braid flex hose 1 1/2 inch x 450 mm are about $300
and the hose that goes from the nozzle to the pump is about $80 a metre

but we would never think of using S/H

[soundman]

Mate if you want to make money became aeithe a plumber or a dentist.

Seriously some plumbers will realy try it on. I've heard several similar stories.
If you find a plumber that is reliable, reasonably priced & moderatel honest. Get his name, home address and details of nearest relative not living with.

A mate of mine is a builder & has used the same plunber for years, Duddly annoys the heck out of him but he wont use anybody else because he is basicly decent.

I don't know what it is but there seems to be two types of plumbers the better type are harder to find and are usualy busy.
cheers

[boban]

You'll probably find that its one rate for the ordinary householder and another for the builder.

After all he wont come to your place for $50, he'd rather sit at home. The builders give them thousands of dollars in work, usually pretty straightforward, the situation with the homeowner is generally the opposite.

Also those who run a business know the hidden costs which are just sky high.

By the way how did you know the pipe was used? It might have been just tarnished given that it was 4 metres long.

[JamesD]

Boban... Also those who run a business know the hidden costs which are just sky high.

By the way how did you know the pipe was used? It might have been just tarnished given that it was 4 metres long.
Not sure about the hidden costs of being a plumber - van, mobile phone, tools, clean knickers; not exactly a crippling list of 'hiden costs'.

He was paid a very good hourly rate. And, indeed, was so thorough that unscrewing and reconnecting the pipe took him 4hours.

How can I tell that is was second hand?? It was covered (tarnished) with paint (previously hand painted) and he admitted it was used when I asked him to justify his parts costs.

[journeyman Mick]

Not sure about the hidden costs of being a plumber - van, mobile phone, tools, clean knickers; not exactly a crippling list of 'hiden costs'........

Well you can add: income protection insurance, public liability insurance, insurance of tools against theft, insurance of materials on site, accountants fees, superannuation, license fees, industry association fees, home office phone and fax, gas bottle hire, gas and other consumables, training courses, site safety certificate renewals, test and tag of all electrical tools and leads every three months,time lost to travel and quoting and wear and tear on tools just to name a few.

Not saying he didn't sting you, but there's a huge difference between what a tradesman charges and what he actually gets to keep, a very different situation to a wage earner.

Mick

[JamesD]

Not saying he didn't sting you, but there's a huge difference between what a tradesman charges and what he actually gets to keep, a very different situation to a wage earner.
Mick
Fair call Mick, and in essence I agree. But either way I cut it I cannot see how:

$240 for 4hrs rate +
$ 80 for 4hrs for his apprectice (one trip to van to get something)
$220 materials
------
$540
then add GST charged on top of that
=$594 Total

Now I'm sorry, but all factors taken into consideration, this guy unscrewed a connector, ran a used pipe for 4 metres, reconnected it and did a leak check.

Costs of running a business are fair enough, but seriously. If he does say eight similar jobs per week, that means he will be grossing over $240,000pa.

I have been told that there are reputable tradies out there, running costs aside, I think this bloke got me a beauty.

Anyhow, I'm sure that all the seasoned builders in this forum know the ins and outs. Advice to greener horns than me though - Get a quote in writing first, that way, when you get an invoice that looks more like the GDP of a small African country, you have some recourse.

[barnsey]

I served my time as an instrument maker - aircraft. Not the sort of trade that you can take shortcuts on but covered electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic and basic machine shop practice. :rolleyes:

I won't attempt to do things of a major nature in any of those areas BUT that sort of cost to run 4 meters of copper pipe that distance is an act of Ned Kelly ism.

Okay - I make that statement without having seen the task first hand but it surely seems on the high end. Was there an access difficulty - did it need an ambidexterous midget to get in there to do it? was it 100 meters off the ground? was the house in a snake, rat, spider infested sub space??? :confused:

I realise that our society is on the verge of the litigious state and liabilities are an ongoing threat to those performing in the public domain but really I think we need to get a grip.

You're right I'm perhaps being a bit flippant - therefore no longer will I let anyone come fishing with me across the tweed bar or anywhere for that matter - they might cut themselves with the bait knife and I can't afford the insurance. :eek:

And my neighbour wants me to show him how to use the lathe I sold him - no bloody way. He can find out for himself - no I won't help him lift that object into the back of his car either - next thing I know he'll sue me for helping him. :eek: :eek:

Just as well we don't live in a primative society where everyone wants to blame someone else for what happens. If that were the case then everyone could absolve responsibility for their actions on the grounds that they didn't know what they were doing was a liability - a perfect answer - no-one would do anything because they might do it wrong :confused: :confused: :confused: :eek:

[Pulpo]

Of course you have to be fully qualified to do any gas work.

Plumbers are apparently close to Einstein in intelligence and no one else can do such work.

I wanted to change my bbq from lpg to natural gas, told by the plumbing store that the nut on the end of each gas tap, would require a licenced plumber to change over; give me a break.

Price the 4 metre hose from the local plumber supplier.

Cheers

Pulpo

[martrix]

That's the POWER of Union's for ya!

[boban]

The hidden costs were addressed well by Mick. Dont forget the hours sitting down and doing your BAS or giving it to an accountant. No one pays for that. As a added benefit of running a business is Workers Compensation (only 10% of your income).

Running a business is not easy and most tradies earn what they get. Its much easier to get a wage, have someone pay your tax and pay your super.....

He certainly got you on the materials, sounds like at least $150 too much...

As far as the time is concerned, his rates are not unreasonable. If you were watching him then what's the problem?

How many on this forum know how long it takes to do something which seems insignificant. For example, on my shed, I could have put 10 full sheets on when compared to 1 window and flashing. It's usually the small jobs that take time.

I'm not trying to be smart just presenting a view from the other side.

[Jacksin]

One local plumber here south of Adelaide charges $75 call-out which includes the first 15 mins then $65/ hr after that, which makes re-washering taps out of reach of pensioners.
Jack ;)

[outback]

And my neighbour wants me to show him how to use the lathe I sold him - no bloody way. He can find out for himself - no I won't help him lift that object into the back of his car either - next thing I know he'll sue me for helping him. :eek: :eek:



Of course if he hurts himself using the lathe he has justifiable grounds to sue you, as you sold him an unsafe product, didn't provide training or safety literature etc.

I'm not being flipant, this is true, watch your ass barnsey, your neighbour has a gun to your head.

[Gaza]

If we do hourly rate work (not often) my carpenters are charged out at $60.00 p/h. I make about $10.00 per hour on the trademen less my fixed expensess such as girls in office, accounts dept, rent for factory, etc.
This is bugger all in the big picture, i make most of money doing fixed price work, Where we have 1/2 chance of making money but have 3/4 of lossing it to.

Its like getting my brake pads changed on my ute. (New commordore) they charged me $400.00. I am most died but once it was done it was done. so i now charge my brake pads my self.

Small fiddley things suck, and you need some one that will do it right the first time if it costed say $150.00 less but had to be redone in 2 yrs then that would cost x3 of what you paid.

[capedcrusader]

I wonder if it was the same guy who replaced the earthenware pipes at my place (that I uncovered and filled over again afterwards -1.5 m deep at the deep end) with PVC and sent me an invoice for 900 bucks. No need for a quote in advance I thought - probably just 4 or so hours work - how much could that possibly cost?? 10 years later it had to be done again (and it wasnt because of my backfilling either)

[Dean]

My younger brother is a manager at a club (gaming section) and he reckons all the tradies come in and whack anywhere from $100-$1000 a hit on the horses... On several occassions they have told him after they lost that they will just make that money up tomorrow... :eek: Now you know where your money goes (at least in that part of Australia) :D

[barnsey]

IMHO and experience, tradies on building sites and in the public on call areas generally have the skills required to do the physical job. Get to the job when they get there, take a look and work out what they need, go and get it and sustenance to be consumed on site before a shot is cast in anger. :(

The odds of getting it done well???

As GAZA so eloquently posted:
Where we have 1/2 chance of making money but have 3/4 of lossing it to.

I'm not sure I understand his accounting system - perhaps that's why the BAS is such a problem and why all those costs are so great that we need to pay so much for what should have been relatively easy and inexpensive. :eek:

I realise I may be incurring the wrath of a number of people who will defend the status of the trades in general and I will join them in general. There are good doctors and some not so good. There are good businessmen and some not so good. There are a lot of practitioners who may be good but are shocking business people. Then there are the rogues!!!! :eek:

Jamie