| Author | Message | ||
     DReese Citizen Username: Dreese Post Number: 46 Registered: 6-2006 |
so i got a nick rechhia who is totally pleasant to come look at one of our bathrooms that was in need of some work since the knobs were almost impossible to turn on/off plus much leaking which leaked towards cracked tile along wall. anyway, all we needed to do was have the 4 knobs in better working condition and our 2 toilets shimmied to be more level and regrouted. took the plumber 3 hours total (with 1/2 the time he noted for travelling to east orange from south orange to to get the old parts for repair). so for an hour and 1/2 of labor, an hour and 1/2 of not sure why it took so long to go to east orange from south orange, and $65 in parts.. total bill was a little over $500. from my past experience with plumbers, they charged around $75-100 per hour for labor. doesn't this sound a bit extreme in cost? | ||
| jeb Citizen Username: Jeb Post Number: 132 Registered: 9-2001 |
may be a 100 bucks too high, but he showed up, did the work and you don't have to worry about water leaks doing damage. probably saved a bunch in the long run just my two cents. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 9215 Registered: 5-2001  |
I've paid $80 to have my kitchen drain snaked. Is it high? Sure. But you pay for their knowledge, being insured and experience whether they are installing a furnace or fixing a handle. If they priced based on the complexity of the job rather than time, you'd never get a plumber to come to your house for that sort of thing. If something had gone wrong (as happens with these old houses) during the simple fix, you'd be glad that you had the licensed plumber there to deal with it. I'm with Jeb. When it comes to plumbing and electricity, I always go with the licensed guys. | ||
| george H Citizen Username: Georgieboy Post Number: 319 Registered: 8-2005 |
Like the old man said,"you're not paying me for what I do but rather for what I know". | ||
| Robert O'Connor Citizen Username: Local24 Post Number: 86 Registered: 3-2006 |
DReese, Sounds like a gift to me. What type of work do you do by the way? | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 2821 Registered: 5-2005  |
I only use Nick for all plumbing work. I luckily learned my lesson early on - cheaper is not always best. Nick has never let me down, he always turns up, is pleasant and respectful, and a total professional, and I have never had to call him back to correct any work he has done, and believe me, has has done some really extensive work for us. So, can I get cheaper? Of course I could. Will I look for someone other than Nick? Never. | ||
| Dennis J O'Neill Citizen Username: Plungy Post Number: 80 Registered: 6-2005 |
75 to 100 per hour? I remember those days, 1988 wasn't it? Unfortunately today, if you add those two numbers together, most of us are not far from our break even point. | ||
| NJguy99 Citizen Username: Njguy99 Post Number: 82 Registered: 3-2006 |
This whole discussion reminds me of the story of the auto mechanic and the cheap customer. A person brings his car into the mechanic. "It's making a weird noise," he says. "Ok," says the mechanic, "let me take a look." So he pops the hood, starts the car up, and listens. A low rumbling sound is coming from the engine. The mechanic goes to his tool chest, pulls out a ball hammer, and gives the engine a little tap. The rumbling stops. "Wow, that's great!" says the customer. "How much do I owe you?" "A hundred bucks," says the mechanic. "A hundred bucks! That's ridiculous! It only took you 5 minutes to fix the problem," the customer replies. "A hundred bucks," repeats the mechanic. "$10 for the tap, $90 for knowing the right place to tap." | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 9236 Registered: 5-2001 |
In all fairness to DR, I think s/he is skeptical but open to opinions on the charge. Not necessarily "cheap." At first glance, it does sound like a lot of money. You have to think about it or ask for perspective/experience from others (which s/he did). It sounds like average market value for a Pro. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 12519 Registered: 5-2001 |
I think we all tend to think of the per hour charge for a plumber or a electrician as going right into his or her pocket. In reality they have expenses like other small businesses. | ||
| mbb Citizen Username: Mbb Post Number: 35 Registered: 4-2006 |
One of the plumbers I use charges $125/hr for a short job and $100/hr, otherwise. He is expensive, I know, but I only use him for things that require a lot of experience. He does not charge for travel or shopping for parts. I prefer having an estimate for the job, but some times that is tough to get for repairs in an old house. If I cannot get an estimate, I make sure I know in advance how charges will be calculated. If the parts charges are excessive, I would not hesitate to ask for an itemized list. I met Nick R. when I got estimates for some work I needed done in my bathroom renovation. He is very pleasant and professional. His estimate was the highest, however. So I hired someone else, who did fine work. | ||
| Eire Citizen Username: Eire Post Number: 285 Registered: 7-2005 |
I had someone at my house recently for about 10 minutes - to change the flapper on my toilet. I was charged $112. I thought that was high - I actually tipped the guy, because they always did great work for me - and he even said, "but I barely did anything!" - I thought $112 was a lot for that. No? | ||
| DReese Citizen Username: Dreese Post Number: 48 Registered: 6-2006 |
thanks greenetree for backing me up. and yes, i was just asking for opinions if it was reasonable since i've only had one plumbing job for a kitchen sink done last year which i was only charged $75 and it took 45 minutes including him going to get a part which was another 20 minutes. and don't get me wrong, not a total cheapo when it comes to repairs and reno... it was just the thought of what had to be done didn't quite seem like it should amount to almost $600 for an hour & 1/2 of labor and $65 for parts that's all. was just a bit shocked. i guess welcome to the world of electrical and plumbing work. i'm more familiar with the bigger job kind of renovation costs since i have a friend in brklyn that restores/renovates brownstones/churches/consulate homes for a living. he even said it was a bit overpriced but oh well, like all of you said, i don't know plumbing so that's what i'm paying for. btw, what does i do for a living have to do with any of this? i appreciate all the comments. | ||
| swimmer Citizen Username: Marna Post Number: 65 Registered: 6-2005 |
i have a great plumber who charged me $1000 to replace 2 burst pipes, working all day, saving me $2000, and teaching me all about my plumbing so i could repair my next two problems by myself. CT Williams & Sons | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 9390 Registered: 5-2001 |
Todd is my plumber, too. I adore him. CT Williams 973-761-6142 | ||
| Pdg Citizen Username: Pdg Post Number: 1263 Registered: 5-2004  |
Anyone have any comment about Corraggio Brothers (probably not spelled right - I was verbally referred to them)? Also the number if you'd recommend them? Small job (I think...) Need to have a leaky old two part toilet repaired and a wobbly newly installed toilet tightened. Thanks! | ||
| Charlton Citizen Username: Charlton Post Number: 13 Registered: 8-2006 |
It is true that knowledge is what you pay for - more often than not a master plumber will send trainees or apprentices to do the job. If your paying premium, the master plumber should be supervising and inspecting work. It happened to me, 3 guys with no supervision on a $10K job, had to have 2 follow up calls to get the job done right (I hope). Definitely would not use that plumber again. | ||
| peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 2199 Registered: 8-2002 |
Corragio Bros -- GREAT! Initially when I bought the house I had quite a lot of work for them ;-). Last few years, only a few "emergencies" -- can highly recommend either/both of them. Pete |
