installing mixer shower - £400 for four hours work?

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pfmcintyre
pfmcintyre Posts: 3 Newbie
in Is this quote fair?
Hello,

I recently had a mixer shower installed where previously there'd only been a shower attached to the taps over the bath.

I used a reputable company, but I'm concerned the price they've charged - £400 incl VAT - is a bit much. The guy was here less than four hours, and I supplied the shower. It was a little fiddly, in that they had to open up the wall behind the shower to access the pipes, but surely it can't have been too difficult as it didn't take a huge amount of time.

I probably should have queried this before I went ahead and had it installed, but any thoughts would be most welcome as I haven't paid it yet and hope it isn't too late to challenge. I'm in Bristol. Of course it may be that this is absolutely reasonable but I have nothing to compare it to!

Many thanks

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  • Plumber90
    Plumber90 Posts: 280 Forumite
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    Did you agree the price before work started?
  • RobertoMoir
    RobertoMoir Posts: 3,458 Forumite
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    pfmcintyre wrote: »
    but surely it can't have been too difficult as it didn't take a huge amount of time.

    Last bit of surgery I had done took less than 4 hours. To the best of my understanding - I'm not medically trained - it wasn't what you'd call "easy" to carry out.
    If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,794 Forumite
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    RobertoMoir wrote: »
    Last bit of surgery I had done took less than 4 hours. To the best of my understanding - I'm not medically trained - it wasn't what you'd call "easy" to carry out.

    Yeah, but there would have been a surgeon, anaesthetist and a couple of theatre nurses at least, so I'm not sure what you're trying to say here.
  • Clive_Woody
    Clive_Woody Posts: 5,855 Forumite
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    pfmcintyre wrote: »
    Hello,

    I recently had a mixer shower installed where previously there'd only been a shower attached to the taps over the bath.

    I used a reputable company, but I'm concerned the price they've charged - £400 incl VAT - is a bit much. The guy was here less than four hours, and I supplied the shower. It was a little fiddly, in that they had to open up the wall behind the shower to access the pipes, but surely it can't have been too difficult as it didn't take a huge amount of time.

    I probably should have queried this before I went ahead and had it installed, but any thoughts would be most welcome as I haven't paid it yet and hope it isn't too late to challenge. I'm in Bristol. Of course it may be that this is absolutely reasonable but I have nothing to compare it to!

    Many thanks
    Did you agree a price for the job before they started?

    Either way I suspect it's too late to challenge the price now that the job is finished.
    "We act as though comfort and luxury are the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about” – Albert Einstein
  • pfmcintyre
    pfmcintyre Posts: 3 Newbie
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    I didn't challenge the quote, which was naive - I should have done so more research. I don't have much choice but to pay it really. And yes, the job did involve installing new pipes going up to the shower unit so it would have been a harder job than just sticking the shower onto pre-existing pipework.
  • RobertoMoir
    RobertoMoir Posts: 3,458 Forumite
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    silverwhistle wrote: »
    Yeah, but there would have been a surgeon, anaesthetist and a couple of theatre nurses at least, so I'm not sure what you're trying to say here.

    I was being somewhat facetious, fair enough, but I was suggesting the length of time taken to do a job isn't related to the level and value of skill required to do the job, and the value of the people with those skills.
    If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything
  • somethingcorporate
    somethingcorporate Posts: 9,449 Forumite
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    Did you agree the £400 quote before the work started? If you did not sure you have anything to complain about when the work was completed for the agreed price.
    Thinking critically since 1996....
  • Lolu
    Lolu Posts: 14 Forumite
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    Hi

    You said you didn’t challenge the “quote”. Quotes are typically issued prior to work commencing. Are you meaning you didn’t challenge the “invoice “ ? You still haven’t clarified whether you had prior knowledge of total cost or hourly rate. You confirmed you have provided the shower but did you also provide the new pipes / connectors? Not sure you have recourse as the work is complete now. So regardless of whether the price is fair the lesson is to agree the costs prior.
  • MonsieurFrugal
    MonsieurFrugal Posts: 105 Forumite
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    Don't forget £67 of that is vat.

    Which works out at £83 or so an hour.

    Travel time to and from you, to and from wholesalers

    -various insurances, gas safe fees, corporation tax, vehicle payments, fuel, parts, training, pensions. The list goes on and on.

    You should have had other quotes to compare with, so just pay the man his money and move on.
    pvoutput.org/intraday.jsp?id=39350&sid=35952
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