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Why Do Some Plumbers Charge So Much?

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  • maybe you should look at the charges of the largest plumbing co in the country, yes they are really busy all the time & are currently advertising for 5 heating engineers

    prices here

    :eek::eek::eek: Do you get free materials and one of those dinky little toys thrown in for good measure with those rates ?????????
  • I can sympathise with you Humbug, you've dealt with tradesmen who are perhaps charging higher than average prices. You do have a choice in this country to pick who does your work. You could help yourself by asking any future trades to supply a reference for you to check how they did their previous work?
    I have to strongly disagree that we are all crooks though. I went to a pensioners house on Thursday and fitted a new thermocouple for just the price of the thermocouple. She had been let down twice by other guys and on arriving at her house it was quite obvious she wasn't loaded (without checking her bank balance). No I'm not looking for a pat on the back either.
    It costs me a small fortune to trade for one year what with insurance, registration, vehicle costs, not being paid for sick days/holidays, accountancy fee's, training costs etc.
    I caught the winter vomiting bug from a customer and lost two days and 4 call outs worth of work I have to make that up by working harder and for longer. I DON'T CHARGE THE NEXT CUSTOMER MORE TO MAKE IT UP!
    There is no-one more annoyed than an honest tradesmen when he comes across bad work or a customer who has been ripped off, although he hasn't been the dishonest one he's the one who feels guilty and vexed that some idiot has given his trade a bad name.
  • Ruski
    Ruski Posts: 1,628 Forumite
    I have to strongly disagree that we are all crooks though. I went to a pensioners house on Thursday and fitted a new thermocouple for just the price of the thermocouple.
    ...
    There is no-one more annoyed than an honest tradesmen when he comes across bad work or a customer who has been ripped off, although he hasn't been the dishonest one he's the one who feels guilty and vexed that some idiot has given his trade a bad name.


    Hoorah! Glad it's not just me then!


    Does give you a warm glow inside in these situations, and of course, we'll be the first port of call for any future work.


    Russ
    Perfection takes time: don't expect miracles in a day :D
  • C_Mababejive
    C_Mababejive Posts: 11,668 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I have recently paid my dentist from memory about £120 for a check up ,hygiene routine and a small white filling. Do i disparage him for his charges? no i do not. I recognise that he is a good dentist, i like him, he gives great service ,he has a business to run and staff to pay. Why is he any different to a plumber, gas fitter or anyone else? If i had the skills,knowledge,equipment and dexterity to sort my own teeth out, i probably would.

    As an example, i recently did an oil and filter change on my motor car. The main dealer price is about £120. I did it for about half that because i have the tools, knowledge and skills.

    Here in my tv room i have a mega sony 52" widescreen HD tv. Its lovely. I can watch big movies and most of all it warms the room once its been on an hour or two. Its a win win situation. Now i know if it went pfft one day that the chances of me fixing it are slim to non. Come to think of it, the chances of anyone save for real specialists fixing it are slim to none.

    I would have to weigh in the balance to cost effectiveness of paying for a specialist or just binning it.
    The truth is that some people disparage those with a tool bag rather than a fountain pen simply because they resent paying for their services and want them to be ground down and downtrodden. They wish to preserve their wealth at the expanse of others who they see as lesser people.
    Feudal Britain needs land reform. 70% of the land is "owned" by 1 % of the population and at least 50% is unregistered (inherited by landed gentry). Thats why your slave box costs so much..
  • Here get this one!
    I go to fix a boiler after the homeowner rings to asks me to visit for the repair. I look at the boiler find the problem. Dodgy thermistor, tell her the cost of the part and labour, more labour than part, she pulls her face and tuts. Her comment is "last time I saw you you had a 13 year old van now you have a 3 and a bit year old van! I'm not surprised charging that much!!" I laughed and asked how much she had just paid for the two new large Yankee candles she was unpacking. I was £12 dearer than two smelly candles!! What a rip off!
  • HUMBUG
    HUMBUG Posts: 469 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Here get this one!
    I go to fix a boiler after the homeowner rings to asks me to visit for the repair. I look at the boiler find the problem. Dodgy thermistor, tell her the cost of the part and labour, more labour than part, she pulls her face and tuts. Her comment is "last time I saw you you had a 13 year old van now you have a 3 and a bit year old van! I'm not surprised charging that much!!" I laughed and asked how much she had just paid for the two new large Yankee candles she was unpacking. I was £12 dearer than two smelly candles!! What a rip off!

    Get this one! I hired a reputed plumber to change a 3 port valve. Trusted him enough to give him the keys to my house as I had already booked a holiday abroad for 2 weeks . Arrived from holiday , keys left in the kitchen, 3 port valve replaced (looked okay but I'm not a plumber so couldn't judge ). The guy was so cold while doing the work that he lit my gas oven to keep warm, finished the work but didn't switch it off for 2 weeks. Further , 15 years later when the valve broke , I couldn't just unhook it and replace it with another (5 min job) because unknowingly , he had fitted the 3 port valve in such a way that you could not unhook it from its casing (ie. behind pipes and the HWT). Cost me £300 to get another plumber in to drain the systems , cut through the pipes and then fix the new valve to its casing (should have cost £25 without the need to employ a plumber ). That's a prime example of a plumbing company with all the CIPHE, APHC logos conning the public by employing someone to do work who isn't qualified at those expected levels. And I've got lots of similar examples , more bad than good over the last 30 years or so . This is not a rant , just plain bad experiences with lots of different tradespeople. Poor quality work at rip-off reputed company rates.
  • cyclonebri1
    cyclonebri1 Posts: 12,827 Forumite
    edited 27 November 2014 at 4:06PM
    HUMBUG wrote: »
    I am retired and living on 6k a year.


    With all due respect in that case everthing is going to appear expensive, and yes, I too am retired living on what I saved by never employing a tradesman.

    Hope the plumber guys get what I'm saying, but get me started on car servicing etc if you want a rant from me, and again No, I've never paid for that either.

    The whole thread is a lesson in home economics, you have to do enough to ensure you have enough income in retirement to pay for homeowner services.

    Of course you could always sell the house and................................
    I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.

    Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)

    Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed
  • zaax
    zaax Posts: 1,913 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Its also reputation I was charged £80 to service my boiler by the most reputable company in town. But I also know they will come out quickly if it packs up.
    Do you want your money back, and a bit more, search for 'money claim online' - They don't like it up 'em Captain Mainwaring
  • It is not always easy to get several quotes.
    When we bought this house, before we moved in we tried to get quotes for a new boiler, from someone who could do the job ASAP.
    One guy frankly admitted it would be 6 weeks, another couldn't quote straightaway as he was going on holiday, another came and discussed the job but never got back to us, and only one guy turned up when he said he would, talked it through and discussed various options, quoted verbally, followed up in writing, could suit our dates, price was reasonable, and most of all, was friendly, pleasant and obliging. Although it was the only price we got, We used him and have not been disappointed. We have used him since for various small jobs, some urgent, some at his convenience, some entirely to fit in with our other tradesmen. He has introduced us to others, plasterer, tiler, electrician, all local guys who do an honest job.
    So only one quote, but the best man for the job.
  • HUMBUG
    HUMBUG Posts: 469 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Is there price fixing going on in the plumbing industry and other trades? In these days where people can share databases, I wouldn't completely discount this . It just seems strange that I get a quote from one reputable plumber (just outside the postcode I live in) which is nearly 50% higher than the one just around the corner . And I know that both owners are the best of mates because one of their engineers told me so (they both studied together to gain accreditations for membership of the Institute of Plumbing and keep in close contact with each other). Could there be some gentleman's agreement between certain well know plumbers in my area to 'own' certain patches so that they all get a fair share of trade rather than compete against one another? Each plumber agrees they will quote way over a reasonable rate if the customer is not in their patch? If they win the customer than 'Hallelujah' but more often than not the customer will be deflected back to local plumbers who quote less. So the customer sub-consciously thinks he's getting a bargain when he is being conned into accepting a quote still above norm but way less than the plumber outside his 'patch'. My distrust of the trade has made me very cynical in my old age.
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