how do plumbers charge?? per hr/ or whatever they choose to charge?

Question

is there a standard going rate: for example materials cost $100.00, job takes 2hrs at $60 / hr = total $220.00.
any examples are appreciated.. thank you & thanks Yahoo!

i believe ive been very overcharged and i would appreciate the opinion of someone "in the know" ***
scenario ** house built in 1958 **
my 2nd floor tub was draining slowly, i have a hand crank snake and tried it myself with some modest success. after the snaking, i thought i felt something in the pipe that needed removal so i used a metal clothes hanger
after running the shower i noticed that i had water running donw my downstairs wall, right below the tub.. i figured i punctured the piping, which i did.
i called my plumber, whose family has serviced my home since it was built, he came and spent exactly 2.30 hrs. . he needed to crack the floor tile to put in a new drain pipe, and put about 2 feet of pipe. he then recemented the floor that he had to brake job done. bill comes 90days later $675.00 & not itemized.

as far as i can tell he did a fine job, i am pleased with the work, but my concern is that im being "taken"

does this price seem right?

Answer 1

there is generally a "show up" fee, they vary I charge, $25 just to show up and look at the problem provided the drive there is less than 1/2 an hour. After that the job may be billed 1 of 2 ways, a flat rate ie: you want a toilet replaced and it's a standard replacement meaning all I have to do is remove the old toilet and put a new one in its place.

The second way is as a time and materials job meaning, I cannot accurately quote you a price because there will be to many unknowns involved. For example you want a toilet replaced, as i pull the toilet up I realize the cast iron pipe leading to it is rotton. Since I can't be sure how much is rotton and needs replaced I'll quote an estimate for the time and materials and let you decide if you want the extra work done on top of the standard toilet install.

I sell materials at my cost, it keeps me competitive. Labor I bill $60 an hour, I'm on the low end of that scale too. Labor is also figured in 15 minute intervals ie: 15 minutes is $15. I also get approval before ANY additional work is performed beyond the estimate. There is no set rate per se.

$675 for that seems high. $300 sounds right to me for what he did. even for an emergency or weekend rate that seems higher than what it should be. ask for an itemized bill, you have the right to it.

Answer 2

Being a business owner in the HVAC/R trade, I'll eleborate a little on the way we do business.

Hourly rates are calculated on the technicians base pay, benefits, taxes, cell phone, vehicle, uniform cost, retirement,
holiday pay, sick hours, fuel, vehicle maintenance, small tools, and a few other categories. This gives the business owner a real number called a "Burdened Hourly Rate."

The burdened hourly rate plus actual parts cost is typically divided by a number that gives the contractor a fair market Gross Margin percent that allows them to cover their G&A expenses.

Depending upon the size of the business, G&A usually runs about 20%. Most business want to NET 7-10% GM after taxes.
This means they are usually operating on a minimum 30% GM and most operate higher to cover call-backs, downtime etc.

Burdened rates are naturally less for smaller companies and higher for larger companies.

I hope this helps!
Newt

Answer 3

this depends on your agreement. you can get an hourly rate as you described with materials added on. most get a fee to show up on smaller jobs sometimes called port to port, this is usually = to one hours labor. you can also ask for a set fee, this eliminates any surprises, but a less than experienced hack will boost the charge as to not take a chance. if you are dealing with a reputable person, they might give you a price not to exceed, and most experienced tradesmen have a good idea of whats involved. at any rate its a bad idea to give someone you dont know carte blanche

Answer 4

Plumbers usually charge so much for each house call plus the time they are there plus materials. They also charge for time spent obtaining materials which they would not normally have such as floor repair stuff.

I would ask him for an itemized statement just for my own peace of mind.

Answer 5

Never accept a per hour charge. Do you do that with a car repair? These people are professional and they know what is necessary to repair the problem. Unless you are buying new fixtures, don't give them a deposit.