Cost of Plumbing for Washer?
About a month ago I got a quote from a well-known plumbing company to replace a leaking waste pipe and install all the plumbing needed for a washing machine. Quote was about $1,800. High, but OK. Today they arrive and tell me the quote does not include plumbing for the supply line. WHAT!? And that…
About a month ago I got a quote from a well-known plumbing company to replace a leaking waste pipe and install all the plumbing needed for a washing machine. Quote was about $1,800. High, but OK.
Today they arrive and tell me the quote does not include plumbing for the supply line. WHAT!? And that will be an additional $850.
Mind you, the water lines are right there. We are talking about a few inches of copper pipe.
From the very beginning, we said “install washing machine, replace leaking waste pipe.” They also said “install washing machine.” We did not say “install washing machine, but oh by the way make sure it has no water and is not usable.”
WTF? How much should a washing machine cost to install? This is freaking ridiculous. I could buy a used Honda for $3,000.
“Denton, very educated and well thought out answer.”
Thanks bp, I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it, but I do have my own biz and I know what it costs to hire quality staff, pay bennies, keep a truck on the road, and make a profit.
CMU, very honorable and thank you for understanding!!! As a business Owner, I have a few other people that handle the day to day operations in the Company. If there’s a problem, I like to be alerted to it so that I can handle it personally if I’m able. Unfortunatley, most people, if they have a problem, just stop using a Company and move on. I like to step in a try to resolve to keep the business, the good name and the faith of the customer. Hello to Liz!!
Bp: thanks for the diligence. It’s water under the bridge now; and, given that other bill, which I do remember and is quite OK, I will have to be a little more careful about crying “exorbitant”!
edkopel, thank you for mentioning that we are good plumbers, we do try to pride ourselves on that. I remember the toilet call on a Saturday and I’m sorry we couldn’t help. We do have to pay a premium to our workers for Weekends and Overtime and we have to quantify that additional salary. Also, our hourly rates are based on a certain amount of working hours and once we go over that, we have to cover our additional overhead. If we raised our hourly rate to cover that additional salary and overhead then we would have complaints from regular customers during regular business hours that our rates are too high. This way we can stay competitive and still perform service for emergencies, but at an added cost. I hope that is understood.
As I know you are familiar with our Company, you can also vouch for the countless number of hours that we will spend with someone discussing their projects and offering suggestions, proposals and pricing. This time comes at NO CHARGE and also no guarantee of getting the work.
Denton, very educated and well thought out answer.
CMU, I searched and found only one service call since 2001 and that was done on 12/18/01 for a few leaking radiators and some air vent valve replacements. Our charge was $120.00 + Materials and Tax. I don’t have anything after that, so the service must have been prior which is in our old systems. Sorry, I tried to find it to see what had happened.
How about a “public option” for plumbing? After all, it’s like healthcare for your house
5 mins to solder a separated pipe joint, $295, but that’s from memory.
Now, maybe that’s a “normal”, “emergency” charge, in that case, I will withdraw the “royally overcharged” and just say I should’ve done it myself, since the pipe was completely accessible.
Mopar, Thank you for working everything out with us!! I don’t want to see anyone angry or unhappy with our service or think that they are being ripped off. Our Father started this Company and instilled a lot of good values in us. I would like to think that we do everything we can to keep things honest.
CMU, you have a good memory…I looked back on our records and haven’t seen any service with you since 2001. If you explain the situation where we royally overcharged you, maybe I can look into it. I think I personally came to your home because I recognize the name and address.