|
A Decent Plumber - Myth or Real Possibility?
Question : “No
baloney, please. Just tell me where I can
find a decent plumber who doesn’t charge
an arm and a leg.”
Reply : “The same place you find
the goose that lays the golden eggs—in a
fairy tale.”
Some household repairs – fixing a leak
under your sink, clearing a clogged drain,
etc., are simple enough that many
homeowners choose to save money by doing
it themselves. This is always an option.
However, when you call a
professional plumber for a simple
household repair, he does not charge on
the basis of how complicated the job might
be, but based on his time and overhead
expenses. So there is a certain minimum he
must charge on every call, no matter how
simple the job might be.
This usually amounts to somewhere between
$100-$200. People tend to get upset at
paying $100 or more for a job that may
take merely 10-15 minutes to complete.
What they fail to factor in is what it
costs the company to bring a plumber to
your door. They must pay for the
dispatcher, truck, fuel, tools, insurance
coverage, office equipment, etc.
Q: How do you define a “decent”
plumber?
-
The least most people
would expect is that he’d be able to
identify and fix the problem and guarantee
it for at least a year – or return at no
extra charge if it breaks down before
that. The work should abide by safety
standards and codes. It’s also reasonable
to expect the plumbing firm to be
licensed, insured and not on the public
prosecutor’s most-wanted list. This
inevitably means adding that “arm and leg”
in overhead costs.
So much for simple
repairs. The true skill of a mechanic,
just as with a doctor, has less to do with
turning a wrench than diagnosing a
problem. If you have no hot water, or no
heat from your furnace, or foul gunk flows
from a faucet, it’s not the time to look
for someone who works cheap. Imagine
asking, “How can I find a decent brain
surgeon who doesn’t charge an arm and a
leg…a decent defense lawyer…a decent
airplane pilot?”
Oh, but how could anyone compare one of
those skilled professionals to a lowly
plumber!?! The fact of the matter is that
plumbers also deal in life and death
matters. The fuel lines and flues to your
heating equipment could carry the
potential for death and destruction. And
how would you like someone to
cross-connect a waste line with your
potable (drinkable) water supply? A
well-trained plumber has been through a
four or five year apprentice -ship that is
every bit as challenging as a college
education. Their work is priced
accordingly.
Recently, the more
progressive plumbing companies have
taken to charging a flat rate fee their
services. This pre-calculated price is
based on average material costs for the
repair or replacement and the time for a
competent plumber to complete the job.
People who don’t like surprises find this
more appealing than paying by the hour.
It has been our experience that companies
that charge by the hour consistently take
longer to do a job than is necessary.
There is little incentive to work fast as
you, the customer, are responsible for
paying for the entire time, reasonable or
not.
If you do find a very cheap plumber,
beware. As with everything else, you get
what you pay for. That’s no baloney.
Proprietary information
of Kevin Shaw Plumbing, Inc & Nexstar
Network, © 1994
If you are looking for a
plumbing contractor in the San Gabriel Valley, please call us
today at 626-359-1864 or complete our
online service request form.
|
|
Our Plumbing Services
 Kitchen Plumbing
Cleanout
Drain Cleaning
Pressure Regulators
Repiping The Water System
Sewer Lines
Shutoff Valves
Water Heaters
 Join Our Discount Club
and never pay for a service call fee
again.
Learn More
 Why
Should You Have Quality Water In Your
Home?
Learn Why
|
|
Plumber