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Best Way to Get Contractor Services for Home Repairs

Tanko

Tanko

Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
57,973
Looking for some insight from posters.

We had a pipe leak Tuesday morning. Utility room floor covered in water. Shut the water off and removed drywall to find the leak. Small leak in a 1/2" copper elbow. It's in a really tight area in the wall.

Called plumber. He arrives today. Cost to replace about foot sectoin of copper pipe and fittings (two elbows, a Tee, and pipe): $700. The plumber does have to remove part of the stud the pipe goes through to remove the damaged pipe. Like I said it was in a tight area.

Does this sound outrageous or what?
 

Tanko

Tanko

Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
57,973
It's tough to hold out and get bids from a few plumbers when you have no water to the house. I think they know this and screw you as a result.

What do you guys do in these situations?
 

JDS

JDS

Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Messages
57,166
JDS... Give us your insight since your an electrican.
Do you get called for residential home repairs and how do you treat them?
Let me respond to this thread in a bit great question Tanko.
 

JDS

JDS

Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Messages
57,166
Looking for some insight from posters.

We had a pipe leak Tuesday morning. Utility room floor covered in water. Shut the water off and removed drywall to find the leak. Small leak in a 1/2" copper elbow. It's in a really tight area in the wall.

Called plumber. He arrives today. Cost to replace about foot sectoin of copper pipe and fittings (two elbows, a Tee, and pipe): $700. The plumber does have to remove part of the stud the pipe goes through to remove the damaged pipe. Like I said it was in a tight area.

Does this sound outrageous or what?
First of all did he itemize all the material that he used on his bill ?
 

JDS

JDS

Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Messages
57,166
JDS... Give us your insight since your an electrican.
Do you get called for residential home repairs and how do you treat them?
I have about 2-3 dozen clients from over the years from word of mouth with prior contracts of my Uncles old business. I don’t do the online job seeking shit. So I’m not listed you couldn’t find me if you needed a repair lol. I’m only in peoples phones & I like it that way.
 

JDS

JDS

Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Messages
57,166
Way too much , should have been around $ 250 max
We need some more of the details, but I agree the labor can’t be more than 100 an hour. The material is another 100 maybe less. You add in some traveling time & yeah you got 250-300 dollar bill.
 

JDS

JDS

Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Messages
57,166
Anytime you guys have a bigger project, instead of hiring a contractor himself, ride around where you see and know residential construction is going up, and try to catch some of the actual workers and ask them if they do side work
This.
 

JDS

JDS

Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Messages
57,166
Translation find some Nicaraguan instead of a whitey they will work for less :stirthepo
They work harder & for less money. MF’ers are taking over here down in SFL for the small jobs market lol.
 
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