A Decent Plumber - Myth or
Reality?
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
Austin 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 plumber for your Austin home, please
call us today at 512-445-5212 or
click on the link below:
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