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Not pickin on ya but when was the last time a Doctor, any Doctor, anywhere USA Doctor, gave their patient 30 minutes? I think you accidentally put an extra zero. You meant to say 3 minute consult. I feel more like Cattle when I visit the Doctor. Get pushed into the gate and out the gate as fast as possible after I paid in advance. Wait......$120 for the Doctor visit? You must mean about 15 years ago.
At least the Plumber will stand and chat for a few minutes, pet the Dog, maybe even have a coffee with the family before leaving. The Doctor just says good luck, leaves the room, and some other low wage worker in my office will write you the Rx but come back in a couple weeks so I can rape your wallet again to see if you healed. The Plumbers repair visit is permanent and he normally don't have to come back
Just as there are good plumbers and bad plumbers, there are good doctors and bad doctors. My own doctor is wonderful in making sure that your needs are met and doesn't take advantage of you as far as charging. A visit last year stretched to an hour and a half before he had exhausted all possibilities as to what the problem could be. Was charged the normal office call charge. And no, he is not one of those old timers who is about to retire. He graduated from med school 3 years ago.
It's pretty dangerous to put everyone in the same category.
At first I wanted to add something not so nice to this thread. None of us like what Plumbers charge. They are thieves. Then I read your post and it brought me back.
Yes you are right on. They have expenses like every other trade. But sheesh man we all have trucks full of equipment, inventory, employees, and hold licenses. The thing that gets me though, and I'm not making fun of Plumbers, is every trade are more educated then a Plumber. Especially Electricians. Should Plumbers be charging more then a Doctor?
There is also the old saying that Plumbers charge that much because they have to stick their hands in human shid. How many would like to do that? But the licensed Plumber don't actually get his hands dirty as he tells his grunts to do it instead.
There is another issue that allows Plumbers to charge more then any other trade. Think about this: When you need a Carpenter, Electrician, Roofer, Mason, Painter.......etc......it is no emergency. You can keep on calling them all to come in to give you an estimate all day and week long. But when you need a Plumber.......IT'S A FREAKING EMERGENCY and you have no options of calling in more bids. You're azz is walking in water and your furniture is getting ruined and you will pay anything to stop the leak!!!!
in NJ, the going rate is about $130/hr. If you look at the license numbers, they havent added many in the past decade. supply and demand - they're simply not that many plumbers. if you can find yourself a good plumber, he's worth $130/hr.
Hogwash, prove it? I think they're skinny little geeks that aren't strong enough to do a real mans job. Why are electrician's directed by a Carpenter on the job? Oh yeah, you hear how dangerous it is, but the facts about deaths on the job prove otherwise.
Carpenters are the Master Craft, but we still have our guys clean the floor for you!
my dad's coworker had his arms blown off restoring power after hurricane sandy. lots of precautions in place to prevent death, but there are still accidents. his company prides itself on a very very low accident rate. but they still happen.
Cry me a river........doctors make hospital rounds seven days a week, take call at the hospital (on call for people who are in ER or admitted and don't have personal physicians) and carry a pager 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I know what Doctors do, I meant they do not come to you(your home)Those days are long gone.. I get tire of being compared to charging what a doctor does.. My hourly rate does not even come close to what their hourly rate ends up. I also can say a lot of them or the general public would not want to even get close to what we pull from sewers. On the other hand I would not want to deal with peoples health issues although we seem to get the other end of that deal..
My hourly rate is $ 98 per hr as long as your in a 10mile radius of my shop, anything beyond that I add a $ 25 fuel charge to the first hour. If I have multiple calls more than 10 miles out I usually split that added charge up. We have fuel, Liability, Comm. Auto, Workers Comp, Vehicle maintenance, and payroll, payroll taxes, shop building rent, insurance out of that of the call.
Education for me in the plumbing field: Started in the trade in 1979, 4years in a college apprenticeship program(night classes) had to work 40hrs minimum in the trade per week per year for the hours, graduated, received journeymens license, 1 more year on job for Master license. In 1989, 6 months in classes to be prepared for State Exam, Feb 1990 passed 20 hr State exam for my State Plumbing Contractors license. We also have to have minimum 14hrs continuing education every 2 yrs for our renewal
Lets compare:
You need a plumber
I come to your place
My time starts when I get there till I leave, plus any material if necessary
BTW, If I do not have what we need on the truck, I do not charge for the call until we have the needed parts(but that is very rare)
Typical 1hr labor plus fuel outside 10 miles $ 123.00
You need a Doctor
You call to make an appointment
You go to him
Average time to office for most 45minutes
Average wait time in office 30 minutes
Average time waiting to see the Doctor once in the room 15minutes
Average time you actually see and talk to the Doctor 5minutes
Average time back home 45minutes
Average Doctor charge $ 225.00 ( 5 minutes)
Your Time 2.5-3hrs (Not sure if you value your time but I value mine)
Your vehicle gas and maintenance
I still stand by saying 125 per hr is more than fair....
Last edited by ESPLUMBING; 06-30-2013 at 04:38 PM..
I know what Doctors do, I meant they do not come to you(your home)Those days are long gone.. I get tire of being compared to charging what a doctor does.. My hourly rate does not even come close to what their hourly rate ends up. I also can say a lot of them or the general public would not want to even get close to what we pull from sewers. On the other hand I would not want to deal with peoples health issues although we seem to get the other end of that deal..
My hourly rate is $ 98 per hr as long as your in a 10mile radius of my shop, anything beyond that I add a $ 25 fuel charge to the first hour. If I have multiple calls more than 10 miles out I usually split that added charge up. We have fuel, Liability, Comm. Auto, Workers Comp, Vehicle maintenance, and payroll, payroll taxes, shop building rent, insurance out of that of the call.
Education for me in the plumbing field: Started in the trade in 1979, 4years in a college apprenticeship program(night classes) had to work 40hrs minimum in the trade per week per year for the hours, graduated, received journeymens license, 1 more year on job for Master license. In 1989, 6 months in classes to be prepared for State Exam, Feb 1990 passed 20 hr State exam for my State Plumbing Contractors license. We also have to have minimum 14hrs continuing education every 2 yrs for our renewal
Lets compare:
You need a plumber
I come to your place
My time starts when I get there till I leave, plus any material if necessary
BTW, If I do not have what we need on the truck, I do not charge for the call until we have the needed parts(but that is very rare)
Typical 1hr labor plus fuel outside 10 miles $ 123.00
You need a Doctor
You call to make an appointment
You go to him
Average time to office for most 45minutes
Average wait time in office 30 minutes
Average time waiting to see the Doctor once in the room 15minutes
Average time you actually see and talk to the Doctor 5minutes
Average time back home 45minutes
Average Doctor charge $ 225.00 ( 5 minutes)
Your Time 2.5-3hrs (Not sure if you value your time but I value mine)
Your vehicle gas and maintenance
I start stand be saying 125 per hr is more than fair....
I agree!!!
The is just what our service call is.
BTW...that is just a simple repair......If we bring a rig in it is $500 to start.
You forgot the part where they say they cannot do what they need to do today, so you have to come back in a week so they can double or triple that bill and milk the insurance 2 or 3 times for what should of been a 1 time apt
Quote:
Originally Posted by ESPLUMBING
I
You need a Doctor
You call to make an appointment
You go to him
Average time to office for most 45minutes
Average wait time in office 30 minutes
Average time waiting to see the Doctor once in the room 15minutes
Average time you actually see and talk to the Doctor 5minutes
Average time back home 45minutes
Average Doctor charge $ 225.00 ( 5 minutes)
Your Time 2.5-3hrs (Not sure if you value your time but I value mine)
Your vehicle gas and maintenance
I still stand by saying 125 per hr is more than fair....
You forgot the part where they say they cannot do what they need to do today, so you have to come back in a week so they can double or triple that bill and milk the insurance 2 or 3 times for what should of been a 1 time apt
Ok, not to defend Dr's (because I was just charged $425 for an ill fitting arm brace by an orthopedic surgeon!). The long wait times are due to 1) patients (not me!) showing up late; and 2) the need to cram people in because Medicare and HMOs pay less and less each year
However, they pay significant medical malpractice insurance (OB-GYN's pay something like 50% of their revenue for it), go to school for 8-16 years post high school, take night calls, and generally have very stressful jobs (if they make a mistake, somebody may die).
Anyway, my experience with trade people for a new house build:
Carpenters are the most skilled (especially considering that the guys that did my house also did the tile work, built-ins...). I'm amazed by what they can make out of wood.
Electricians seem like they have a relatively easy job (specifically for new house builds). I can imagine things get very complex with old wiring, so I do have an appreciation for their skills.
Just got back from my vacation with family in Norway. For all that complain about hourly costs here in the states here's what a customer pays in Norway for a plumber. Average cost per hour is 960NOK or $ 165.00 US. They charge from the time they leave and return to the shop, so a one hour on the job call starts at $ 465.00 plus material(which costs more then double on fittings,fixtures,faucets than here in the states) Then there is a 25% tax added to the total cost. Just be lucky here in the US most plumbers do not charge this way....
I did a faucet change out for one of my family members while I was there for free, he brought the faucet.
I joked around with the owner of the plumbing shop telling him I flew 4600 miles one way just to do this call, his employees laughed.
BTW.That call he said would have cost him 5415.00NOK or $ 949.00, the plumbing shop in Mandal was an hour away.
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