Plumber Rates (Howe: house, inspector, cost of)

[venus_dallas]

Hello
We just closed on our house last week and have a list of minor plumbing issues identified by our inspector.

Things of the nature of - faucet knob coming off, slight leak at faucet, loose spout in the bath tub etc.

I called one of the plumbers through Service Magic and he quoted $150 to fix all this. Is this reasonable? Given the minor/basic nature of the problems, my first thought was this is excessive. However, as a first time home owner, I really dont know what is the normal charge for this and would appreciate any insights.

[jimithing78]

Unfortunately most plumbers I've come in contact with charge an excessive service call fee. It's no less than $100 just to come to your house. Welcome to owning a home Better learn to be handy with minor plumbing and electrical needs or you're going to spend a lot of money on what seem to be trivial things to fix.

[seattlerain1]

I dont know about rates..but we recently had to pay $250 to get a hosebib (outside faucet) fixed because it was pouring out water. It only took the guy 30 minutes and it cost us $250...grrrrrrr.

[galore]

Originally Posted by seattlerain1

I dont know about rates..but we recently had to pay $250 to get a hosebib (outside faucet) fixed because it was pouring out water. It only took the guy 30 minutes and it cost us $250...grrrrrrr.

Why did you give him your business if it was that expensive? It's a plumber, not a lawyer... $500/hour ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

The house should have a main shutoff valve (outside) - or as an alternative you can turn off the water at the water meter.
Unscrew the faucet and replace with a new one bought from the closest big box home improvement store. Instant $230 savings.

[dixierambler]

Sounds about right for a professional, licensed, and insured plumbing company. Service call, to come out, will typically run $75-$100. Add to that, labor cost of $35-$50 for plumber, and $20-$30 for helper (if there is one), cost of parts, and there ya go.

Or you can get a handyman that may, or may not, be licensed and insured, and may or may not know anything about plumbing (yes, even the most simple tasks), and pay about $100 total and hope for the best.