Radon fan installation cost too high? (how much, shingles, installing, pipe)
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I just recently had a radon mitigation company to my house to look at my radon system since my radon levels were high at about 4 (thats high for me, i want it under 2). I gave the tech access to my attic and he was able to go up there and assess the situation. He told me that I needed a fan installed on my passive radon system and wanted to look around for electrical hookup in the attic to see how he would install the system. This first part took about 30 minutes, and they said they offer a free onsite consultation, so I consider this the free consultation. I told him if its over a few hundred dollars to please let me know the cost before doing any work.
After about an hour, he comes to my office to tell me the work was done and he told me the final price for the radon fan installation was $800. I couldn't believe it! I looked online and saw that $800 was the average price on the low end for complete Radon Mitigation installation, and I was being charged this for just a fan!?
Does anyone in the Atlanta area or even anywhere who actually works with Radon mitigation systems or had just a fan installed tell me if I am being ripped off? I told the tech I would not pay on the spot and to tell the company to call me, because the cost seems outrageous.
Not certain what they charge in the Atlanta area but $800 sounds on the high side to me. The man itself is $200-$300 and the rest of the system sounds like it was already there. I'd think the price would be in the $400-$500 range. By the way, free consultations are never free!
When you say passive system, did the pipe actually go thru the roof, or was it capped inside the attic.
There is more to it (or should be) than just putting a fan in.
They also have to install a pressure gauge (manometer) on the visible pipe in the basement, or somewhere inside the house.
If there isn't already an electrical circuit in the attic for the fan, one needs to be installed.
If the pipe did not already go thru the roof, they had to cut a hole in the roof, extend the pipe, install flashing, and repair the shingles.
$800 is a bit higher than it would cost in Knoxville, but maybe not that much if there was the work done I outlined.
You might ask them for a breakdown on the bill, and let them know you did not sign anything that had an estimated cost (or did you?). After he went in the attic, he should have been able to give you an exact cost estimate. Did you already pay him?
Yes, the passive system was already uncapped and going through the roof. I watched him install the pressure gauge (2 minutes). The fan that was installed involved him cutting out a piece of the pipe in our attic, installing the fan, and plugging it in. It was really all less than an hour which is why I'm shocked at the price.
I never signed a statement of work or agreed on any price. I also searched their company on homeadvisor and someone had a fan installed. They paid $344.
You never authorized the work. offer them a fair market value price or have them remove it. Hopefully you didn't sign anything before hand because the fine print may have given them permission to do the work.
It's a good warning to others and maybe have the worker sign a paper next time that you are not authorizing any work to be done without an exact price beforehand.
What they did is tantamount to fraud in my opinion and if the company does not offer to resolve this I would tell them you are going to pursue reporting them to any appropriate regulatory agencies. There are laws in place to protect consumers from getting overcharged or having unauthorized work done, even if you signed something allowing it you were taken for a ride.
Hopefully the company has an honest owner, but I doubt it if these are their business practices unless it was a rogue employee who did this.
Yes, the passive system was already uncapped and going through the roof. I watched him install the pressure gauge (2 minutes). The fan that was installed involved him cutting out a piece of the pipe in our attic, installing the fan, and plugging it in. It was really all less than an hour which is why I'm shocked at the price.
I never signed a statement of work or agreed on any price. I also searched their company on homeadvisor and someone had a fan installed. They paid $344.
OK, with that info, the $344 is probably a fair price. If you said don't do it if its more than a few hundred dollars, and you didn't sign a cost estimate, AND YOU DIDN'T ALREADY PAY THEM, then offer them $344, to tell them to take it out. Something is a little out of whack since you said you watched them do the work. Did they not give you a cost estimate?
I didn't watch him do all the work. He came down from the attic and got me from my office and asked me to follow him to the basement so he could install the pressure gauge and show me how to read it. That only took two minutes. Sorry if I wasnt clear.
Now tonight we got an invoice from the company and now it's $998 - even higher!
I never signed anything and I am almost tempted to have them prove that they were ever here! I am so upset over such bad business practice.
I am almost tempted to have them prove that they were ever here! .
That's just silly. You already said you knew they were doing work, so you in effect authorized it. You can't haggle afterwards because you didn't ask how much it would be, also when you get an estimate other things can be wrong that cost more to fix. Just be grateful you didn't' die of radon poisoning.
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