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I sell many softeners per month, about 85-90% of my customers install their own softener. Many of those have never done anything like that in their life.
Of those that hire a plumber, the highest charge I've heard was a number of years ago in Boston; $750. The next highest was about 3 yrs ago in CA for $500. The CA customer sent me a picture and two guys used about 8' of copper, 6-7 elbows, two 1" female adapters, a tee and boiler drain valve to hook a garden hose to for washing cars with softened water. The softener was installed outdoors along the side of the garage where the water line came up out of the ground and the main water shut off valve was, and I supplied the drain line. It would have taken me about 2-2.5 hrs, which is what it took them (2 plumbers).
I say that both customers were overcharged and that is based on my having installed a few thousand softeners/filters over 18-20 yrs as a local dealer and I know what it cost me to deliver and install the stuff.
BTW, you only wanted an idea of a price, well others reading this now and in the future probably want all the info they can get, after all this is a DIYer forum and they need info to determine if they are going to install the softener or hire it done.so...
The sq ft of the house and number of bathrooms have nothing to do with installing a softener or the price of the installation.
The number of bathrooms dictates (actually 4 of the 5 national plumbing codes call for that; did your contractor mention it?) the cubic foot SIZE of the softener and.... with big box store brands, the largest softener you can get is 1.2-1.25 cuft. Usually home builder contractors do not know this, most plumbers don't either, the constant SFR gpm is usually too low for more than a 2.5 bathroom house with no big tubs or showers because the constant SFR gpm of teh volume of resin in the softener must be higher than the peak demand water flow rate gpm of the house. Or the softener will not be able to remove all the hardness anytime the peak demand gpm exceeds the constant SFR gpm of the volume of resin in the softener.
Now you have been told twice that your installation will cost $650-690 IIRC after like initially being told $380 or so. IMO you are being taken but, what has to be done to the irrigation water line?
A softener is installed after the tee to any irrigation and there should be an inexpensive ($15) check valve installed on the irrigation line just after it's tee.
So help others here by describing your installation as to why they want so much to install a softener for you. And if you don't know or they think you might be a whiny PIA customer (3quotes says something along those lines), that's probably why they are just throwing high figures at you. Many plumbers that don't want to do a job will quote very high and laugh all the way to the bank if the person accepts the figure. I think that's bad business but that's life.
So help others here by describing your installation as to why they want so much to install a softener for you. And if you don't know or they think you might be a whiny PIA customer (3quotes says something along those lines), that's probably why they are just throwing high figures at you. Many plumbers that don't want to do a job will quote very high and laugh all the way to the bank if the person accepts the figure. I think that's bad business but that's life.[/quote]
It is very bad business indeed. The factors that would determine the installed price (at least from my company) would be the accessibility to the water supply along with the access to a viable drain. Code dictates that the equipment be indirect drained into a vented trap. That alone may substantially raise the installation price especially if the drain is not convenient and venting the trap is complicated. However, a straight up install, taking a couple hrs and a handful of fittings should not run more than 3 to 4 hundred dollars with the majority of that being hourly labor charges. We are currently at $138.00 an hour for labor so a couple 3 hrs adds up quick.
So help others here by describing your installation as to why they want so much to install a softener for you. And if you don't know or they think you might be a whiny PIA customer (3quotes says something along those lines), that's probably why they are just throwing high figures at you. Many plumbers that don't want to do a job will quote very high and laugh all the way to the bank if the person accepts the figure. I think that's bad business but that's life.
It is very bad business indeed. The factors that would determine the installed price (at least from my company) would be the accessibility to the water supply along with the access to a viable drain. Code dictates that the equipment be indirect drained into a vented trap. That alone may substantially raise the installation price especially if the drain is not convenient and venting the trap is complicated. However, a straight up install, taking a couple hrs and a handful of fittings should not run more than 3 to 4 hundred dollars with the majority of that being hourly labor charges. We are currently at $138.00 an hour for labor so a couple 3 hrs adds up quick.[/quote]
The peace of mind knowing it is done right, PRICLESS!!!
In plain English-all I know is that I have 3 1/2 baths-yes I have an irrigation system , I don't want my hose bibs included.
All said and done 5 hours labor. Roughly $120/hr.
So, even here you guys are discussing whether or not business should take place on the Internet.
Heck, Bill Gates was suggusting that way back when.
It was my two older brothers that kept bugging me to get interested in web pages and discussion forums.
My brother Clare used to write code for a rather large business, and my brother Jamie, was blogging before there was a word for blogging.
Mostly about copywrite law.
I used to laugh and say
So, even here you guys are discussing whether or not business should take place on the Internet.
Heck, Bill Gates was suggusting that way back when.
It was my two older brothers that kept bugging me to get interested in web pages and discussion forums.
My brother Clare used to write code for a rather large business, and my brother Jamie, was blogging before there was a word for blogging.
Mostly about copywrite law.
I used to laugh and say
"Why would a plumber ever use the Web?"
It does seem to make sense now though.
Terry
Wrong. CD rules prohibits advertising. Did you not read the rules??
So, even here you guys are discussing whether or not business should take place on the Internet.
Heck, Bill Gates was suggusting that way back when.
It was my two older brothers that kept bugging me to get interested in web pages and discussion forums.
My brother Clare used to write code for a rather large business, and my brother Jamie, was blogging before there was a word for blogging.
Mostly about copywrite law.
I used to laugh and say
"Why would a plumber ever use the Web?"
It does seem to make sense now though.
Terry
I will say I try to buy locally. It is the local business man who pays local taxes. Gives to local projects and hires local people. What kind of a idiot would buy on line and then send their child in a store to sell something for a club or school project?
I will say I try to buy locally. It is the local business man who pays local taxes. Gives to local projects and hires local people. What kind of a idiot would buy on line and then send their child in a store to sell something for a club or school project?
I use the web quite well for local business.
I'm finding that Yellow Pages aren't doing much now.
I just handed two Drake toilets to a customer that drove down from Canada, one for a customer from Sequim, and one for a customer from Renton.
And now it's time for lunch.
I like the web for business.
And I send a good sized check every month for the Washington State sales tax and California state sales tax that I collect at the time of sale.
My son's club at school is doing fund drives for lending to "woman owned businesses".
I use the web quite well for local business.
I'm finding that Yellow Pages aren't doing much now.
I just handed two Drake toilets to a customer that drove down from Canada, one for a customer from Sequim, and one for a customer from Renton.
And now it's time for lunch.
I like the web for business.
And I send a good sized check every month for the Washington State sales tax and California state sales tax that I collect at the time of sale.
My son's club at school is doing fund drives for lending to "woman owned businesses".
So, did you have a point? How does those checks help local schools, parks and fire departments? Maybe you could post a link as how your sales helped in Renton, Sequim and Canada. I am always willing to learn.
I use the web quite well for local business.
I'm finding that Yellow Pages aren't doing much now.
I just handed two Drake toilets to a customer that drove down from Canada, one for a customer from Sequim, and one for a customer from Renton.
And now it's time for lunch.
I like the web for business.
And I send a good sized check every month for the Washington State sales tax and California state sales tax that I collect at the time of sale.
My son's club at school is doing fund drives for lending to "woman owned businesses".
I do have to thank your son!!!! It is hard for most females to make it in business. I almost failed at my first clear million before I was 30. But, in the end I outsmarted the "good ole boys" and put them out of their misery.
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