We are having new countertops put in this week so we decided to hire a plummer to put in a new(for us) cast iron sink well before we got a plummer our hot water tank decided to die on us. We figure might as well have both things done at once. So we call a plummer and just to put the hot water tank in the cost will be at the least $500. We hadn't even discussed the sink. I almost fainted. Man did we go int he wrong professions. All the other plummers could not do anything to after the holidays and we didn't even discuss price with them. Am I out of touch or is this kind of steep. We have made other arrangements that will cost us a lot less. But I just feel this is like high way robbery. Of course there aren't many plummers around so it puts people in a bind. Any plummers out there thinking of a move please consider central Maine. RenieB
My ex is a plumber, and here in W Wa the price would be about the same, maybe a little higher. Believe me, when you consider everything it takes and the cost of running a business, that's not a bad price. Materials, taxes, vehicles, maintenance, gas, wages, L&I, licenses, etc, etc. Amber
Dear Renie, Putting a water heater in place of another is quite easy and shouldn't cost more than about 200.00 if you buy the unit yourself. If your water heater is electric, it probably just needs a new element which is about 20 bucks. Labor costs for trade laborers is REALLY high these days. It pays to learn some of these skills unless you are making 50.00 an hours or more IMHO.
As Imaquillen said, there are quite a few expenses with running your own business. I know for our part- time business, liability ins. alone is costing us $2200 (we have a chimney cleaning business). Expensive, but cheap should we ever need to use it. That's not considering tools, equipment needed to make the job easier, or needing replaced...so on and so forth.
Our 20+ year old hot water heater was leaking and ruined the carpet and floor boards of our basement bedroom. I spent $567 to have a plumber replace it with a 50-gallon hot water heater. I didn't think that was too bad. The poster who said that he/she went into the wrong profession, considering how much plumbers can make, had a good point. My 21-year-old son, who is in his last year of college, has decided to enter an electrician apprenticeship program. At first I was dismayed because I've always hoped he'd go to law school and would become the 4th generation in my family to go into the practice of law, but after I thought about it, I realized it was really a good decision. He'll learn a good trade and will be able to earn a good living and will probably end up earning more than my sister who has a journalism degree from a fine Jesuit university and is only making $28,000 a year.
$500 for labor or tank and labor? If its both then thats not a bad price. Depending on what type of tank (electric vs gas) there is a bit of work to do. A good tank will cost $200-$300, so the rest is labor. Still not bad. He has to drain the tank, unhook the electric/gas. remove the tank, put the one in, re-run plumbing if it doesnt match up. Re do the gas/elec. Also keep in mind in some areas plumbers/electrictions have to be certfied. It all ads up. Your option is to pay someone or do it yourself.
Most plumbers I know charge right around $60/hr for labor. Seems high but once you realize that that money has to pay for all business expenses (phone (land and cell), advertising, truck, tools, gas and maintenance, insurance for the vehicle, health insurance for his family and himself, liability insurance, business stationary, travel time, time to take care of all administration type duties, retirement savings, vacation time, time spent giving estimates, manage employees if they have any, money to cover those jobs that have sureprises, money to cover non-paying accounts etc....etc...) Now on top of that he has to be able to pay himself and the business has to make a profit. No sense in going through all this trouble and then not make a profit. A lot of people just don't understand what it takes to run a business and think that $60/hr goes right into the plumbers pocket.
Gee ! My husband replaced the electric hot water heater in a house we were renting. Later he replaced one for some elderly neighbors, and put one in our trailer. He did not act like it was any big deal, and he is not a plumber. Maybe a gas hot water heater would be harder. I watched him drain the old one and all it took was hooking a hose to the faucet on the bottom of the tank to run the water outside and then open the hot water faucets in the house to let in air. I know it cost a lot to have a business, and insurance, which is why it pays to learn how to do as much as possible for ourselves. You can count the money not spent hiring other people as "income" almost. Some of the hardware stores like Home Depot have people that can tell you how to do your own work.
Having had my own businesses for many years, yes there are numerous "expenses" but those expenses are tax deductable so in the end the $$/hour does go right into the pocket. Hourly charges are ALWAYS the local going rate no matter the cost. Everybody has to be on the same page. If 1 guy charges a lot less the others will see to it he has problems getting business, get a bad rep, whatever, until he falls in line. Facts of life in our current economy.
Depends to on local regulations... we had to have ours replaced a couple years ago. Where we are Home Depot cannot even sell you one without a *building permit*. :-/ This is just to replace one that breaks. Plus they now require metal straps and a platform for it to sit on. So yes it can easily cost that much...
Boy I'm sure glad I have my wife.She put out Hot water Heater in for $150.She has done all the Plumbing and Wireing on this place.Pluse she does all the work on the Trucks.Does all the Butchering. Maybe I should hire her out!!!! big rockpile
You sure better keep her! Think of all that money she's saving you! You don't find a woman like that every day. Kathy
This is another misconception people have. They think tax deductions equal they get everything for free. Tax deductable doesn't mean free. The expenses are deducted from your EARNED INCOME, not deducted from your tax dollar amount. So basically uncle sam is paying an amount equal to what ever percentage your tax bracket is. So if you pay 30% in tax then that 100 dollar business expense only cost you 70 dollars.Still a great deal but there is a catch, there always is. Remember that as a business you pay the other half of the taxes that your employer usually pays for you so you are taxed more then if you just worked for someone as an employee. So if your business is doing well and is profitable you will pay more in taxes even with the deductions. I also encourage people to learn how to do these type of things themselves. Great skills to have and instead of paying someone else you basically are paying yourself.
