Plumber rip-off?

[Giant Cranium]

id be very happy to pay 225 for that job.

im a carpenter and if i only charged for the time on the tools on the days where i drive around doing 10min jobs id earn 2 hours pay in a day. cant pay the bills on $130 or even fill the ute.

my girlfriend is a lawyer and she is charged out at $400 an hour at 6min sections even if she is only on that task for a 2min phone call. so be glad it wasnt her you needed.

and to the ones saying dont give it a go your self- do it and if it works, sweet you saved your self some money, if not it will cost you the same as if you got someone out in the first place.

[irish2]

Originally Posted by captain awesome

id be very happy to pay 225 for that job.

im a carpenter and if i only charged for the time on the tools on the days where i drive around doing 10min jobs id earn 2 hours pay in a day. cant pay the bills on $130 or even fill the ute.

my girlfriend is a lawyer and she is charged out at $400 an hour at 6min sections even if she is only on that task for a 2min phone call. so be glad it wasnt her you needed.

and to the ones saying dont give it a go your self- do it and if it works, sweet you saved your self some money, if not it will cost you the same as if you got someone out in the first place.

Or could cost significantly more. Many home 'handy men' stuff up even easy tasks, resulting in much larger bills. Especially when it is a licenced task, like plumbing or electrical. There is a reason why you have to have a licence to legally do it.

[Giant Cranium]

and results in more money for me. win win

[ratter]

Why do you need to be licenced to do plumbing or electricial work around your house but anybody can legally work on their car??

[Geez Louise]

Originally Posted by ratter

Why do you need to be licenced to do plumbing or electricial work around your house but anybody can legally work on their car??

Table 3: Your can of worms is ready.

[AMGC63]

Food for thought.... It costs $45.00 to raise an invoice, on average $90.00 per hr to provide a tradie and cover overheads... Travelling to a job is still part of the job, someone has to pay their wages whether they're driving or working....

[dawsman]

Originally Posted by AMGC63

Food for thought.... It costs $45.00 to raise an invoice, on average $90.00 per hr to provide a tradie and cover overheads... Travelling to a job is still part of the job, someone has to pay their wages whether they're driving or working....

Yeah, hence my comment about arranging this repair through the hot water system manufacturer. Private plumber might have been cheaper. Having said that, it sounds like I paid the going rate anyway, so no dramas.

[Giant Cranium]

Originally Posted by ratter

Why do you need to be licenced to do plumbing or electricial work around your house but anybody can legally work on their car??

because if you house floods or burns down and insurance finds out its caused from dodgy work you will not get a pay out.

[sudszy]

it would pay to call a local plumber, at least they wont be compelled to charge you for travel time.

Most people here say the charge was the going rate so its all ok?

Good luck to plumbers and sparkies charging what they do and maintaining enough business to put them in the big $.

Its no surprise though, trades have been discouraged in the last 25 years and now we are paying the price for a lack of competition.

[cs123]

Originally Posted by captain awesome

because if you house floods or burns down and insurance finds out its caused from dodgy work you will not get a pay out.

What about if you change your brakes and run into something?

[AMGC63]

Originally Posted by sudszy

it would pay to call a local plumber, at least they wont be compelled to charge you for travel time.

Most people here say the charge was the going rate so its all ok?

Good luck to plumbers and sparkies charging what they do and maintaining enough business to put them in the big $.

Its no surprise though, trades have been discouraged in the last 25 years and now we are paying the price for a lack of competition.

So out of curiosity who pays for their wages while they're actually driving??????
Minimum call out fee is just common sense.

[Rambunctious]

I could put up an answer/argument to just about every reply to this post but I will stick to the important points.
The valves on water heaters are there to stop damage from over pressure/over temperature and there are different valves for different heaters, and if the valve is not the correct one or is installed incorrectly, the heater can explode. One blew up in Queensland recently.
Here is mythbusters link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGWmONHipVo

Not only that, the heater in question had gas connected. Some years ago I saw a friend with severe facial burns from working on his own gas water heater. He had seen me install it a few years earlier and he thought it looked easy as well.

In answer to ratter re why do you need to be licensed for plumbing/electrical let me answer your question.

Plumbing...Plumbers protect your health just as you, hopefully, protect peoples well being by making their car safe.
Electrical...I posted here just last week..12 volt kicks...240 volt kills.

Retired plumber, drainer, gas fitter, restricted electrical

[ratter]

Originally Posted by Rambunctious

In answer to ratter re why do you need to be licensed for plumbing/electrical let me answer your question.

Plumbing...Plumbers protect your health just as you, hopefully, protect peoples well being by making their car safe.
Electrical...I posted here just last week..12 volt kicks...240 volt kills.

Understand your answer and agree to a certain point, but any person can go work on their car, in fact a few years ago supercheap were selling brake pads and supplying a generic set of instructions how to do it, if you need those, you should not be doing the job.
Not taking anything away from plumbers or sparkies, but there are plenty of other jobs/careers that have peoples safety in mind and these trades do not need a licence.

[CJR09]

Originally Posted by ratter

Understand your answer and agree to a certain point, but any person can go work on their car, in fact a few years ago supercheap were selling brake pads and supplying a generic set of instructions how to do it, if you need those, you should not be doing the job.
Not taking anything away from plumbers or sparkies, but there are plenty of other jobs/careers that have peoples safety in mind and these trades do not need a licence.

well maybe they do need a license? case in point above?

if there are issues with motor vehicle industries then they need to be taken up with respective governing bodies

irrelevant what you can/cant do in motor vehicle industry anyway - the point here is anything to do with plumbing/gas/drainage/electrical a license IS required to ensure public safety and if work is done by unlicensed persons then insurance is null and void and the persons doing the work face criminal prosecution - people should not be advising on and encouraging illegal work

[sudszy]

Originally Posted by CJR09

well maybe they do need a license? case in point above?

if there are issues with motor vehicle industries then they need to be taken up with respective governing bodies

irrelevant what you can/cant do in motor vehicle industry anyway - the point here is anything to do with plumbing/gas/drainage/electrical a license IS required to ensure public safety and if work is done by unlicensed persons then insurance is null and void and the persons doing the work face criminal prosecution - people should not be advising on and encouraging illegal work

am I allowed to change a tap washer myself, or do I have to spend $120 on a plumber every time a tap drips?

[ratter]

what about a light globe?

[SEZ213]

We had a plumber at home for two hours, moving a pipe and adding some copper piping for the laundry - $850, he put in a new tub as well. Materials equated to about $300 bucks, the rest was labour...

You will find the cost of things increases with anyone who is actually running a legitimate business, as they have public liability costs (which on the cheap side is $80 a month), business expenses, accounting fees, licencing fees, registration, fuel costs, etc. Granted, some of that comes back to them, but they're not always employed 365 days of the year, if they have staff they have workers comp, superannuation, wages, etc.

You payed less for the plumber's labour than a washing machine technician was going to charge me for a callout before he even touched the machine...

As for why anyone can work on their car...well...because there's no law saying you can't (or shouldn't).

[Rambunctious]

Originally Posted by sudszy

am I allowed to change a tap washer myself, or do I have to spend $120 on a plumber every time a tap drips?

Legally, where town water is connected, you are not allowed to touch anything up to and including the tap, but the funny thing about licensing of trades is that it is only the tradies who cop the fines for not doing the job in the correct manner.
Changing a tap washer is only part of the dripping problem, the tap must be serviced and lubricated and in good condition, and the tap seat must also be in good condition or it needs to be recut.
My taps and the washers I use usually give me trouble free motoring for about 10 to 15 years.
This link should handle any further questions.

http://www.servicecentral.com.au/res...fessional/1260

[CJR09]

Originally Posted by sudszy

am I allowed to change a tap washer myself, or do I have to spend $120 on a plumber every time a tap drips?

a washer you are allowed to change yourself

Originally Posted by ratter

what about a light globe?

a light globe is outside the scope of works as a plumber

[flappist]

Originally Posted by ratter

what about a light globe?

Depending on what sort it sometimes yes, sometimes no.

If the question is can you legally change a domestic light globe fitted to a BC or ES socket that has been installed by a licensed electrician on your own property then yes.

[DJR-351]

I came home at 2 am on the Monday just past to find the back garden by the house slab had a new fountain, turned off the water and dug out around the new fountain to find the elbow bringing the water up over the slab and into the house had blown. Removed the offending elbow and replaced with a new i had, turned on the water, no leaks, filled in the hole all good...

Time = 40mins
Cost = Zero $$

Bugger paying for someone to come out at 2am to fix something i am quite capable of doing me self...

(Electrical i leave to the experts, i hate electricity )

[Pis-ton broke]

Originally Posted by Jason[98.EL]

sorry to add a bit more of reality yo your thread but that is the LAW these days to get QUALIFIED TRADIES to do the work

so its illeagl to do work on your own plumbing.

what is the charge? illeagel fixing of a leaking pipe?

I think if I went to the local Police shop, and confessed that i changed a washers with out a lincese, it would be a joke. I know this example is a stretch, but it is your claim.

I think you may be mistaken.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

so its illeagl to do work on your own plumbing.

what is the charge? illeagel fixing of a leaking pipe?

I think if I went to the local Police shop, and confessed that i changed a washers with out a lincese, it would be a joke. I know this example is a stretch, but it is your claim.

I think you may be mistaken.

Actually yes it is. There are laws on this and if you do not comply you can be charged.
You can also void you insurance e.g. water damage.
With unlicensed electrical work if your house burns down or worse burns down the one next door as well you will have no insurance and will possibly end up in jail.

When I was in my late teens, early 20s I worked at the electricity supply board and there were several people charged with unlicensed work on their own homes which usually lead to them being ordered to have it re-wired by a professional except for one case in Howard where the amateur electrician was fined $3000 and THEN had his electricity disconnected until his whole hose was redone.

[gtfpv]

dont worry mate , been there done that . in 1993 when i bought my 1st home and moved in , a day later the aarm started beeping , i looked at the sticker on the alarm and called the company who said its a $150 call out + parts . i reluctantly accepted as it was my 1st home and i had no idea what it was .
the next day this real big fat person came out to the house , and i could not tell if it was a woman or a man , so called it buddy , and got some really weird looks .
the person went to the fridge area , and turned the powerpoint on .



we've all been there . next time look at it 1st and see if you can do it before grabbing a phone , also with things like that ask the neighbours houses all have the same problems and neighbours most likely have done it . or can tell you how . cheers .
DID YOU PAY TOO MUCH ??? NOOOO you just didnt know how to do it . your problem not the plumbers . think of all the money the plumber loses by people who know how to do this simple job .

[Pis-ton broke]

Originally Posted by flappist

Actually yes it is. There are laws on this and if you do not comply you can be charged.
You can also void you insurance e.g. water damage.
With unlicensed electrical work if your house burns down or worse burns down the one next door as well you will have no insurance and will possibly end up in jail.

When I was in my late teens, early 20s I worked at the electricity supply board and there were several people charged with unlicensed work on their own homes which usually lead to them being ordered to have it re-wired by a professional except for one case in Howard where the amateur electrician was fined $3000 and THEN had his electricity disconnected until his whole hose was redone.

i get that about the electrical side or it, and about voiding insurance and warranties etc. but it just doesn,t sound right that its aganist the law to fix a leaking pipe ,to me it sounds ridiculous. well if thats the fact then i must be a crimial.
all i hope is that there is no busted pipes until i can hand myself into the police, as i,m affraid there will be a strong urge to fix it. as i have live stock , i hope they can surive until a plumber can be found.
hopefully i'll get away with a good behaver bond.

but like i said, it seems a bit of silly to me.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

i get that about the electrical side or it, and about voiding insurance and warranties etc. but it just doesn,t sound right that its aganist the law to fix a leaking pipe ,to me it sounds ridiculous. well if thats the fact then i must be a crimial.
all i hope is that there is no busted pipes until i can hand myself into the police, as i,m affraid there will be a strong urge to fix it. as i have live stock , i hope they can surive until a plumber can be found.
hopefully i'll get away with a good behaver bond.

but like i said, it seems a bit of silly to me.

ACTUALLY there is more to it than that ,your expansion valve has to comply , and also be the right pressure relief kpa , for the system , also the condition of the tank etc needs to be checked . say for instance you fit the wrong expansion valve which causes a tank leak causing hot water burns , or flooding to someones body/or property . it's not just black and white .
if i licenced plumber makes a mistake like that , his liability insurance will cover the damage. if you do the mistake than no insurance . it's as simple as that .
and the plumber is much more unlikely to make an error .

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

i get that about the electrical side or it, and about voiding insurance and warranties etc. but it just doesn,t sound right that its aganist the law to fix a leaking pipe ,to me it sounds ridiculous. well if thats the fact then i must be a crimial.
all i hope is that there is no busted pipes until i can hand myself into the police, as i,m affraid there will be a strong urge to fix it. as i have live stock , i hope they can surive until a plumber can be found.
hopefully i'll get away with a good behaver bond.

but like i said, it seems a bit of silly to me.

Laws don't always make sense and are sometimes leftovers from a bygone era (like speed limits) but remember that plumbers worked in Lead (hence the name) use very dangerous chemicals like MEKP etc. and not only work on water pipes but also sewerage which has significant health issues.

Bottom line, you asked and were answered by several people who actually do this stuff for a living and all said the same thing so it is probably right.......

[CJR09]

FFS people - it is a criminal offence

more often than not unlicensed persons undertaking illegal work are fined generally to the tune of 2-3k through court proceedings chargeable under the plumbers act, pretty sure its got nothing to do with the cops anyone can bring these charges (although if someone was blown up then you can rest assured they will be!)

if the wrong expansion valve is selected for replacement then a) if the pressure/kW rating is too high the risks of explosion increase (which are very real) - b) if too low then energy efficiency goes out the window

[Giant Cranium]

Originally Posted by cs123

What about if you change your brakes and run into something?

im not a mechanic but id say you might be in some trouble if that was the cause of the crash.

[flappist]

OK, the story has been told and the question and answer time is now at an end.