In the still of the night, when all is peaceful and the quiet seems like a sweet blanket enveloping you as you drift off to sleep, the sudden intrusion of drip… drip… drip… from the kitchen faucet can seem like a drum beating in your ear. If you’re handy with wrenches, washers and fixtures, you may opt to make the repairs yourself. If you’re not, you may choose to hire a plumber. Do you decide onfixed rate plumbing or take your chances on getting a better price with an hourly rate? Good question.
The Cost of Plumbing
Whether it’s repairs, putting in plumbing for new construction or redoing outdated plumbing, it can be costly. There are reasons for this cost. The average person is unaware of the value of a well-qualified plumber and what he or she brings to the job when you make that call.
First of all, skilled plumbers go through extensive training. The plumber needs to be versed in a variety of systems. It’s not only knowing about the pipes involved in the plumbing system – plumbers need to know about all the other systems than can impact the plumbing. These include waste and vent systems, gas lines and water lines as well as toilets, faucets, pipes, tubes, water heaters, pumps, etcetera. Learning about all these things takes a lot of training.
In addition to the training, a plumber comes prepared with a truck, laden with all the tools, equipment and materials needed to address the problems you may be facing. A qualified plumber shows up with credentials, including insurance on the truck and everything in it, along with insurance to cover any mishaps that might take place in your home.
When a customer has a plumbing issue that requires special materials or parts, the plumber has to find the necessary items and get them before solving the plumbing problem. These parts may or may not be in the truck or at the plumbing shop.
Additionally, the plumber needs to keep detailed records of every job. Hours worked, distance traveled, parts used, condition of problem and how it was remedied all need to be documented and kept in a database. The company probably provides 24-hour service as a convenience to customers as well.
You can see the costs of plumbing add up quickly. As a consumer, you have to decide if you want to go with an hourly rate or fixed rate. In the vast majority of situations, you will be better off with fixedrate plumbing.
Why Fixed Rate PlumbingIs Advantageous
We all have heard stories about workmen who are paid by the hour and take advantage of the fact by working slower than necessary and sometimes fixing things that aren’t broken. While this isn’t always the case, with fixed rate plumbing you know from the beginning how much the job is going to cost. There is no question about whether a job takes a few hours or much longer. The plumber gives you an estimate of what the job will cost and that’s the rate you pay.
It’s fair to ask, what if there is a simple problem?For example, that faucet that’s been drip, drip, dripping and disturbing your sleep. It may take a skilled plumber a matter of minutes to change out a washer and silence the thing. Many companies offering fixed rate plumbing have “quick fix rates” for those instances when the issue is something super-simple.
Consumers who decide onfixed rate plumbing are really coming out ahead. Show Plumbing offers fixedrate plumbing services. When you have a need for a plumber, give us a call. We have the experience, the skill and the expertise to keep things running smoothly in your home.