limeyangler Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 (edited) hi all, just thought i'd ask....do you think this is fair/right...a plumber recently did some work at our place...he had an 'assistant' with him. This looked like a kid doing his apprenticeship who stood and watched most of the time....only thing is the bill states we are being charged @$59 p/h labour for him on top of the plumber's $80p/h labour charge. The $80 is the going rate for a plumber around here...but i resent having to pay $59 an hour for someone standing there watching /listening and handing the guy wrenches...i could be wrong but i'm pretty sure the kid doesn't get $59 an hour either. Just thought i'd throw this out there...i know there are some plumbers on here...what do you think because i'm apt to argue this with the guy. Edited August 28, 2011 by limeyangler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiel Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 I wouldn't pay it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocoda Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Tell the plumber your not questioning "his" rate but ask to see the credentials of the assistant to justify the other 60 bucks....if he quoted the job and changed his price then thats another issue....if it was a "service call" then you may find yourself at the mercy of his ethics... Good Luck Simon...try and express your views in a respectable mannner to the owner.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Sounds way outta line to me Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbouck Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Gotta remember there are many more costs that need to be included in an hourly rate. Either way you shouldn't be paying for the apprentice. I never charge for a second guy thats on site if he doesn't need to be there and is watching Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daryl0815 Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 that sounds ridiculous, if he wants someone there watching him, it should not be out of your pocket, I bet he was paying the kid minimum wage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limeyangler Posted August 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 try and express your views in a respectable mannner to the owner.. lol...oh dear...my downfall usually when i'm pissed off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 It would only have coast you $21 an hour had you watched the job being done, Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 That's not cool... If it's a job where 2 people are required I'd understand that... But to stand there with hands in his pockets for 59 per hour... I'd be upset too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limeyangler Posted August 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 The general concensus seems to be leaning towards what my instincts were telling me. I should elaborate a bit....sometimes the kid did help out lots...4 hours was pulling up the 220' well line to fix a leak...the guys worked their socks off in 2 feet deep melting snow on our lawn. However...a lot of the time it was a kid watching. I have not had the opportunity to look at the breakdown of the bill, my wife just called me (in tears) to tell me about it...its a couple 1000 more bucks than we have right now.....anyway....thanks for the replies so far...helps me not to go off on a rampage but count to ten so to speak....I LOVE THIS PLACE BTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushart Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 SNOW???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercman Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Snoww!!!! X 2 Cripes, in a couple of weeks yer gonna start posting Ice fishing pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 (edited) lol...oh dear...my downfall usually when i'm pissed off. I could talk to him Simon.I could tell him"my boss likes to hear bad news right away" Not to upset you any further,did you happen to catch the MANU game? Edited August 28, 2011 by Misfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limeyangler Posted August 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 LOL...apparently it takes a while for the bills to come through too. Yeah he did the work over a period of 2 months on and off starting at the beginning of May...yes...we still have plenty of snow in may! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumma Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 If the job required 2 people to pull the well and it takes 2 people to put it back then yea the charge for two people is correct. It is not reasonable to expect them to stop the clock on the helper if he is helping the mechanic as he can. If they showed up to fix a toilet or install a faucet then the helper becomes a student and then he is free. This is normal for all of the trades and just by the nature of work and the expense of using two people on a job it would not be possible to charge by the work minute and be fair to either party. BTW the $80.00 per hour is cheap compared to other places. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limeyangler Posted August 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 If the job required 2 people to pull the well and it takes 2 people to put it back then yea the charge for two people is correct. It is not reasonable to expect them to stop the clock on the helper if he is helping the mechanic as he can. If they showed up to fix a toilet or install a faucet then the helper becomes a student and then he is free. This is normal for all of the trades and just by the nature of work and the expense of using two people on a job it would not be possible to charge by the work minute and be fair to either party. BTW the $80.00 per hour is cheap compared to other places. Art I completely understand and agree that the well was a 2 man job...but 2 guys to fit a switch? as for the $80 being cheap here...yeah...so is housing compared to Toronto...its relative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toca Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Yeah it's normally 200 bucks an hour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Yeah it's normally 200 bucks an hour If a plumber is making $200 per hour why would anyone want to be a doctor... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Sorry to say... but sounds appropriate to me... all trades make $$ off their apprentices. Might have been best to get the job priced.... and not Time and Material (which this sounds like.) I would bicker about it.....to see if you can save a few bucks.. but again this seems fair to me when you use a licensed trade. G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimsbylander Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Did you not get a quote up front? I always ask for a quote and state that ANY work that gets done beyond that must be approved or it would be paid for. That keeps people honest. Jobs don't get dragged out and I don't care if he pays his kid $1000 an hour. Oh, and not verbal quotes - written...quotes with a list of the work to be done and dollar amounts. Any good tradesmen/businessmen has no issue with writing a quote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbouck Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Problem with quotes is that they are much higher because they need to cover their and don't want to lose money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimsbylander Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Problem with quotes is that they are much higher because they need to cover their and don't want to lose money That can happen and if the quote seems high, you can always say no. It's too late after the works done. Go get another quote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toca Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 If a plumber is making $200 per hour why would anyone want to be a doctor... That two hundred bucks an hour is worked out based on his training, knowledge, and expertise. Also if you figure out the cost of expenses, time plus material that should very well cover that trades person. You can pay a guy 60 bucks an hour but when people cheap out and buy the material and the time to get them you are doing the trades person a favor. Sometimes its the luck of the draw by the hour or quote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimace Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Yeah but time and material is a license to print money. Anyways, you can't have an apprentice on a stop watch. So the kid works his arse off for 3 days knee deep in mud and snow and then you cut him off and send him home for the week with half a paycheck. Next week he will be working for someone else. It sounds like a big job was done, in the future if you have big jobs done without quotes, you should periodically 'check in' with the contractor to see what the costs are getting to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 You'd think that with all that money they'd be able to afford a plastic surgeon....specifically a crack specialist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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