I had a new boiler fitted. Do plumbers charge 25% of the cos

badhairday · 12 Feb 2010

I was wondering if it is normal practice for plumbers to charge 25% of the cost of a Stuart Turner pump, as the cost for time taken to purchase the item.

I'm annoyed because the quote I got made no mention of extra charges for weekend work, or a cut of 25% of the cost of the item for taking the time to buy it, or another 25 gbp for work that had not been anticipated.

As far as I am concerned, I have no problem with charging for these things as long all these costs are disclosed when you quote for the job? Maybe I should have been clearer when I requested a quote....I asked how much he charges to fit the pump...

Is this normal practise and I am overreacting, or does it seem underhanded to you?

seco services · 12 Feb 2010

a quote is the price you pay.
an estimate price can alter.

njk · 12 Feb 2010

All these extra charges should have been made clear before he started.
Did he say what extra unforseen work there was?
Was the quote in writing, detailing what was included?

I personally wouldn't be happy to pay these charges, (apart from the extra work if he can justify it). The point of getting quotes is to know what people charge, but that is the way some people get work, cheap quote and add on extras.

Lolli

gas4you · 12 Feb 2010

I think you are right to be annoyed.

I don't know of anyone who charges to pick up the bits they have quoted you to fit

andytheplumber · 12 Feb 2010

Normall charge for any materials brought is 20%. Thats normall buisiness charges.

Gees · 12 Feb 2010

andytheplumber said:
Normall charge for any materials brought is 20%. Thats normall buisiness charges.

I often wonder why this is?
It may be " normal" but WHY?

dextrous · 12 Feb 2010

Time to go and get the parts.
Maybe affects tax returns etc (all financial exchanges go through the books and it takes time fr this to be processed?)

mehran · 12 Feb 2010

If as a business i go out, buy a part, come back and fit it for you... then it goes faulty a week later.

who has to come back and fix it? remember i am selling you something and then charging you to fit it. every that pass through my hands has a cost in time, travel and fulfillment(sorting it out when it goes tits up)

NOW!...every business will have it own way of pricing this in... an i am sure some Muppet will come along saying "i dont add everything on parts" but the plan fact is this get priced in one way or the other...

but what the first post in this topic sounds to be a shady way of doing it

and is wrong(to me at least)...you never know though...the op could be a tight fisted git and this was the only way to get he right money out of him

Agile · 12 Feb 2010

gas4you said:
I don't know of anyone who charges to pick up the bits they have quoted you to fit

Whilst you may not charge to pick up parts, I expect you charge a "retail" price for them.

OP, did you get the quote on the plumber's expectation that it would be done during the week and then you required that it was done at the weekend ?

Tony

namsag · 13 Feb 2010

Always makes me laugh when pros on here say about building into price cost of going back under g`tee...Do you not have faith in your products .

gas4you · 13 Feb 2010

I always charge parts at retail.

It's plain business sense to have to cover yourself for any call backs that may occur.

We are not a charity after all, we run a business, with a business plan and targets, well at least I do.

dextrous · 13 Feb 2010

Maybe after a guarantee of a part you have bought runs out, you should return this extra charge to the customer (explaining "why" to him for your own protection of course).

kitch0978 · 13 Feb 2010

if you don`t like the price, then find someone who will fit parts that YOU source and then you`ll be happy eh? If it breaks within warranty period though, you will have to get another one or sort it out with whomever you got the part from.........thats cheaper but much much more hastle if it does go tits up..... life is about choices! although i agree that you should know full price up front.......

Gasman77 · 13 Feb 2010

I thought you said you had a new boiler fitted?

GrahamT · 13 Feb 2010

Why on earth do customers expect goods supplied at cost? Most plumbers have spent a lot of money over a long period of time with merchants to get good discount and yet how many times do you hear a customer say "Oh, you could probably get better discount if you buy it for me", expecting the saving passed on.

You also get the customer who on completion realises that if they look online they could've got "that pump" for x amount less. What they don't understand is that they are paying for his/her expertise in choosing the right item for the job.

Having said that, all costs should be made clear at quotation unless unexpected "extras" ensue.

Graham

PS. I love customers really.

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I had a new boiler fitted. Do plumbers charge 25% of the cos

dextrous

namsag

dextrous

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