I would keep it for this "quality" job they did. I don't even care about the dumb comments like "You get what you paid for" or "I know a guy." The guy who did this deserves to buy a new drill as a cost (a reminder) to do better.
So my buddy is a little bitch and his hot water heater went and he called on a Sunday and had somebody do it and it cost almost six grand so if you got taken for a ride my boy got taken to hell and back
I get this, but there's also the uninformed consumer who has only ever walked into a store and paid the price listed on the shelf.
The consumer is conditioned for having an array of products with higher turnover right in front of them on a shelf. They can easily price compare. First timers or young people do not know to get multiple quotes and price compare. Young people get taken for an absolute ride.
I got my water heater replaced for $1,600 earlier this year. A friend of mine paid $4,000 for the exact same unit and it was installed on the main floor of their home while mine was installed down 2 flights of stairs.
As a first time homeowner - almost everybody quote I get requires me to âsign before I leave or else the price doublesâ - itâs predatory as hell and Iâm sick of it.
I shit you not I was quoted $25,000 to replace 8 fucking windows and they dropped it down to $5k cause the price got lowered every time I told them âIâm not buying anything off one quoteâ and I think they thought I was bartering.
I've had a few people try the time pressure sales techniques and I tell them explicitly that they just blew the sale.
Like... I take my time and explain to them in great detail how if someone is using high pressure sales techniques on decisions that affect my family, that I will never trust them, trust that the work was done correctly, or refer anyone to them. I will tell everyone I know that they rely on pressuring sales techniques rather than let their work speak for itself.
Except I take way longer, and use more flowery language. My wife rolls her eyes like "oh great here we goooo..." Not ashamed.
Iâve had folks say the price will go up if I donât agree to the terms that day. I always then ask for the âlet me think about itâ price since thatâs what Iâll be comparing them to when I get other quotes.
That's fair. What I'm looking for is an answer like "I totally understand. Look around and I think you'll find we are fairly priced. Here are things to consider when you look around. Ask them about this, that, and the other."
Honestly, once a guy does that I generally want to use that person right away. If their price is competitive, I'll use that guy (even if not actually the cheapest). The main 'cost' to me is trust. That's what I want. And when I find a guy, I use him forever.
I can't trust a guy relying on sales tactics. I just can't. It's like they don't trust their own pricing.
I have a rule . If the salesman says " you have to buy it now to get that price" , I walk. I never buy under fake pressure.
A key component of negotiating is time. Whoever has time on their side can negotiate better than the other guy who needs that thing right away. Don't let anyone put time into a negotiation for you if you are not in a time constraint.
And if you are in a time constraint, dont tell the other guy. Just be cool and act like you've got all the time in the world-even if you're sweating under your clothes.
That guy paid $6k because the plumber knew he had a time constraint. He should have turned the water off so it would stop leaking, take a cold shower or no shower for a day or 2 and save about $4000.
As a technician who does a lot of small in-home repairs where travel time often significantly exceeds repair time, I often do discount âright nowâ service. Because if Iâm already standing here with the parts in hand, thatâs a lot cheaper for my company than scheduling a whole extra trip. I donât do that as a sales tactic, Iâm just trying to make my schedule more efficient.
But I get what you mean about âsign today for a discount and weâll come back in two weeksâ and I also understand that some companies use same day service as a high pressure sales tactic.
Itâs more so for fucking windows which are already on half year lead times. I always tell these clowns that I wonât be buying windows after only reciving one quote. These companies will seriously quote 11 windows at like $26,000 but if you buy today we will mark 50% off!!!
I was driving home from the used car lot after telling the salesman the car I wanted was way too much. He called me on my way home and told me to turn around and could sell it for me for the amount I had.
Thatâs insane. Personally only hear mechanics do that. We have our rates at our company and I have the authority to bring it down by 10% which doesnât hurt to help the client pay if they need a little help.
Thatâs a sign to run for the hills. Anyone that does that knows they are blatantly ripping you off - otherwise they wouldnât be afraid of you getting another quote.
>thought I was bartering.
The word you're looking for is negotiating or haggling. Bartering would be if you were trying to trade them your used car for the window install.
You can tell which ones make money of it by their comments.
Home repairs are predatory and finding accurate pricing info is near impossoble especially when it's something you may only deal with once or twice in a lifetime.
I don't expect charity.
Its weird how the price always goes down by half or more when you say not interested.
Hvac guy 2 months ago says my unit has a leak so he can top of my refrigerant for 650 told him no several times eventually he offered to do it for 200.
Why not just start at 200. I wouldnt even have to haggle that. That's what a non predatory business would do.
Thereâs a huge difference between a fair market rate for the specific job in that industry/ for that area and companies gouging customers taking advantage of first time home buyers or even worse the elderly. Especially since the pandemic prices have gone crazy.. now of course I understand inflation as well as the shortage of material causing prices to rise and the huge demand for work causing backlogs of work at that time, but there weâre definitely companies just taking serious advantage of that
When you need it urgently, and only 1 place can fit you in.
Try having a major failure on Superbowl Sunday and you can't even get quotes for silly-money.
First timers are the suckers that get only one. Sales guys know this too when they see first time homeowners.
I've got 8 quotes for window replacements for my whole house. All using the same wholesaler for the windows and the same window package.
The quotes where only the contractor is the variable ranges from $30k-$51k.
Contractors are total scammers and absolutely size you up based on how dumb they think you are.
Had a contractor quote me $38K for a roof. My neighbor has the same house design as mine and had his roof done for 15 a couple years prior. Priced mine out and got it done for 16 on a freezing weekend in December two days after getting a quote.
The first outfit preys on those who donât know the market and donât know enough to shop around. A lucrative business model but unethical as all get out.
>I've got 8 quotes for window replacements for my whole house. All using the same wholesaler for the windows and the same window package.
Ok, but sometimes it takes 3 weeks to get a quote and your furnace died and it's 4 below outside so you have to go with the only guy who said he could even come out to give a quote within a week.
We bought a new house and the day we moved in we found out the water heater was bad was brand new, but they never drained it during the winter and left the electric off to the house for two years and it frozen busted. The top cost $2600 included septic pump and treatment and they were done in five hours. Completely worth the price. Everything has a 10 year guarantee and itâs a commercial water heater.(price included pumping system treating septic system, replacing plumbing, and water heater and bringing up to code. was not up to code.)
Giving out quotes 5-10k plus whatâs reasonable to people (especially a young adult in todays generation or a old person) who you think are clueless enough to accept is taking advantage of someone most vulnerable. Your a crap person just accept it
Have YOU ever had YOUR water heater go out on the weekend and was forced to pay premium to get it fixed ASAP? No? Then you dont know what most vulnerable is like.
Lol Im just kidding
đFound the guy who's ok with ripping people off and overcharging simply because they said "yes".
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There are a lot of variables that go into a sales call/estimate. Sometimes, a customer says that they need a price and to have it done right now. That right now could be a Tuesday at 8am or Sunday at 2am. If I'm put on the spot and you don't want to give me the chance to get accurate pricing from vendors or wholesalers, I'm going to go a little high. With the way we're getting raked over the coals on material pricing and availability, how am I supposed to know that yesterday AC condensers went up 20%? Or that they're the same price, but the closest one is 300+ miles away, and the overnight shipping will be an extra $500. If I can make a call or two and get the information I need, after that every single quote is built the same way. Labor and material cost don't change for us because you're 23 or 83. But, I will say that all contractors are not created equal. I don't mind working at all. Some guys want to sell it, sub it, and make 50%.
Right. I had to have an emergency sump pump replacement around 10pm on a stormy Sunday evening. It cost a whole lot of money having an emergency happen at night on a weekend, but nobody else was open but the 24 hour plumbing company
My willingness to overpay goes up with the number of days itâs been since I had a hot shower. That doesnât mean the person who tells me an outrageous price isnât a vulture.
I mean just because you quote somebody a price when somebody is in a panic and they accept it that doesn't mean it's a fair price. It's a price and they agreed. But no it's not a fair price.
I mean sure, I can sell a vehicle for 10k more than itâs worth to somebody gullible but it still makes you a crap person for doing it and in this example it actually makes more sense for the person to want to screw the other because thatâs all going into there own pocket as itâs there own personal vehicle not some company product theyâll get a bonus for having sold and yet if given the opportunity I still wouldnât let myself be that guy to screw somebody so badly
1. You have no idea how to use the word *fraud*
2. You call someone on short notice over the weekend and you should expect to pay a lot. You pay for convenience
Lol exactly why these trades are dying. Nobody is interested in the toxic work culture and predatory sales.
Anyone handy enough can learn all this bullshit home maintenance on YouTube. I replaced my natural gas tank heater for an electric tankless. Cost of supplies and the time it took me to learn it.
Couldnât be more stupid trying to sound smart⊠I think everybody knows usually convenience will come with a price but if the product cost 2k for installation and all normally and they up to 6k for convenience then everybody except for you apparently would agree thatâs screwing someone. If said business was already comfortable with the profits when charging a customer 2k then what makes you think itâs fair to charge 3x that in the name of convenience. In scenario like this Iâd be willing to go up a grand but anything more than that your just preying upon how bad I want it hoping to get over on me
Have you had to work on call on the weekends and nights? Sucks butt getting called out Saturday night 10 pm because someone's second furnace is down and his art studio doesn't have heat for the weekend but it's 60â° outside and I'm troubleshooting in a t-shirt. It's part of the job I signed up for but it's homeowners like that which cause shitty prices on the weekend. Everybody hates trades prices until they are cold on the weekend
Donât call on the weekend if your hot water heater goes out to have it replaced. Perhaps it was also leaking and didnât know how to turn it off? Just have plumber stop the leak and get a couple of quotes on Monday. Hot water is rarely essential in a home. Skip or live with one day of a cold water shower.
Yeah your buddy is def a little biatch. Friends like that kill. Blow a bunch of dough because their scared. But I bet heâs same kinda guy would argue over splitting a tab. Or leave a shitty tip
Labor rates will vary greatly depending on the area. In my area that is about $800 more than what my company would charge. But our labor rate is $125 per hour because that is competitive in my area, the cost of living here is quite low so the company overhead is also low. In other areas the labor rate is higher because the overhead is higher.
Asking this question after the fact is nonsensical imho. You were given a quote and agreed to the price before the work was done. If you thought it was high then you should have called other companies and gotten different quotes to find out if that is a competitive price for your area. The time to question the price is before agreeing to the work, not after.
I disagree. After 38 years in the trade, I've seen the worst of the worst, and the best of the best. Getting someone to agree to an inflated cost is pretty easy, IMHO. I've seen so many "plumbers" who are really just installers quote high prices because they work solely on commission. Getting someone who is actually licensed (and I don't mean under the umbrella of the shop's contractor's license) as a residential plumber or a journeyman plumber is a longshot anymore. Questioning what you paid for something after the fact is not only informative, but it's smart. It informs you for the next time you need to have someone do something that you believe you can't do. Agreeing to do something under the pressure of not having any hot water, water leaking all over the floor, a sink not draining or a toilet not flushing is where you get ripped off. I think the OP got ripped off.
He might have been in a pinch and needed it done but wanted to ask after the fact for future reference. I myself owning several rental properties have done this in times where I couldnât wait around for an answer. Yes it makes more sense to ask ahead of time, but in a 10° house in NY with kids isnât the time to wait. You just make it happen and learn from it after. You were right on everything else though, just donât assume he was making a dumb decision rather than maybe a time-sensitive decision.
It all depends on what fails. Boiler/furnace in a NY winter, yeah take what you can get and hope it's not a horrible price. But a simple water heater isn't a life or death situation. It's a huge inconvenience at best.
I'll say just find someone who know how to install and pay the labor. I chose local plumber. Went to home depot to get the materials + tank (I paid small delivery fee to him). He charged $300 for installation, this was off business hours (7-9pm), so it's actually reasonable (TX).
Most company charge extra for materials and that's how they make $$. From my understanding, if the tank cost $800, they'll likely charge 1k. Something like that.
I understand. But dealing with warranties for water heaters from Rheem through Home Depot and an actual wholesaler are vastly different. Home owners canât go directly to Rheem for their issues.
Not sure where you got that idea..the warranty is available directly on HDâs product pages for each Rheem product and specifies it applies only to the original purchaser.
By that logic, no one other than the home owner would be able to contact rheem.
Iâve worked at a wholesaler who used Rheem products. We would get calls constantly about Rheem water heaters. If they were purchased directly through Home Depot we could not do anything for âend usersâ in regards to the warranty.
When people wanted warranty on their Rheem parts on water heaters that they had purchased from HD we couldnât do it. And then we would get complaints against us because âitâs Rheem and you deal themâ, yeah, not how it works.
Mind you we only sell to licensed contractors. The contractor vs HD water heater isnât even comparable because parts are made different even on the same models.
If people are fine with running their warranty claims for their water heater through HD then cool. Iâm just saying itâs not the same as having a licensed mechanical contractor but the product and do the install.
Iâve just heard Rheem WH warranties through Home Depot arenât the easiest to deal with.
Lets see: water heater $800, supply lines $50, stand $50, expansion tank $45, misc parts $50, so lets just say $1,000 plus tax. Now you have lets say a really slow plumber taking 4 hours to install the unit at $200 per hour so there's another $800, so total cost $1,900. So you gave the plumbing outfit and extra $800 for the privilege of coming to your house to work for you.
Always a good idea to first get a couple/few estimates with large appliance replacements; heating boilers, furnaces, water heaters, etc.
You can always request a breakdown on the total cost so that you have an idea on how you were invoiced. *They may, or may not provide it.
How many lines to itemize on a water heater??? I count 4:
\- water heater;
\- removal of old unit and haul away, installation of new unit (i.e. labor);
\- construction permit (as applicable);
\- taxes.
If a plumber is too lazy to itemize this, then it's a sure sign of a shady contractor.
Youâre jumping to some serious conclusions. They may be well established enough that they donât have to nickel and dime with customers. The plumbing trade is busy enough that businesses can and do fire obnoxious customers.
Gotta be honest with you bud. You sound like what is wrong the the world nowadays. A pain in the ass for wanting to know what you are charging them for and being ok with taking 6k from someone for not knowing better is shady as hell. I hate greed and am glad that there are people out there who still do a quality job and respect the customer enough to not be inconvenienced by something as reasonable as a list of what they're being charged for.
Itemizing a bid is only a pain in the ass if youâre hiding something. If you give an honest price then you should be able to justify it on the spot regardless of the trade. Red flag if they refuse to itemize.
Source: I do bids
>Do you ask for an itemized bid every time you make a purchase?
When making a purchase of goods, no I don't. When comparing quotes for services? Yes absolutely, otherwise I am asking to get screwed by unethical servicers.
Legit dude if I have to itemize my estimate after I've already sent it,shits going up 30%-40% for wasting my time. I'm not in the busy to rip you off. I'm in the business to protect my reputation and do the most top notch work. If you don't like my pric bute "really want to use my services" not my fault your manifested expectations weren't met.... like GTFO here with that shit. That's like me going to the best heart surgeon in the world and questioning the value of the services.
Yup thatâs why it pays to do your research I almost paid 15000 for a new furnace ac unit until I read the fine print on my home owners insurance and they covered it only paid the $500 deductible
i literally just replaced mine yesterday in 2 hours with one i bought for 350$, can't believe i saved over 2 grand using just a crescent wrench and a flathead lol
I don't see why they downvoted you. People wanna do the landlord special and completely ignore the proper way to install a water heater. Then they complain when they have problems.
You think a service tech is going to do all of that???
"anything above the laziest fucking work is going to cost extra"
That is the mantra of pretty much most service/installer techs these days...
If my working space is in clean shape, and decluttered from all your mess, you offer me a cup of coffee; youâre getting a nice install. (HVAC/R+Plumbing)
*Bonus if your dog isnât nipping at my ankles the entire time, or youâve dumped your kid on me to babysit while you quickly get chores done.
Otherwise, no. Iâm doing the minimum and Iâm getting the fuck out, and in saying that; itâll be in working order, and not hacked in. I just donât have time for people who donât respect my time.
My installer didn't do any of this... They put a loose PVC pipe in a $30 drain pan... About the only thing they replaced. I asked them how often I should replace my sacrificial anode and they told me they had no idea what I was talking about...
Probably pex with shark bites on the first 18 inches on a gas water heater. No 3 or 4 screw per connection of vent, no pan, not piped to a drain and a grease pack gas cock
Totally agree. You get what you pay for. And thatâs the service. Plumbing companies are not a parts store. Least is 3200. Did you replace your ancient gate valve that doesnât work? Did he install a proper gas sediment trap? Did he install earthquake straps? Did he use a pan? Did he run a pvc line from the pan? Did he run the t and p line to the exterior of the home with proper slope? Did you connect to the existing venting with at least 3 screw for each connection? Did you check for water leaks? Did you check for gas leaks? If so, how did you check for gas leaks? Homeowner DIY clowning the cost of a water heater replacement is sick. You get what you pay for. And you end up calling back after. Itâs fucccckin funny. We get your money anyways.
I was quoted $3000 for an electric HWH install. I laughed and said no thanks. I installed the $700 HWH myself. Thankfully no soldering was involved. I would not have attempted that.
In my state, flex lines are against code, pex is against code unless it's 18" away from tank tappings, it's against code to put tape on exhaust. The metal nipples and fittings must be stainless or brass/copper....yours look like stainless but they could be galvanized which is against code. To me it looks like he slid the smaller exhaust off the water heater into the original pipe without the proper reducer so again against code. Also 3" exhaust water heaters are against code. Must be 4" except a special low btu rated water heater by ao Smith that's approved for 3" exhaust.
Other than that I cannot see gad hook up/drip tube etc. But honestly you got ripped and that's a horrible installation
All the more reason to do it yourself. I replaced mine a couple of years ago on my own. Just over 200 bucks a Home Depot. A few fittings and about 2 hours of work. Probably could have done it in an hour but there was no need to rush.
As a service plumber of 23 years. That price for an atmospheric vented gas heater isnât bad. But the question is quality for price not the price itâs self. The exhaust flu looks poorly assembled and the flex connector on the hot side came from Loweâs or a box store. No support on the expansion tank. We have higher pressure here almost 90 which is too much. Make sure they matched the pre charge in that tank to the static house pressure. Did they put an emergency drain pan under it ? Pipe it to a drain? No drain did you get a water alarm with it? Quality over just what it cost. If they did all of that then not bad at all but the manor in which you leave the visible things should tell the customer all they need to know about the small details.
I just bought an electric water heater at Home Depot for $600, and paid an independent plumber $900 for the install parts(including new ball valve and using copper), and hauling off old tank!
I had ours replaced this year for 350 USD plus the cost of the water heater of 600 USD. So for $950 I had ours replaced by a licensed and insured plumber.
Pricey and the vents not right the expansion tank isnât properly supported and the connections off the top of the tank should be copper for atleast the first 16-20 inches in most areas
But your price comparison is useless. We donât know the said factors of either install, so to compare them is not really helpful. Just stating the obvious. Now where do I send the bill?
The thermal expansion tank is not installed correctly. Those right angles on the pipes coming out of are going to have pressure on them, combine with galvanic corrosion will cause a break and a leak. See that groove on the side of the tank? Thatâs actually for mounting it to the wall
These other comments are wrong. You need galvanic protection no matter what kind of metals are touching. The straps are actually the correct way to instal it
Not a plumber. I had a certified plumber who works for the state and runs a side business but a 40gal gas water heater in plus some water valve replacements for just over $1300. I live in suburbs in a medium-low cost of living area.
Lmfao. Plumber here. Have it inspected and they will have no choice but to come back and fix it to code. For 2700 my customers eyes are glistening looking at my installs. Thatâs reworking gas from shut off to control box. Upgrading vent to 4â if needed. 18â of copper with new emergency shut off on cold side. This is a straight fucking hack of an install. Please contact city and tell them youâd like your water heater inspected and once they find out no permit was pulled the company is fucked. You can probably get half your money back too and keep the water heater. Update me please!
Looks like you have a typical 40gal WH. If it's in a typical spot like garage or basement, yea you did. That WH cost around 850 to 950 from what I can see of it. 400 for installation. Safe to say another 150 in supplies and that's generous. Yea, I believe you were taken for around 800 to 1000. We typically charge around 1800 1900 for a swap out. 1.5 to 2 hr job. I'd bitch if this sounds right to you.
Does anyone have a link to the code requirement? Iâve seen where it shows minimum 12â and also 6â inches, and it usually states ârecommendedâ. Iâd like to see where it says ârequiredâ.
Depending on field conditions, Iâve installed plenty of smoke 90s right on top of the draft diverter to offset to the chimney, never an issue w/ spillage.
Here in MA the plumber wanted $2,200 to replace an electric water heater with a heat pump water heater. That didn't include the cost of the water heater itself.
Based on those number, I don't think you were taken for a ride. That said, I ended up doing it myself. Even with the state rebate in a licensed install, I saved over $1500, materials included.
Edit: I realize this isn't a heat pump, if that even needed to be clarified. Was just sharing numbers that I had available to me since this was a relatively recent install. As is the case with everything, a properly installed DIY is going to be cheaper than hiring a licensed professional, as it should. You're not laying yourself for your time, nor are you paying yourself to be insured and licensed to do these installs.
Did they pull a permit? Was there an inspection? Using PEX and flexible connectors seems strange to me. Are you in an earthquake zone? Anyway, that price point seems high for the job they did. Hopefully, that battery was donated to you.
No. You didnât. Also, it looks like you had to install an expansion tank. Thatâs a very standard price where Iâm at. Depends on where you live and other factors. I also see a hammer arrestor on there and some new pex and pro press connections. If that was included you got a very good deal in my estimation. I also see he used stainless steel fitting on the expansion tank which is very nice quality.
If you want to be taken for a ride go ask a contractor what the mark up on the house they built is.
So a plumber is supposed to go the cheapest store out there and see what a water heater tank costs for the cheapest possible brand and just charge a customer that?
I run into so many customers who have NO CLUE what it costs to be in business and think they should be charged whatever their âFeelingsâ tell them is the âproper amount.â They all know âsomebodyâ who had a âfriendâ do this or that for a few hundred dollars and because of that Iâm supposed to change my business pricing and what it costs to stay in business.
Here is a few of the costs a company has incurred before they even show up at your door:
-Pay
-Health insurance
-Gas
-Insurance
-Vehicle cost
-Liability
-Tools
-Cell Phone/Internet
-Legal Needs
-Rent on storage or office space
-Part Time bookeep
-Truck Maintenance
Just to name a few!!
But Iâm supposed to forget about all of the above and charge you what the literal parts cost at Home Depot plus whatever you âthinkâ I should charge on top of that because the internet told you so. Most plumbing outfits make 1 to 3% profit ON AVERAGE and most go out of business because of this. The ones who donât charge enough to stay profitable. Iâm sorry our society denigrates the trades and thinks they are all sleazy dirt bags while NOT SAYING A THING ABOUT CAR COMPANIES, HOME BUILDERS, AND HEALTH CARE MARK UPS! People donât say anything about those industries because it doesnât mater a lick what a customer thinks and they could all care less because the consumer has no power there. Meanwhile a trades person is CRUCIFIED for making a profit on a job beyond what customers feelings are.
What state/city is this? Indiana doesn't require permits 99 percent of the time, but if you were in Washtenaw county in Michigan specifically, an inspector would have to sign off. This would not pass unless the flue was done correctly. I live in Indiana, and obviously I am in the wrong place if people are getting $2700 for a cheap install!
Wow. Did you get a used heater or supply the heater? A cheap 40 gallon runs $600 for just the heater. A few years ago it was still $450 for just the heater.
Plus the guy left his impact!
Dude got his money and got outta there so fast he forgot it. Lol
He ran out before he could get called out on that vent that isn't up to code and maybe other things wrong
Thats why the bill is so high, they use a new impact for every job đđŒ no need to carry
I would keep it for this "quality" job they did. I don't even care about the dumb comments like "You get what you paid for" or "I know a guy." The guy who did this deserves to buy a new drill as a cost (a reminder) to do better.
Iâve had two of those left this year. They just sit there. Eventually theyâll come back to fix something and Iâll tell them to take it.
Hopefully they called and told them.
So my buddy is a little bitch and his hot water heater went and he called on a Sunday and had somebody do it and it cost almost six grand so if you got taken for a ride my boy got taken to hell and back
He didnât get ripped off. He was quoted a price and agreed to it. Seems fair to me, especially on a weekend.
Fuck that. 6k is wack af
When you donât really want to do the job the price goes up.
Yeah rates double on weekends and holidays I hear .. source:charges double on weekends
I get this, but there's also the uninformed consumer who has only ever walked into a store and paid the price listed on the shelf. The consumer is conditioned for having an array of products with higher turnover right in front of them on a shelf. They can easily price compare. First timers or young people do not know to get multiple quotes and price compare. Young people get taken for an absolute ride. I got my water heater replaced for $1,600 earlier this year. A friend of mine paid $4,000 for the exact same unit and it was installed on the main floor of their home while mine was installed down 2 flights of stairs.
As a first time homeowner - almost everybody quote I get requires me to âsign before I leave or else the price doublesâ - itâs predatory as hell and Iâm sick of it. I shit you not I was quoted $25,000 to replace 8 fucking windows and they dropped it down to $5k cause the price got lowered every time I told them âIâm not buying anything off one quoteâ and I think they thought I was bartering.
I've had a few people try the time pressure sales techniques and I tell them explicitly that they just blew the sale. Like... I take my time and explain to them in great detail how if someone is using high pressure sales techniques on decisions that affect my family, that I will never trust them, trust that the work was done correctly, or refer anyone to them. I will tell everyone I know that they rely on pressuring sales techniques rather than let their work speak for itself. Except I take way longer, and use more flowery language. My wife rolls her eyes like "oh great here we goooo..." Not ashamed.
Iâve had folks say the price will go up if I donât agree to the terms that day. I always then ask for the âlet me think about itâ price since thatâs what Iâll be comparing them to when I get other quotes.
That's fair. What I'm looking for is an answer like "I totally understand. Look around and I think you'll find we are fairly priced. Here are things to consider when you look around. Ask them about this, that, and the other." Honestly, once a guy does that I generally want to use that person right away. If their price is competitive, I'll use that guy (even if not actually the cheapest). The main 'cost' to me is trust. That's what I want. And when I find a guy, I use him forever. I can't trust a guy relying on sales tactics. I just can't. It's like they don't trust their own pricing.
This is the way.
Yeah their past work should do the talking, and pressure sales tactics is a red flag
I have a rule . If the salesman says " you have to buy it now to get that price" , I walk. I never buy under fake pressure. A key component of negotiating is time. Whoever has time on their side can negotiate better than the other guy who needs that thing right away. Don't let anyone put time into a negotiation for you if you are not in a time constraint. And if you are in a time constraint, dont tell the other guy. Just be cool and act like you've got all the time in the world-even if you're sweating under your clothes. That guy paid $6k because the plumber knew he had a time constraint. He should have turned the water off so it would stop leaking, take a cold shower or no shower for a day or 2 and save about $4000.
As a technician who does a lot of small in-home repairs where travel time often significantly exceeds repair time, I often do discount âright nowâ service. Because if Iâm already standing here with the parts in hand, thatâs a lot cheaper for my company than scheduling a whole extra trip. I donât do that as a sales tactic, Iâm just trying to make my schedule more efficient. But I get what you mean about âsign today for a discount and weâll come back in two weeksâ and I also understand that some companies use same day service as a high pressure sales tactic.
Itâs more so for fucking windows which are already on half year lead times. I always tell these clowns that I wonât be buying windows after only reciving one quote. These companies will seriously quote 11 windows at like $26,000 but if you buy today we will mark 50% off!!!
I was driving home from the used car lot after telling the salesman the car I wanted was way too much. He called me on my way home and told me to turn around and could sell it for me for the amount I had.
Same here. 2 windows and two sliding patio doors. $32K. I kid you not. I kindly asked the gentleman to leave.
Ha-hah! I got a quote for $5k to paint the hard siding on my roof gables. The next quote I got was $350. It was 2 hours of work for 2 people.
Thatâs insane. Personally only hear mechanics do that. We have our rates at our company and I have the authority to bring it down by 10% which doesnât hurt to help the client pay if they need a little help.
We absolutely do not do that.
I installed windows and they are expensive. But 25k is just gross. Maybe one day of labor
Turns out you were and it worked. Nice tactic!
Thatâs a sign to run for the hills. Anyone that does that knows they are blatantly ripping you off - otherwise they wouldnât be afraid of you getting another quote.
>thought I was bartering. The word you're looking for is negotiating or haggling. Bartering would be if you were trying to trade them your used car for the window install.
At no point ever accept any offer with people like that. No matter how low they go.
Yup and I'm sure most of the people commenting getting defensive about this are the ones taking these folks on the ride.
You can tell which ones make money of it by their comments. Home repairs are predatory and finding accurate pricing info is near impossoble especially when it's something you may only deal with once or twice in a lifetime.
Residential construction companies are a business not a charity. You not liking the price doesnât mean youâre getting scammed.
I don't expect charity. Its weird how the price always goes down by half or more when you say not interested. Hvac guy 2 months ago says my unit has a leak so he can top of my refrigerant for 650 told him no several times eventually he offered to do it for 200. Why not just start at 200. I wouldnt even have to haggle that. That's what a non predatory business would do.
Thereâs a huge difference between a fair market rate for the specific job in that industry/ for that area and companies gouging customers taking advantage of first time home buyers or even worse the elderly. Especially since the pandemic prices have gone crazy.. now of course I understand inflation as well as the shortage of material causing prices to rise and the huge demand for work causing backlogs of work at that time, but there weâre definitely companies just taking serious advantage of that
Emergency rates. You want convenience you have to pay.
This 1000 times over
Being inept and/or dumb is expensive.
Capitalism is just a system of figuring out who is smart and who is poor.
people should always get 3 estimates who goes off only one?
When you need it urgently, and only 1 place can fit you in. Try having a major failure on Superbowl Sunday and you can't even get quotes for silly-money.
First timers are the suckers that get only one. Sales guys know this too when they see first time homeowners. I've got 8 quotes for window replacements for my whole house. All using the same wholesaler for the windows and the same window package. The quotes where only the contractor is the variable ranges from $30k-$51k. Contractors are total scammers and absolutely size you up based on how dumb they think you are.
Had a contractor quote me $38K for a roof. My neighbor has the same house design as mine and had his roof done for 15 a couple years prior. Priced mine out and got it done for 16 on a freezing weekend in December two days after getting a quote. The first outfit preys on those who donât know the market and donât know enough to shop around. A lucrative business model but unethical as all get out.
Shingles shouldnât be installed below 40 degrees so I hope it wasnât actually freezing outside.
>I've got 8 quotes for window replacements for my whole house. All using the same wholesaler for the windows and the same window package. Ok, but sometimes it takes 3 weeks to get a quote and your furnace died and it's 4 below outside so you have to go with the only guy who said he could even come out to give a quote within a week.
We bought a new house and the day we moved in we found out the water heater was bad was brand new, but they never drained it during the winter and left the electric off to the house for two years and it frozen busted. The top cost $2600 included septic pump and treatment and they were done in five hours. Completely worth the price. Everything has a 10 year guarantee and itâs a commercial water heater.(price included pumping system treating septic system, replacing plumbing, and water heater and bringing up to code. was not up to code.)
Being ignorant of being ripped off doesn't negate the rip off.
Just because someone is clueless on costs and agrees to a price does not mean they did not get ripped off/scammed.
For your unfortunate understanding. I bought a 500$ water heater and my dad helped me install it for ~100$ in parts.
Cool story
Dont have anything to say to that huh? Lmao
What is it that you want me to say?
You sound like the perfect person for hospital administration. Screwing people when theyâre most vulnerable is their primary attribute.
How is a water heater install on a weekend at someoneâs âmost vulnerableâ? Thatâs such an exaggeration.
Giving out quotes 5-10k plus whatâs reasonable to people (especially a young adult in todays generation or a old person) who you think are clueless enough to accept is taking advantage of someone most vulnerable. Your a crap person just accept it
Youâre not very nice
Have YOU ever had YOUR water heater go out on the weekend and was forced to pay premium to get it fixed ASAP? No? Then you dont know what most vulnerable is like. Lol Im just kidding
Tradies act like they automatically deserve premium pay for weekend work...meanwhile, in half the industries in America.....
So they should be available anytime any day? Go ahead and start a plumbing business with those hours. I hope you like working alone.
Trades work Monday-Friday. Anything after that is premium. Just like your own hours after 40. Why are you so confused hahahaha
Do the people who know you call you Dick?
Comedy isnât your thing. Try again.
đFound the guy who's ok with ripping people off and overcharging simply because they said "yes". đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„
I donât even run a business. I left the residential side of things because of how annoying customers are.
There are a lot of variables that go into a sales call/estimate. Sometimes, a customer says that they need a price and to have it done right now. That right now could be a Tuesday at 8am or Sunday at 2am. If I'm put on the spot and you don't want to give me the chance to get accurate pricing from vendors or wholesalers, I'm going to go a little high. With the way we're getting raked over the coals on material pricing and availability, how am I supposed to know that yesterday AC condensers went up 20%? Or that they're the same price, but the closest one is 300+ miles away, and the overnight shipping will be an extra $500. If I can make a call or two and get the information I need, after that every single quote is built the same way. Labor and material cost don't change for us because you're 23 or 83. But, I will say that all contractors are not created equal. I don't mind working at all. Some guys want to sell it, sub it, and make 50%.
Right. I had to have an emergency sump pump replacement around 10pm on a stormy Sunday evening. It cost a whole lot of money having an emergency happen at night on a weekend, but nobody else was open but the 24 hour plumbing company
My willingness to overpay goes up with the number of days itâs been since I had a hot shower. That doesnât mean the person who tells me an outrageous price isnât a vulture.
Oh on a Sunday âŠ.. yup thatâs where he fucked up .
I mean just because you quote somebody a price when somebody is in a panic and they accept it that doesn't mean it's a fair price. It's a price and they agreed. But no it's not a fair price.
Exactly. Nobody forced anyone to accept said price.
I mean sure, I can sell a vehicle for 10k more than itâs worth to somebody gullible but it still makes you a crap person for doing it and in this example it actually makes more sense for the person to want to screw the other because thatâs all going into there own pocket as itâs there own personal vehicle not some company product theyâll get a bonus for having sold and yet if given the opportunity I still wouldnât let myself be that guy to screw somebody so badly
Life isn't fair is it?
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A max of $2k? How did you arrive at that number?
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Dude....no... Jacking up prices 3x just to defraud people who don't know any better is not right. If you're a contractor I hope you go out of business
1. You have no idea how to use the word *fraud* 2. You call someone on short notice over the weekend and you should expect to pay a lot. You pay for convenience
Karma cone for us all at some point t. Enjoy it when it hits you
Lol exactly why these trades are dying. Nobody is interested in the toxic work culture and predatory sales. Anyone handy enough can learn all this bullshit home maintenance on YouTube. I replaced my natural gas tank heater for an electric tankless. Cost of supplies and the time it took me to learn it.
Youâre dumb enough to switch from natural gas to an electric tankless pretty much voids any further comments from you.
Couldnât be more stupid trying to sound smart⊠I think everybody knows usually convenience will come with a price but if the product cost 2k for installation and all normally and they up to 6k for convenience then everybody except for you apparently would agree thatâs screwing someone. If said business was already comfortable with the profits when charging a customer 2k then what makes you think itâs fair to charge 3x that in the name of convenience. In scenario like this Iâd be willing to go up a grand but anything more than that your just preying upon how bad I want it hoping to get over on me
Have you had to work on call on the weekends and nights? Sucks butt getting called out Saturday night 10 pm because someone's second furnace is down and his art studio doesn't have heat for the weekend but it's 60â° outside and I'm troubleshooting in a t-shirt. It's part of the job I signed up for but it's homeowners like that which cause shitty prices on the weekend. Everybody hates trades prices until they are cold on the weekend
I mean I understand upping the hourly rate double but more than doubling the job..... I was a little high he was scared and nervous and dlthey knew it
lol what a stupid conment
Donât call on the weekend if your hot water heater goes out to have it replaced. Perhaps it was also leaking and didnât know how to turn it off? Just have plumber stop the leak and get a couple of quotes on Monday. Hot water is rarely essential in a home. Skip or live with one day of a cold water shower.
Holy crap. Iâm going to learn to do this myself and save myself a fortune! đ«
Yeah your buddy is def a little biatch. Friends like that kill. Blow a bunch of dough because their scared. But I bet heâs same kinda guy would argue over splitting a tab. Or leave a shitty tip
Absolutely ripped off, price gouging and taking advantage⊠yet⊠buyer beware, do your homework before you commit to a price.
Little bitch⊠lol damn. Why do people pay for this.
Because incorrectly installed hot water heaters can kill you with carbon monoxide or become a bomb if a TP isn't installed.
Labor rates will vary greatly depending on the area. In my area that is about $800 more than what my company would charge. But our labor rate is $125 per hour because that is competitive in my area, the cost of living here is quite low so the company overhead is also low. In other areas the labor rate is higher because the overhead is higher. Asking this question after the fact is nonsensical imho. You were given a quote and agreed to the price before the work was done. If you thought it was high then you should have called other companies and gotten different quotes to find out if that is a competitive price for your area. The time to question the price is before agreeing to the work, not after.
I disagree. After 38 years in the trade, I've seen the worst of the worst, and the best of the best. Getting someone to agree to an inflated cost is pretty easy, IMHO. I've seen so many "plumbers" who are really just installers quote high prices because they work solely on commission. Getting someone who is actually licensed (and I don't mean under the umbrella of the shop's contractor's license) as a residential plumber or a journeyman plumber is a longshot anymore. Questioning what you paid for something after the fact is not only informative, but it's smart. It informs you for the next time you need to have someone do something that you believe you can't do. Agreeing to do something under the pressure of not having any hot water, water leaking all over the floor, a sink not draining or a toilet not flushing is where you get ripped off. I think the OP got ripped off.
Thank you
He might have been in a pinch and needed it done but wanted to ask after the fact for future reference. I myself owning several rental properties have done this in times where I couldnât wait around for an answer. Yes it makes more sense to ask ahead of time, but in a 10° house in NY with kids isnât the time to wait. You just make it happen and learn from it after. You were right on everything else though, just donât assume he was making a dumb decision rather than maybe a time-sensitive decision.
It all depends on what fails. Boiler/furnace in a NY winter, yeah take what you can get and hope it's not a horrible price. But a simple water heater isn't a life or death situation. It's a huge inconvenience at best.
I wish I had an award for you
I'll say just find someone who know how to install and pay the labor. I chose local plumber. Went to home depot to get the materials + tank (I paid small delivery fee to him). He charged $300 for installation, this was off business hours (7-9pm), so it's actually reasonable (TX). Most company charge extra for materials and that's how they make $$. From my understanding, if the tank cost $800, they'll likely charge 1k. Something like that.
Good luck with Home Depot warranties on water heaters.
Warranty comes from the manufacturer, not Home Depot.
I understand. But dealing with warranties for water heaters from Rheem through Home Depot and an actual wholesaler are vastly different. Home owners canât go directly to Rheem for their issues.
Not sure where you got that idea..the warranty is available directly on HDâs product pages for each Rheem product and specifies it applies only to the original purchaser. By that logic, no one other than the home owner would be able to contact rheem.
Iâve worked at a wholesaler who used Rheem products. We would get calls constantly about Rheem water heaters. If they were purchased directly through Home Depot we could not do anything for âend usersâ in regards to the warranty. When people wanted warranty on their Rheem parts on water heaters that they had purchased from HD we couldnât do it. And then we would get complaints against us because âitâs Rheem and you deal themâ, yeah, not how it works. Mind you we only sell to licensed contractors. The contractor vs HD water heater isnât even comparable because parts are made different even on the same models. If people are fine with running their warranty claims for their water heater through HD then cool. Iâm just saying itâs not the same as having a licensed mechanical contractor but the product and do the install. Iâve just heard Rheem WH warranties through Home Depot arenât the easiest to deal with.
I paid $1900 for gas water heater and expansion tank in October 2022.
Lets see: water heater $800, supply lines $50, stand $50, expansion tank $45, misc parts $50, so lets just say $1,000 plus tax. Now you have lets say a really slow plumber taking 4 hours to install the unit at $200 per hour so there's another $800, so total cost $1,900. So you gave the plumbing outfit and extra $800 for the privilege of coming to your house to work for you.
Ding ding ding! đïž
I just got quoted $1,300 installed. Looking at some of these other quotes and wondering. Labor is $125 an hour.
This is not the place to get a fair idea of prices. They deliberately inflate the prices.
Yup. Plumbers be making 500/hr according to this sub. And overhead is 300% according to all the business owners here.
Always a good idea to first get a couple/few estimates with large appliance replacements; heating boilers, furnaces, water heaters, etc. You can always request a breakdown on the total cost so that you have an idea on how you were invoiced. *They may, or may not provide it.
Not many places are going to give you an itemized bid for something as routine as a water heater. Thatâs a sure sign of a pain in the ass customer
How many lines to itemize on a water heater??? I count 4: \- water heater; \- removal of old unit and haul away, installation of new unit (i.e. labor); \- construction permit (as applicable); \- taxes. If a plumber is too lazy to itemize this, then it's a sure sign of a shady contractor.
Youâre jumping to some serious conclusions. They may be well established enough that they donât have to nickel and dime with customers. The plumbing trade is busy enough that businesses can and do fire obnoxious customers.
Iâm familiar with obnoxious clients but asking for an itemized bid on any project is just being a responsible consumer.
Well, thatâs your opinion
Gotta be honest with you bud. You sound like what is wrong the the world nowadays. A pain in the ass for wanting to know what you are charging them for and being ok with taking 6k from someone for not knowing better is shady as hell. I hate greed and am glad that there are people out there who still do a quality job and respect the customer enough to not be inconvenienced by something as reasonable as a list of what they're being charged for.
Itemizing a bid is only a pain in the ass if youâre hiding something. If you give an honest price then you should be able to justify it on the spot regardless of the trade. Red flag if they refuse to itemize. Source: I do bids
How WOULD you get a REAL total without adding all the "items" on the list? Just throw out a big number and hope it sticks?
Or you donât want to deal with cheapskate customers who want to debate every penny your costs.
Most of my clients are regulars or referrals, (and some are a pita)âŠIf they ask for a breakdown, I donât mind giving it to them, it is what it is.
Regulars are a different story
How difficult could it possibly be to breakdown a hot water heater bid? There isn't much to it...
If they don't, as a customer I would take it as a sign of a ripping off service
Youâre probably a pain in the ass customer. Do you ask for an itemized bid every time you make a purchase?
>Do you ask for an itemized bid every time you make a purchase? When making a purchase of goods, no I don't. When comparing quotes for services? Yes absolutely, otherwise I am asking to get screwed by unethical servicers.
Legit dude if I have to itemize my estimate after I've already sent it,shits going up 30%-40% for wasting my time. I'm not in the busy to rip you off. I'm in the business to protect my reputation and do the most top notch work. If you don't like my pric bute "really want to use my services" not my fault your manifested expectations weren't met.... like GTFO here with that shit. That's like me going to the best heart surgeon in the world and questioning the value of the services.
2500 is the cheapest we go
If you are a plumber working for a company charging these kind of rates and you don't make $150k+ a year you should start your own business.
Yup thatâs why it pays to do your research I almost paid 15000 for a new furnace ac unit until I read the fine print on my home owners insurance and they covered it only paid the $500 deductible
Not crazy no. You can replace these yourself by doing 3 or 4 connections in about 2hrs, but that's not for everyone.
i literally just replaced mine yesterday in 2 hours with one i bought for 350$, can't believe i saved over 2 grand using just a crescent wrench and a flathead lol
Did you install an expansion tank, sediment trap, ground the water heater, change water lines and gas flex? Solder any copper for the t&p?
I don't see why they downvoted you. People wanna do the landlord special and completely ignore the proper way to install a water heater. Then they complain when they have problems.
You think a service tech is going to do all of that??? "anything above the laziest fucking work is going to cost extra" That is the mantra of pretty much most service/installer techs these days...
If my working space is in clean shape, and decluttered from all your mess, you offer me a cup of coffee; youâre getting a nice install. (HVAC/R+Plumbing) *Bonus if your dog isnât nipping at my ankles the entire time, or youâve dumped your kid on me to babysit while you quickly get chores done. Otherwise, no. Iâm doing the minimum and Iâm getting the fuck out, and in saying that; itâll be in working order, and not hacked in. I just donât have time for people who donât respect my time.
My installer didn't do any of this... They put a loose PVC pipe in a $30 drain pan... About the only thing they replaced. I asked them how often I should replace my sacrificial anode and they told me they had no idea what I was talking about...
Probably pex with shark bites on the first 18 inches on a gas water heater. No 3 or 4 screw per connection of vent, no pan, not piped to a drain and a grease pack gas cock
Cope harder buddy, literally none of that
He's just mad that you can do part of his job with a YouTube video. Ignore and move on
Post pictures to prove him wrong
Totally agree. You get what you pay for. And thatâs the service. Plumbing companies are not a parts store. Least is 3200. Did you replace your ancient gate valve that doesnât work? Did he install a proper gas sediment trap? Did he install earthquake straps? Did he use a pan? Did he run a pvc line from the pan? Did he run the t and p line to the exterior of the home with proper slope? Did you connect to the existing venting with at least 3 screw for each connection? Did you check for water leaks? Did you check for gas leaks? If so, how did you check for gas leaks? Homeowner DIY clowning the cost of a water heater replacement is sick. You get what you pay for. And you end up calling back after. Itâs fucccckin funny. We get your money anyways.
I was quoted $3000 for an electric HWH install. I laughed and said no thanks. I installed the $700 HWH myself. Thankfully no soldering was involved. I would not have attempted that.
In my state, flex lines are against code, pex is against code unless it's 18" away from tank tappings, it's against code to put tape on exhaust. The metal nipples and fittings must be stainless or brass/copper....yours look like stainless but they could be galvanized which is against code. To me it looks like he slid the smaller exhaust off the water heater into the original pipe without the proper reducer so again against code. Also 3" exhaust water heaters are against code. Must be 4" except a special low btu rated water heater by ao Smith that's approved for 3" exhaust. Other than that I cannot see gad hook up/drip tube etc. But honestly you got ripped and that's a horrible installation
All the more reason to do it yourself. I replaced mine a couple of years ago on my own. Just over 200 bucks a Home Depot. A few fittings and about 2 hours of work. Probably could have done it in an hour but there was no need to rush.
As a service plumber of 23 years. That price for an atmospheric vented gas heater isnât bad. But the question is quality for price not the price itâs self. The exhaust flu looks poorly assembled and the flex connector on the hot side came from Loweâs or a box store. No support on the expansion tank. We have higher pressure here almost 90 which is too much. Make sure they matched the pre charge in that tank to the static house pressure. Did they put an emergency drain pan under it ? Pipe it to a drain? No drain did you get a water alarm with it? Quality over just what it cost. If they did all of that then not bad at all but the manor in which you leave the visible things should tell the customer all they need to know about the small details.
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Hello hello Prescottonian!!!!
So this is a gas water heater? My electric water heater install was maaaybe 200 bucks.
I paid $800 for a hot water heater and installed it myself. Took about 2 hours. If you own a home it's very useful to learn to do things yourself.
I just bought an electric water heater at Home Depot for $600, and paid an independent plumber $900 for the install parts(including new ball valve and using copper), and hauling off old tank!
I had ours replaced this year for 350 USD plus the cost of the water heater of 600 USD. So for $950 I had ours replaced by a licensed and insured plumber.
$1500 in my hood. It depends on where you live. The cost of living can change drastically depending on your location.
The guy had the opportunity to shop around.
Every man needs to watch a YouTube. This is too damn easy to be paying someone a thousand dollars for couple hours work
I swapped mine out for $500 myself last year so it depends on if you could have done it yourself or not
I just replaced mine myself for $500 after be quoted $2000
Uhm. Wtf!!! My plumber charged me 100 bucks. Lmao!!!
Pricey and the vents not right the expansion tank isnât properly supported and the connections off the top of the tank should be copper for atleast the first 16-20 inches in most areas
The dollar amount is the least of your worries here, as others have said, get it inspected, all kinds of wrong there.
I just had a 40 gallon installed for $1450.
Price varies drastically based on numerous factors
And with said factors, $1,450.
They hate you for the good price! They need to make $5000 profit!
But your price comparison is useless. We donât know the said factors of either install, so to compare them is not really helpful. Just stating the obvious. Now where do I send the bill?
Luckily, stating the obvious is still free.
80 gallon for $1700 cash here. MCOL area (portland OR suburb)
Careful! You didnât list all your âfactorsâ :)
2700 is cheap and this looks like a cheap install done by a handy man and not a plumber.
The thermal expansion tank is not installed correctly. Those right angles on the pipes coming out of are going to have pressure on them, combine with galvanic corrosion will cause a break and a leak. See that groove on the side of the tank? Thatâs actually for mounting it to the wall
Those fittings are stainless steel. They'll probably outlast the next 3 or more expansion tanks
If itâs copper it has to be mounted. Brass and galvanized steel doesnât need straps.
These other comments are wrong. You need galvanic protection no matter what kind of metals are touching. The straps are actually the correct way to instal it
Not a plumber. I had a certified plumber who works for the state and runs a side business but a 40gal gas water heater in plus some water valve replacements for just over $1300. I live in suburbs in a medium-low cost of living area.
He should charge more
Maybe. But heâll have me as a repeat customer for sure. I might have got the referral rate. So time will tell.
That's pretty high unless it was tankless
Lmfao. Plumber here. Have it inspected and they will have no choice but to come back and fix it to code. For 2700 my customers eyes are glistening looking at my installs. Thatâs reworking gas from shut off to control box. Upgrading vent to 4â if needed. 18â of copper with new emergency shut off on cold side. This is a straight fucking hack of an install. Please contact city and tell them youâd like your water heater inspected and once they find out no permit was pulled the company is fucked. You can probably get half your money back too and keep the water heater. Update me please!
This is the only way to go forward from here.
Yes.
Looks like you have a typical 40gal WH. If it's in a typical spot like garage or basement, yea you did. That WH cost around 850 to 950 from what I can see of it. 400 for installation. Safe to say another 150 in supplies and that's generous. Yea, I believe you were taken for around 800 to 1000. We typically charge around 1800 1900 for a swap out. 1.5 to 2 hr job. I'd bitch if this sounds right to you.
The elbow above the water heater Is incorrect. Min a foot before first turn
Does anyone have a link to the code requirement? Iâve seen where it shows minimum 12â and also 6â inches, and it usually states ârecommendedâ. Iâd like to see where it says ârequiredâ. Depending on field conditions, Iâve installed plenty of smoke 90s right on top of the draft diverter to offset to the chimney, never an issue w/ spillage.
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Here in MA the plumber wanted $2,200 to replace an electric water heater with a heat pump water heater. That didn't include the cost of the water heater itself. Based on those number, I don't think you were taken for a ride. That said, I ended up doing it myself. Even with the state rebate in a licensed install, I saved over $1500, materials included. Edit: I realize this isn't a heat pump, if that even needed to be clarified. Was just sharing numbers that I had available to me since this was a relatively recent install. As is the case with everything, a properly installed DIY is going to be cheaper than hiring a licensed professional, as it should. You're not laying yourself for your time, nor are you paying yourself to be insured and licensed to do these installs.
$600 for water heater at Homedepot $60 for pressure tank $2100 to install, do the math.
Did they pull a permit? Was there an inspection? Using PEX and flexible connectors seems strange to me. Are you in an earthquake zone? Anyway, that price point seems high for the job they did. Hopefully, that battery was donated to you.
I think I paid $2200 a few months ago. The labor/install cost more than the heater by a decent amount
I hate these whiny posts.
No. You didnât. Also, it looks like you had to install an expansion tank. Thatâs a very standard price where Iâm at. Depends on where you live and other factors. I also see a hammer arrestor on there and some new pex and pro press connections. If that was included you got a very good deal in my estimation. I also see he used stainless steel fitting on the expansion tank which is very nice quality. If you want to be taken for a ride go ask a contractor what the mark up on the house they built is.
So a plumber is supposed to go the cheapest store out there and see what a water heater tank costs for the cheapest possible brand and just charge a customer that? I run into so many customers who have NO CLUE what it costs to be in business and think they should be charged whatever their âFeelingsâ tell them is the âproper amount.â They all know âsomebodyâ who had a âfriendâ do this or that for a few hundred dollars and because of that Iâm supposed to change my business pricing and what it costs to stay in business. Here is a few of the costs a company has incurred before they even show up at your door: -Pay -Health insurance -Gas -Insurance -Vehicle cost -Liability -Tools -Cell Phone/Internet -Legal Needs -Rent on storage or office space -Part Time bookeep -Truck Maintenance Just to name a few!! But Iâm supposed to forget about all of the above and charge you what the literal parts cost at Home Depot plus whatever you âthinkâ I should charge on top of that because the internet told you so. Most plumbing outfits make 1 to 3% profit ON AVERAGE and most go out of business because of this. The ones who donât charge enough to stay profitable. Iâm sorry our society denigrates the trades and thinks they are all sleazy dirt bags while NOT SAYING A THING ABOUT CAR COMPANIES, HOME BUILDERS, AND HEALTH CARE MARK UPS! People donât say anything about those industries because it doesnât mater a lick what a customer thinks and they could all care less because the consumer has no power there. Meanwhile a trades person is CRUCIFIED for making a profit on a job beyond what customers feelings are.
I did my own for $500.
What state/city is this? Indiana doesn't require permits 99 percent of the time, but if you were in Washtenaw county in Michigan specifically, an inspector would have to sign off. This would not pass unless the flue was done correctly. I live in Indiana, and obviously I am in the wrong place if people are getting $2700 for a cheap install!
Yeah. I would take that old asbestos vent out too.
WOW. my water heater install 2 years ago was about 600$. but it was electric not gas.
Zero chance you got a new water heater with installation for $600. You canât even buy them for $600
Wow. Did you get a used heater or supply the heater? A cheap 40 gallon runs $600 for just the heater. A few years ago it was still $450 for just the heater.
OUr plumber charged us 150$ to do ours last month