I recently hired a plumber who ended up costing way more than I expected. We initially discussed a "ballpark" figure, and he worked for four days, doing a few extra tasks along the way. In the end, the final bill was three times that initial estimate and it just feels way too steep to me. I'm curious about the typical hourly rates for plumbers in the southern states. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Also, going forward, I'm definitely going to keep better tabs on daily costs with any home repair or improvement experts.
4 Answers
Not sure about specifics, but yeah, billable rates can vary greatly, especially in different regions. I've been in situations where unexpected issues popped up and added to the time it took. It happens!
I think it would help to know what the initial "ballpark" figure was and what specific extras the plumber did. Without that info, it's hard to gauge if the final bill was reasonable or not. Did you have a written agreement?
It's tough to negotiate once the job's done, especially with extras involved. Generally, if there are additional tasks, they can hike the price, so just make sure you discuss everything upfront next time. Life's unfortunately full of these lessons!
For future reference, always lay out the full scope of work before it starts. Get that in writing to avoid surprises! And yeah, plumbers can charge rates that go up to around $200 per hour depending on the area, so it’s important to clarify everything before they start working.
Good tip! I’ll definitely make sure to have everything in writing next time.