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How Much Does Plumbing Cost?

How much does plumbing cost? this is likely the number one question on people's lips when faced with a plumbing problem. The answer is, it depends, I know, what a nebulous answer right? Well, the cost of plumbing services swings wildly from company to company. Let us take a look at the landscape of Plumbing service pricing. When you think of a plumber, do you envision the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie where Mario and Luigi are lounging around their pad until the phone rings and Mario springs into action, "come on Luigi, we've got a service call" Sometimes, that might be the case.

I would like you to picture a scale that starts on the left with handymen, plumbing company employees moonlighting, and yes, straight-up "con men" as well as, good old uncle Bob who, lived next door to a plumber back in 83' and has become a sage of plumbing wisdom ever since. Let's call this level 1. Next, we have actual Plumbers, the "One Man Band" with or without Luigi. and the new folks who have just struck out on their own, level 2. Some from this level will grow and hire other plumbers to work for them, level 3. As these companies grow they will become small businesses, most of which will fail. I know, it is sad but true. Those companies that are able to thrive and continue to grow might be bought up by a major player or become one themselves. That brings us to level 4. This level is where the big fish live. Companies like Roto-Rooter, ARS, Ben Franklin, and thousands of "Major Players" in markets all over the world. That's a lot of different players and, yes different pricing at every level.

If you guessed the cheapest on the scale is level one, you're right. People not professionally trained, licensed, or insured don't generally understand cost and risk. you might save some money and you might be sorry, Que any number of sad consumer stories about buyer's remorse or outright theft. I won't get "Preachy" here, I'll just say "Buyer Beware".

Level 2 is the heart of the plumbing industry. This level is full of rebels and dreamers. Some master plumbers spend their entire career at this level, it's an honorable way to make a good living. The problem with this level is that great plumbers get busy. A man can only do so much work in a day. The pricing is good, if you can wait, but low overhead makes the "one man band" very hard to compete against. The not-so-great plumbers at this level are still trying to figure out how this game is played, until they do, they create a lot of customer frustration. When you are running around trying to please everybody by doing everything you end up upsetting some people, if you're reading this, you might be some people.

Level 3 is where the plumbing contractor becomes the small business owner. In my humble opinion, this is the most dangerous level. If you make mistakes at this level, it can cost a lot more than the shirt on your back! I speak from experience back in 2005 I closed a company down with the help of the good people of the IRS. That failure cost me both mentally and financially for years. That lesson was the price is the price. You must charge enough to cover all of your costs and, make a profit to stay in business, period. A level 3 price is higher and the value proposition must be elevated or you will need a good bankruptcy attorney.

Level 4 consists of the major players in the marketplace. Companies like Roto-Rooter, ARS, and along with many others are national brands as well as some big local companies. These companies are BIG, big fleets, big budgets...ext They have an advantage over smaller outfits in different areas like customer perks and better financing terms. As far as price goes, someone has to pay for that monster overhead and if you are their customer, it's you.

In conclusion, prices vary, hire people you trust to do a great job and stand behind the work. Maybe, a company whose price is "middle of the road" with, oh a thousand Google reviews or so like Crows Plumbing, Heating, and Air  

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