The Cost of Plumbing Repairs
A common question we hear at Four Star Plumbing is “why are plumbing repairs so expensive?” And, we feel that when someone is spending hundreds of dollars this is an appropriate question to be asking.
So, we felt it would be nice to give a glimpse into what goes into a plumbing company. We want all our customers to know plumbing is a passion profession for us. We would not trade any of these for any other field of work. Our team loves what we do, and more importantly we love giving our customers the best service we can.
Customers do not see all the costs behind the scenes that are required to perform a plumbing task. A plumbing company has to charge for more than just the parts used for the repairs. The cost of a plumbing has to include enough to help cover overhead, state regulatory licenses, equipment maintenance costs, and yes, parts and service.
Another important consideration is that small one man plumbing operators can charge at a cheaper rate, but may not have the ability or experience to tackle what a team of plumbers could.
So, What are the main contributors that go into plumbing costs?
Time
Time is always taken into account when it comes to service work. Service companies usually charge hourly or flat rate. Four Star Plumbing offers flat rate pricing for most jobs and flexible hourly when a customer requests it. Plumbing Technicians account for not only the actual work to be performed but also that administrative record keeping, which is vital to helping our customers get the best service they can. Plumbers also have to account for unforeseen issues. Four Star tries to save our customers time and money by using the newest technology to keep prices low and work time efficient.
Materials
Plumbing companies have to mark up their parts like any other business to account for storage, security, and stocking. Think of plumbing trucks like a mini-retail store that is mobile.
Parts can range from high end, well made products to low end, cheaper products. Four Star Plumbing stocks only the best in parts, our trucks are stocked with high quality, name brand parts. We do this to make sure our repairs last, which again all goes into our pricing. By using better products we try to ensure our customers save money in the long run.
Most customers are unaware of how many saw blades, glues, gases, cleaners, and protective equipment plumbers burn through on each job. While we do not charge our customers for these individually, they are included in the cost of running a plumbing service.
Overhead and the cost of running a company
Running a company is expensive to say the least. Running it while keeping our customers happy is a priority and a challenge we gladly accept. It is easy to forget that a plumbing company has overhead when all you see is a truck and a technician, but many companies, ours included has a full service staff working behind the scenes everyday.
Of course, there is the more obvious bills like utilities. But there are less obvious ones like warehouse costs, licensing annuals, administrative staff, truck maintenance and upkeep, so many taxes, fuel, marketing, dispatch and records software. The list can become mind boggling large.
We hope you know how hard we work to make sure our you are taken care of. Not only with your professional services but with the knowledge that we strive to use the best products, newest technologies, and a team that has your back.
Have a plumbing repair? Contact us today.
