Plumbing costs - copper cylinder bought&fitted - was I fleeced ?

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Setanta12

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Hi, got a plumber (known to the family/area (rural town)) to instal a copper-cylinder with all the extra pipes. He also fitted radiator valves, supplied by me, to radiators in the house.

I had used him before and his prices seemed not outrageous at the time. This time, he sourced the cylinder and parts and maybe spent 4-5 hours on the full job - definitely not a full day. There was also a preliminary visit where he checked the damage.

At the outset we/I figured the cost at max EUR300 all-in; he's come back seeking EUR450. (These cylinders are about EUR120 (I think) and maybe another EUR20 for other parts - he has provided a breakdown of parts (without detail) of roughly double that, and labour the rest)

He's also proven less than open to negotiation. I had said about a month ago, that I would wait a month and the production of an invoice before paying him.

Any suggestions ?
 
Any reason why a price was not agreed in advance as this work is easy to price up..?
 
would have thought a cylinder would be more expensive than 120. what size of cylinder was it?
 
Copper water cylinder. Standard size i.e. not huge, perhaps verging on small - sorry I can't be more specific than that.

Not priced, as while price was discussed only very informally/off-hand and nothing agreed. Had used him before and it had seemed about right the last time. Have a fear that the guy is thinking ability-to-pay, rather than what-the-job-is-worth.
 
I have heard that copper cylinders of average size are fetching €50 for scrap, so I would have thought a new one would be a lot more than €120.

When you say that he was there for 4-5 hours, in my opinion that would amount to a full day when travelling time and time to go and collect the cylinder etc. are taken into account.

Overall it seems reasonable to me.
 
A quick google suggests to me that your idea of the price of a copper cylinder might be much too low (how much depends on the spec for the cylinder). You should also allow for the first visit, travelling time and expense, and the time and expense for getting the cylinder. I'd agree with callybags that it would be reasonable to pay for a day's work.

It doesn't look to me as if you were fleeced.
 
My parents got a new cylinder put in a few weeks ago. It was a small one without the lagging sprayed on, I don't remember the exact size. The lagging jacket they bought separately was either a 30 x 18 inches or 36 X 18 inches one. The price was €180 for cylinder, new immersion element, labour. It was the local plumber in their large rural town the Friday before the May public holiday.

They have gone through 2 or 3 cylinders over 40 years with the hard water.
 
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OP, you are looking for the job to be done for nothing. Get real please. Things aren't as bad as what you are trying to get. As already pointed out he had to collect the parts, bring his tools and do the job. Would it make it easier to pay him if he pounced around for 2 days.

And to add further insult you want to pay him when it suits you !!

I hope when all this is finished and you have a water leak sometime in the future and he tells you go to hell.
 
Kildavin said:
Hi, got a plumber (known to the family/area (rural town)) to instal a copper-cylinder with all the extra pipes. He also fitted radiator valves, supplied by me, to radiators in the house.

I had used him before and his prices seemed not outrageous at the time. This time, he sourced the cylinder and parts and maybe spent 4-5 hours on the full job - definitely not a full day. There was also a preliminary visit where he checked the damage.

At the outset we/I figured the cost at max EUR300 all-in; he's come back seeking EUR450. (These cylinders are about EUR120 (I think) and maybe another EUR20 for other parts - he has provided a breakdown of parts (without detail) of roughly double that, and labour the rest)

He's also proven less than open to negotiation. I had said about a month ago, that I would wait a month and the production of an invoice before paying him.

Any suggestions ?
Click to expand...

Why make him wait a month? He has already paid out of his own pocket (from your post) for all the parts.
 
A factory insulated 26" cylinder is about €200 in the bigger Dublin providers, copper pipe is also quite expensive at the moment. He payed two visits (many plumbers will charge up to €100 call-out before they do any work), and they also sourced parts. Sounds like you got a good deal there.
 
I do'nt think you were fleeced.
You got him as a local man to do the job. He would not last long if he was fleecing locals.
You should pay the man and move on.
 
Equally the plumber might be telling the local tradespeople to avoid the scrooge who won't pay on time...
 
I paid same amount last year for same job with the pre insulated cylinder, thought the price was pretty much spot on for the work to be honest.
 
Took all the advice on board. And am paying up without quibble. He had estimated EUR300 at the outset at the beginning, which is why the larger bill threw me. (Incidentally I priced the job with another tradesman yesterday and he quoted EUR320)

Re locals not fleecing; a neighbour who does work for my family recently over-charged by 50%. I had warned my mother that that guy charges London, not Dublin prices but she normally refused to countenance giving the work to anyone else. As a part was missing, she said she would also look for it - and lo-and-behold when this guy and my mother traded prices, the quote my mother got from an out-of-towner was about a 1/3 less on both the parts and the labour!
 
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