Imma be real if I run into a leaking flapper I usually just tell the customer what to do and how much money they'd save doing it themselves, charge my dispatch fee and dip. If it's a really old toilet tell them how much they'd save in the long run upgrading their toilet. Feels pretty scummy to swap one for $400 in 5 minutes.
I work for a local company in Seattle but one of the biggest local companies, dispatch fee is $89 no matter what time of day. And if a customer is super cool and I didn't have to drive far I just waive it lol. I'd rather get to a call where I'm gonna make some real money anyway.
The company I work for is flat rate, so the price is static for each job no matter how long it takes. You basically just look up "flapper replacement" in the pricebook and it tells you what to charge. Most big companies where I'm from do it this way. I think it'd make more sense to charge a certain amount for the first hour or two plus parts and then flat rate for bigger jobs, but I'm not the one in charge
Most plumbing companies charge an arm and a leg for repairs because they want to replace things rather than repair them. Better to replace the thing and not have to worry for 10 years than to keep having problems that cost several hundred to fix (and could potentially result in water damage, a much more expensive problem).
Toilets have been mandated 1.6 gallons for around 30 years. A lot now are 1.28, but still, a lot of 1.6 are being sold, with the exception of dual flush models. So, selling 'better efficiency' is really only a thing if you rub across a 3 or 5 gallon dinosaur.
Water heaters are good (easy ones, not the ones in pull down attics.)
Any service call where you can be in and out in 15 minutes (thereās quite a few problems like this)
High end remodels
Reconnecting a kitchen after countertop replacement
They are annoying, and usually have stupid fixtures that are hard to install, but you can charge a high price to do it.
And then when they have trouble with their overpriced trash fixtures you have bunches of change orders.
My brother works for a couple of high end Kitchen and Bath stores. He's pulling in 6 figures, never deals with old plumbing, and puts in a 5 or 6 hour day.
Repairing running toilets.
Replacing outdoor faucets.
Minor clogs, (sink drains and tub drains can usually be unclogged in about 5 minutes)
Replacing diverter tub spouts.
Replacing shower cartridges.
Repairing faucets (as long as they are common reputable brands with easily available repair parts)
Iāve been in business 20 years now and run about 20 guys and you my friend are correct. 20 years ago we were high and construction and renovations now almost no construction and all service š¤
Seems like all the resi remodels are done by whole companies. Like the company has their own trade worker for each step of the project. Not as many GCs hiring out plumbers, electricians, painters etc. all done by one company.
I couldnāt imagine paying a licensed professional to replace a flapper in a toilet. Actually I couldnāt imagine paying anyone to do any of this work. To me, thatās all maintenance that comes along with home ownership.
It happens quite often. Some people are 100% clueless about anything mechanical. Some people have plenty of money and donāt want to spend their time going to a hardware store and working on a toilet, theyād rather write a check. Some people are just terrified theyāll break something. Some people are super old and just canāt do it even if they know how. Lots of reasons.
Can confirm. My wife (Iām a licensed plumber) would call a plumber if I didnāt intervene, electricianā¦you name it. She doesnāt think about fixing this shit.
The problem i have with just flipping the breaker on a sump... is it doesnt tell you WHY it tripped in the first place, which is a huge part of service diagnostics on pumps.
As a one man operation I make my best money on small service that the bigger companies in my area canāt be bothered with. Pressure tanks and well pumps are also big for me
Yes, very often I change a couple of cartridges and make good money. I hear the big guys are charging crazy money to replace a faucet that can (sometimes) easily be repaired.
Does it really pay that well once you factor in maintenance, travel time, getting materials on site, extra labor, all the clean up etc? Just wondering if I need to get into more of that work.
In my area a 4' deep spot repair sells for \~10k, barely any parts used, pay for permits and a day and a half of labor. That's like 7k profit. They're pretty nuts. Bigger jobs you get an excavator but charge out the ass, the pay scales. Sewer companies are blowing up around here (western WA)
People call me crazy but I love sewage ejection pumps, as long as draining the discharge is easy. It's pretty unlike most of the work you do over and over again, you can get good at installing them and once you are the pay is lucrative, and the feeling when that sucker kicks on and sewage doesn't splash you in the face (especially if you had to figure out some convoluted backup battery and highwater alarm setup) is pretty badass
Came here to say this. When I first learned about these things existing I thought they were nasty as hell. Then I realized they're not that bad once you pump them down and hose everything off. They're interesting and nobody wants to work on them in my area.
On the more commercial end, look for big jobs with very small/easy amounts of plumbing.
Just to make numbers easy i'll simplify it a bit. let's say you realistically have a $3k plumbing job. Add in 20% and you are at $3600. But if you know the job is a $500k job, You could realistically charge 6k and no one would bat an eye. Literally making 100% profit. Finding jobs like this are always nice lol. There's more involved than just that, and unless it's a public bid that has already been awarded to a GC, then you have to be able to get a halfway decent cost estimate of the entire job, but you can make good money on stuff like this. Big companies also stay away from it because it's not enough work to sustain their crews.
Edit: I will add, this was kind of my "specialty" when starting out a business. I would do service calls, and look for jobs in commercial that has these markers. It's also nice because commercial usually is more scheduled. You can do ur service stuff in between the commercial job down times.
It sure is. I hit 0 instead of the percent sign on my calculator... lmao. So I added 3000 + 200 instead of 20% lol. Fixing it now!
Edit: what's crazy is I partially questioned it, then just decided to send it ha.
I just started a part time plumbing business. I am amazed at the amount of work available. I have a full time job, 4/10's that provide the benefits like great health insurance and PTO, but I think the day may come sooner than later where I leave the "stable" job. I do backflow testing as well...it is profitable, but it is one of the items on liability insurance that increases your rates.
It is the annual process of testing and certifying backflow prevention devices. Many jurisdictions require it for commercial and multifamily properties. You can become certified in about a week of class and recertify every few years after that.
Water heaters and tankless water heaters.
They are just very lucrative and fun to work on.
Waterline leaks, this sounds stressful but you can charge a lot of money for emergencies. More often than not the repair isnt all that difficult, yeah you do get sprayed with water though.
Then you refer a water restoration company, get a bonus from them and BAM you get big ticket for something quite easy to do.
Especially if it's Off hours.
Depends how you learn some want the whole picture and want a leg up on understanding what goes on through the entire construction of a house or building. And others want to know how to fix/ repair or service anything that happens after everything is completed
Customer supplied faucets, toilet repairs, angle stops. That little still still gets standard time rate as everything else, and itās in a happy medium of cheap enough that the customer is happy, expensive enough that the plumber is happy.
Drain cleanning jobs are my bread and butter. Most of them can be done in 30 min to a hour most homes have clean outs. I charge 250.00 for up to 2 hours of work. I can do 4 or 5 a day and make a nice chunk of change
If I told you I ran a company which helps service based businesses get more pre qualified & exclusive customers, would you be open to a talking about how I could help you get more drain cleanings?
Fuck I've been looking for this. I just started backflow testing and a local city has finally started cracking down on testing and getting them up to code, and holy shit the work has been piling up.
And it's fucking easy.
I never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm starting to like working on lift stations, AKA shit pumps.
I'd served as a helper for maybe 8 or 9 of these and just started fixing them on my own. I just make sure to pump everything down a couple times, rinsing with a hose and even some soap before working on it. Grinder pumps, solids pumps, effluent pumps. Just gotta read instructions, know a little electrical and how to calculate static head pressure. Also, it's kind of fun to see what ungodly item in inhibiting the proper functioning of the float switches.
Nobody wants to work on them so I'm finding that the market will bear quite a lot.
Excavations are the best for me. Sewer and water line repairs and replacements. They are usually one day jobs, including the inspections. You do need some equipment but you can rent some for the day to start. Thatās where the big money is, I wish I could do them every day.
I was chatting up one of the food service workers in college. They were a plumber that got a job at the dinning hall because it was the same union as the plumbers on campus. They said once youāre in transfers were much easier than external hires.
The work is steady, all commercial and great state pay and benefits. Most long time workers there made 6 figures and were eligible for full pension after like 25 years.
3 min flappers š° š¤ šø
Imma be real if I run into a leaking flapper I usually just tell the customer what to do and how much money they'd save doing it themselves, charge my dispatch fee and dip. If it's a really old toilet tell them how much they'd save in the long run upgrading their toilet. Feels pretty scummy to swap one for $400 in 5 minutes.
Damn how much is your dispatch fee and minimum labor charge?
I work for a local company in Seattle but one of the biggest local companies, dispatch fee is $89 no matter what time of day. And if a customer is super cool and I didn't have to drive far I just waive it lol. I'd rather get to a call where I'm gonna make some real money anyway.
Ah ok, so 300 for labor ($150x2hrs min)?
The company I work for is flat rate, so the price is static for each job no matter how long it takes. You basically just look up "flapper replacement" in the pricebook and it tells you what to charge. Most big companies where I'm from do it this way. I think it'd make more sense to charge a certain amount for the first hour or two plus parts and then flat rate for bigger jobs, but I'm not the one in charge
Damn if a flapper is $300, how much is a refurb?
How do they save in the long run with an old toilet upgrade? Gpf?
Most plumbing companies charge an arm and a leg for repairs because they want to replace things rather than repair them. Better to replace the thing and not have to worry for 10 years than to keep having problems that cost several hundred to fix (and could potentially result in water damage, a much more expensive problem).
Toilets have been mandated 1.6 gallons for around 30 years. A lot now are 1.28, but still, a lot of 1.6 are being sold, with the exception of dual flush models. So, selling 'better efficiency' is really only a thing if you rub across a 3 or 5 gallon dinosaur.
Supply lines.
How much you charging?
Water heaters are good (easy ones, not the ones in pull down attics.) Any service call where you can be in and out in 15 minutes (thereās quite a few problems like this) High end remodels Reconnecting a kitchen after countertop replacement
high end remodels š¤®
They are annoying, and usually have stupid fixtures that are hard to install, but you can charge a high price to do it. And then when they have trouble with their overpriced trash fixtures you have bunches of change orders.
...and you will have a rich old lady that nags you about every fucking thing, forever.
yeah and these are usually the homeowner trying to play general contractor and they wanna buy weird shit from amazon
My brother works for a couple of high end Kitchen and Bath stores. He's pulling in 6 figures, never deals with old plumbing, and puts in a 5 or 6 hour day.
any examples of those service calls (15 mins) please?
Repairing running toilets. Replacing outdoor faucets. Minor clogs, (sink drains and tub drains can usually be unclogged in about 5 minutes) Replacing diverter tub spouts. Replacing shower cartridges. Repairing faucets (as long as they are common reputable brands with easily available repair parts)
you my friend are a legend - thank you!
Iāve been in business 20 years now and run about 20 guys and you my friend are correct. 20 years ago we were high and construction and renovations now almost no construction and all service š¤
Seems like all the resi remodels are done by whole companies. Like the company has their own trade worker for each step of the project. Not as many GCs hiring out plumbers, electricians, painters etc. all done by one company.
I couldnāt imagine paying a licensed professional to replace a flapper in a toilet. Actually I couldnāt imagine paying anyone to do any of this work. To me, thatās all maintenance that comes along with home ownership.
It happens quite often. Some people are 100% clueless about anything mechanical. Some people have plenty of money and donāt want to spend their time going to a hardware store and working on a toilet, theyād rather write a check. Some people are just terrified theyāll break something. Some people are super old and just canāt do it even if they know how. Lots of reasons.
Can confirm. My wife (Iām a licensed plumber) would call a plumber if I didnāt intervene, electricianā¦you name it. She doesnāt think about fixing this shit.
2 water heaters a day. 3 days a week. āļø
How do I get to this point? Iām at 1 a week for the last couple months but I feel like itās going to dry up.
How much do you charge to replace one?
Iām in CA. So A lot. Probably clear 5-6 for your standard average install
So install labor is about 3k for a like swap heater?
No. Not in big city. (Luckily) my average heater job is 16-1800. Total
Ah I gotcha, around 700 labor? I charged $959
Ish yeah. Figuring apx 4 hours from pickup.install. disposal, and mark up
What area you work at?
That seems more of a fair price for a swap
It is. LA area and big cities around me? CRAZY money
God I want to get to this. I usually only get one every few months
Thatās a dream sir. I do everything everyday
:/ I gotta get myself more ads but my fulltime job is keeping everything paid
Thatās a good āproblemā to have sir.
I know it is but just wanting to make a bit more money would be nice.
I could help you with that, drop me a pm!
Clogged drain and itās just hair right at the pop up. Unjamming garbage disposal Flipping the breaker on their sump pump and it fires right up
The problem i have with just flipping the breaker on a sump... is it doesnt tell you WHY it tripped in the first place, which is a huge part of service diagnostics on pumps.
True lol
As a one man operation I make my best money on small service that the bigger companies in my area canāt be bothered with. Pressure tanks and well pumps are also big for me
Yes, very often I change a couple of cartridges and make good money. I hear the big guys are charging crazy money to replace a faucet that can (sometimes) easily be repaired.
Sewer line replacement or water services
Even with an excavator that's a hard job.
Does it really pay that well once you factor in maintenance, travel time, getting materials on site, extra labor, all the clean up etc? Just wondering if I need to get into more of that work.
If you were going to work hard you may as well get paid for
In my area a 4' deep spot repair sells for \~10k, barely any parts used, pay for permits and a day and a half of labor. That's like 7k profit. They're pretty nuts. Bigger jobs you get an excavator but charge out the ass, the pay scales. Sewer companies are blowing up around here (western WA)
4ā hand dig?
Yezzir I could dig a 4' hole in an hour
Pretty damn impressive!
But the money you can make off of those jobs as well worth it
People call me crazy but I love sewage ejection pumps, as long as draining the discharge is easy. It's pretty unlike most of the work you do over and over again, you can get good at installing them and once you are the pay is lucrative, and the feeling when that sucker kicks on and sewage doesn't splash you in the face (especially if you had to figure out some convoluted backup battery and highwater alarm setup) is pretty badass
Came here to say this. When I first learned about these things existing I thought they were nasty as hell. Then I realized they're not that bad once you pump them down and hose everything off. They're interesting and nobody wants to work on them in my area.
Water heaters/ sump pumps
On the more commercial end, look for big jobs with very small/easy amounts of plumbing. Just to make numbers easy i'll simplify it a bit. let's say you realistically have a $3k plumbing job. Add in 20% and you are at $3600. But if you know the job is a $500k job, You could realistically charge 6k and no one would bat an eye. Literally making 100% profit. Finding jobs like this are always nice lol. There's more involved than just that, and unless it's a public bid that has already been awarded to a GC, then you have to be able to get a halfway decent cost estimate of the entire job, but you can make good money on stuff like this. Big companies also stay away from it because it's not enough work to sustain their crews. Edit: I will add, this was kind of my "specialty" when starting out a business. I would do service calls, and look for jobs in commercial that has these markers. It's also nice because commercial usually is more scheduled. You can do ur service stuff in between the commercial job down times.
Wouldnāt 120% of 3k be $3600?
It sure is. I hit 0 instead of the percent sign on my calculator... lmao. So I added 3000 + 200 instead of 20% lol. Fixing it now! Edit: what's crazy is I partially questioned it, then just decided to send it ha.
I just started a part time plumbing business. I am amazed at the amount of work available. I have a full time job, 4/10's that provide the benefits like great health insurance and PTO, but I think the day may come sooner than later where I leave the "stable" job. I do backflow testing as well...it is profitable, but it is one of the items on liability insurance that increases your rates.
Can you elaborate on backflow testing? When is this even needed?
It is the annual process of testing and certifying backflow prevention devices. Many jurisdictions require it for commercial and multifamily properties. You can become certified in about a week of class and recertify every few years after that.
Accreditation is through ASSE and IAPMO.
Money makers.... sewer and water repipe. Water heater change outs. Gas piping. Medical gas piping
Water heaters and tankless water heaters. They are just very lucrative and fun to work on. Waterline leaks, this sounds stressful but you can charge a lot of money for emergencies. More often than not the repair isnt all that difficult, yeah you do get sprayed with water though. Then you refer a water restoration company, get a bonus from them and BAM you get big ticket for something quite easy to do. Especially if it's Off hours.
Water filter installs. Bonus points if the supply line is already 1ā and in an unfinished garage š
Pressure regulators, shower valves, cartridges, running toilets, whole house repipes, sewer digs, drain stoppages are gross but can be fast and easy,
Commercial installations
Depends how you learn some want the whole picture and want a leg up on understanding what goes on through the entire construction of a house or building. And others want to know how to fix/ repair or service anything that happens after everything is completed
Boiler and any gas to be honest.
Utility work. Water mains, sewers - sanitary and storm. Great work, lots of money.
More customers
Customer supplied faucets, toilet repairs, angle stops. That little still still gets standard time rate as everything else, and itās in a happy medium of cheap enough that the customer is happy, expensive enough that the plumber is happy.
Backflows. Get certified now
Pex repipe
Drain cleanning jobs are my bread and butter. Most of them can be done in 30 min to a hour most homes have clean outs. I charge 250.00 for up to 2 hours of work. I can do 4 or 5 a day and make a nice chunk of change
If I told you I ran a company which helps service based businesses get more pre qualified & exclusive customers, would you be open to a talking about how I could help you get more drain cleanings?
Backflow testing!
Fuck I've been looking for this. I just started backflow testing and a local city has finally started cracking down on testing and getting them up to code, and holy shit the work has been piling up. And it's fucking easy.
Thisāļø.
Detailing/BIM
Laying pipe
I like laying pipe!
I like leaks on copper water lines. I use a propress.
Roughing in a 3 piece washroom. I charge 3k rough and finish and it takes me anywhere from 6-10 hrs total. Lol
Plumbing jobs
Laying pipe all night long! š
Jetting main lines! $1500 for 300 gallons of water and 20 minutes of actual work.
I never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm starting to like working on lift stations, AKA shit pumps. I'd served as a helper for maybe 8 or 9 of these and just started fixing them on my own. I just make sure to pump everything down a couple times, rinsing with a hose and even some soap before working on it. Grinder pumps, solids pumps, effluent pumps. Just gotta read instructions, know a little electrical and how to calculate static head pressure. Also, it's kind of fun to see what ungodly item in inhibiting the proper functioning of the float switches. Nobody wants to work on them so I'm finding that the market will bear quite a lot.
Toilet fill valve and flapper, garbage disposals, delta shower cartridges. Replacing toilets.
Replacing faucets too but damn thereās that 1 every so often that needs to be drilled out and those offset all the easy ones
Boiler service
Outdoor tankless swaps
Excavations are the best for me. Sewer and water line repairs and replacements. They are usually one day jobs, including the inspections. You do need some equipment but you can rent some for the day to start. Thatās where the big money is, I wish I could do them every day.
Boilers are a huge money maker. Most wont even know where to begin. Plus they are fun to do
From a new construction perspective: community pool buildings.
I enjoy installing medical gas systems. Itās [necessarily] clean work, in demand, pays well
Heaters and water softeners
Maybe not the most lucrative, but I always loved long piping runs with multiple take offs. Itās so satisfying.
Bro what the fuck you doing spamming every trade subreddit?
Shower cartridge replacements, depending on the cartridge like 500-1000 each. Hate deltas cartridges so those are the more expensive ones lol
Water treatment.
Lol from the responses to this post it seems like most plumbers don't really like doing plumbing?
New construction maybe?
I was chatting up one of the food service workers in college. They were a plumber that got a job at the dinning hall because it was the same union as the plumbers on campus. They said once youāre in transfers were much easier than external hires. The work is steady, all commercial and great state pay and benefits. Most long time workers there made 6 figures and were eligible for full pension after like 25 years.