When it costs me more to have a drop-in replacement toilet done without the cost of the toilet than going to see a doctor, including a specialist--then I call shins.
When a plumber actually has a bond, years of experience with many past customer recommendations then maybe I would reconsider. unfortunately, the ones I see have less than 5 years in the business, few customer recommendations (let alone good ones) and no bond. Now a doctor has serious training, serious insurance and probably has seen a ton of patients in that time.
Plumber's visit $135 hour. Doctor's visit $65. Ok, I joke, but maybe the content of this joke has a basis for its existence. BTW, what market is your non-unionized pluber working in, how long has he been doing it and is he bonded?
Comparing doctors to plumbers is an apples to oranges comparison. Most doctor's wont make house calls but a plumber always does. Most doctors dont have the overhead of a truck on the road for instance. There are many factors which determine the market price of any profession and ability for consumers to pay the prices. Some of which I touched on in my previous thread. Plumbers also ply a skilled trade and the penalty of using a sloppy plumber is more expensive over the long run than the higher up front cost of a skilled tradesman.
Furthermore, we should not be using amazon in any shape or form to build a comparison for toilet replacement costs. $199 for a toilet replacement (without the actual toilet or ancillary parts) for just the labor is too high and IMO the wrong place to be looking for a plumber.
However if I called my plumber out to solely replace a toilet I'll be hit with $135 (even if the install takes less than an hour, which it should) plus any parts. But I also know the guy is a great plumber. He is a rare combination of somebody fanatically obsessed with details but works fast. He installed a new pex water line for me and where the line went past some rough framing, he took the time to cut foam padding and glue it to the wood so the pex would not abrade over time. His work is done to an "above code" philosophy. Other contractors do the minimum possible in the hope there will be more billable hours in the future. Id rather pay more for a job done right and better the first time.
If I order a toilet replacement from amazon Im almost certain I wont get that same level of expertise. Will the amazon plumber, if faced with an out of level flange or one sunk below floor level know what to do in this situation? Ive seen some shoddy plumbing work where 2 or 3 wax rings are stacked on top of one another in an effort to make a seal and then the toilet is caulked to the floor so the inevitable leaks are hidden.
I am in NH, southern portion of the state about 40 minutes from Boston so its not exactly a cheap market. My guy has been in business for almost 30 years and insured/bonded etc... He is in his 50s. He doesnt advertise at all and in spite of only word of mouth, he is constantly busy. BTW, I dont consider even $100/hour to be absurd for a tradesman. Even at his rate of $135, he has all of our business for any issue in our rental properties. To give you a scale, most plumbers around here charge 85-100 hourly and he is expensive on a strict up front cost comparison.
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