Calling all ATOT handymen

[Dangerer]

Hey guys.. I'd like some advice on whether or not this job is something someone with little experience like me can do or I should have a someone trained to handle it.

About a few weeks ago my aunt found a portion of her ceiling from the first floor to be leaking. The culprit ended up being an eroded toilet pipe on the 2nd floor located directly above leakage area. She called in someone to do an estimate on the fix and he's going to charge her $200 for labor to seal the pipe and patch up the ceiling.

I really don't have a frame of reference since I just found out earlier tonight, but do you guys think the price is about right? Perhaps I could just buy some kind of sealant and patch up the pipe myself? She's had termite problems in the past as well, though I don't know if that correlates.

Any help at all is appreciated. Thanks!

pic of the damage

 

[Ksyder]

I'm not a plumbing expert but I've done a few plumbing repairs in my own home. That said, in my experience, if a pipe is leaking there is probably a section of pipe that needs to be replaced. I'm not sure if thats what you mean when you say "patch" that.

Once you do the fix, you'll have to make sure it is not leaking, make sure everything is dry up there and then do a good job fixing the drywall. If any of these things are out of your scope of ability then you should pay a pro to do it.

 

[JasonSix78]

Pay a pro to fix it. Cutting up the ceiling, sweating the pipe (if it's metal), then patching things back up could end up being a pain in the ass if you've never done it before.