Plumbing Estimation question

[wildtmpckjzg]

Hello everyone

I'm finishing my basement and got this estimate from a plumbing company. The bathroom is already roughed in for a shower, toilet and sink. This estimate seems high to me, what do you guys think?

Also, why do they want to run a new set of valves from the mechanical room if none of the other bathrooms have there own? I ask because the laundry room is directly above the bathroom area and the hot and cold lines are already in the wet wall.

House was built in 2010 and has PEX lines..

Attached is the estimate pictures of the rough in. (Tried to upload a pdf of estimate but the max file size is crazy low on this site)

i got only one picture.
(Admin edit: pics must reside in your gallery)

[wildtmpckjzg]

remove this message

[beenthere]

Difficult to follow your plight.

Not sure what you want forum members to respond to (i.e. "remove this message" ?? ). Need more information about estimate requirements, but plumbers don't come cheap these days. Did you do your rough-in plumbing?

Fill out your profile with some location info, that will help. Also, go to the Home Index page and near the bottom there is a primer to help with putting up pics. Your gallery looks empty.

[SawyerTed]

FWIW, I had to have a plumber to replace the pressure tank on my well a couple of weeks ago.

It wasn't an emergency call, we haven't been home.  He came during regular hours and his availability.  

The cost was 30-50% more than I expected.  Parts were much more than expected.  Labor was reasonable.  

[stavebuyer]

2016 was the last time I had any new plumbing work done. The local plumbers were all bidding "by the hole". Having much of the work already "in place" as in your example, would only benefit the bidder's.

[Don P]

That's why I know so many verses of the "I hate plumbing" song  :D.

One of our builder friends walked by his son playing on the nintendo. "Come here boy, let me teach you another verse of the "I hate plumbing song". It's been part of the local lexicon ever since.

[Zgin]

In Central Pa a licensed insured plumbing contractor is charging between $100 and $140 per hour. Price of materials has increased 30-60% in the last 3 years if you can get them because suppliers have reduced their stock by 50% and are ordering direct from manufacturers. Avoid contractors charging "flat rate" with a "menu" of pricing. Get a minimum of 3 quotes and usually the middle one is the most honest.

[jaciausa]

If You can rough it in you can finish it? The price will be the diff of what your time is worth and the bid. Do not do t&m unless price don't matter.

[pabst79]

I figured I'd throw my two cents in as a PLB and HVAC contractor.

Labor rates for our area range from 55hr on the cheap end (usually unlicensed) to 150+ for commercial work. We charge in the 85-105 range depending on location and specific type of work.

Pre-covid we had a couple young guys at 17hr and mid skill to journeyman were 25-35hr, fast forward 3 years and I start employees at 20, most are at 28 and up to 45hr. Lost a couple great employees to wally world distribution, I can't compete with 30hr to start with full benefits.

Business insurance went from 8k a year to 15k a year, furnaces, water heaters, condensers went up by 50-75% depending on type and brand. PVC was at one point up 300%, meaning an average 2000sqft home had 4000-5000 just in plastic pipe. 

People are always assuming they'll get the shaft by doing work T/M, but us and other local contractors are overbooked and understaffed, nobody is dragging their feet, when it comes to remodels if a customer wants a hard number, we bid at least 50% over what we think the actual job will be because remodels are notorious for burning way more hours than anticipated and snafu's are a daily occurrence, especially on older homes. It's not that we're trying to gouge, but nobody gets up to go to work to lose money, and bidding remodel work tight, is a great way to lose money. At T/M you only pay for the actual material and effort put in.

Either way as someone else posted, getting a few quotes is a good idea, beware the really low or really high prices, usually a reason behind them.