Telly C.
11/11/2019 12:00:00 SA
I found DPS Plumbing on Yelp and called them to check a pipe leak in the attic. Dave was quick to respond and mentioned his hourly rate was $75 per hour. I agreed and had Dave come out the next day to assess the damage.
Unfortunately, the ceiling sheetrock collapsed overnight from the water accumulation, but the good thing was the attic was now exposed for Dave to easily see the leak. Dave arrived right before 9am and gave an estimate of $623, which was 6 hours of labor totaling $450 and $173 in materials. I thought the estimate was high (he first wrote 5 hours but crossed it out and changed it to 6 hours). And his estimate didn't include replacing the ceiling sheetrock afterwards. When I asked Dave if it would really take 6 hours to repair since he could see the leak easily and didn't have to hunt around for the leak, he said yes 6 hours. Since all that water was starting to soak the carpet and furniture, I decided to just get it done and agreed to the estimate.
Dave started at 9am and finished around 12 noon. After he was done, I asked if it would still cost $623 since it only took 3 hours instead of 6 hours. He said it's still $623. I paid it and reminded myself to never call him again or recommend him to friends & neighbors.
Btw, Dave used about 8 feet of AquaPex tubing to replace the bad section of leaking galvanized pipe. I checked afterwards and AquaPex costs around $50 for a large 100 feet coil. I don't see how he could justify charging $173 for 8 feet of AquaPex tubing and some pipe fittings.
In summary, Dave was responsive and able to complete the repair, but way overcharged on both labor and materials. I understand there's overhead to run a business (licenses, insurance, gas, etc). But to charge 6 hours of labor for a job that was completed in 3 hours, plus $173 for materials that cost $30-$40 at most, that just seems wrong and bad for the business reputation.
Photo attached showing before and after repairs. Also photo of the estimate that became the final invoice.