Omg WTF €500 Bill Plumber to Service Oil Heating System

UmmCadburys

Ok , Are there any plumbers on here ? I've just received a bill for just over €500 from the Plumber . We called him out to check out our system as it was acting up a bit . He said 'something' needed replacing and spent about 3/4 hours max over 2 days working away . Does €500 seem too high ? I've asked him to give me another bill explaining where the costs came from , labor , parts etc . OMG ill have to sell a kidney .....

Xcellor

Sounds like he had to replace something.

Really he should have cleared it with you before carrying out repair. Normal boiler service 75-150.

nino1

UmmCadburys wrote: »

Ok , Are there any plumbers on here ? I've just received a bill for just over €500 from the Plumber . We called him out to check out our system as it was acting up a bit . He said 'something' needed replacing and spent about 3/4 hours max over 2 days working away . Does €500 seem too high ? I've asked him to give me another bill explaining where the costs came from , labor , parts etc . OMG ill have to sell a kidney .....

well its up to you if you want to pay it or not.
you can simply say you cannot afford it.
he should have checked with you to see if you want it done or could afford to have it done.
thats standard procedure

UmmCadburys

Ok so he is going to send me an itemised bill like I've requested but in the meantime he said he replaced a valve . Now I don't know what type of valve or how much they cost but €500 still sounds way over priced for a service and replacing a valve .

xpletiv

Agreed; sounds very expensive. He didnt even ask you if you wanted something replacing or give you a rough cost?

Tell him to blow it out his hole!

sandin

He worked over 2 days?

Travel to / from premises has to be included.

You say max 3/4 hours - but probaby 1/2 day on both days?

So circa 200 - 250 for labour + parts + vat. Still a bit high, but should still be in the 400 or so area.

Isuue was that he did not give a quote / you did not ask for one. - Ideally he should have given you an estimate beforehand.

BostonB

Problem here is you should have had some idea before hand, and at least before he started fixing it. Sounds expensive though. Would depend entirely on what was done.

You really need to know a bit about your own boiler and heating system though.

Xcellor

Maybe there was a time when everyone had a few thousand sitting in their bank account but not anymore.

Since he is a trades person its unlikely he will take credit card so you are expected to shell out 500 euros.

Quatre Mains

SOrry to hear that OP. Hate unexpected things like that. I had to spend 465 earlier this year but here is what it got me;


Replaced burner and set up/commission replacement burner € 345.00
(reconditioned burner with 1 year full warranty)

Safety valve requires piped to low level discharge 35.00
New KBB fire valve 85.00

I got an itemised bill emailed to me with the guy's VAT number etc. all on it. So I'd be
asking for the specifics if i were you. Unfortunately the deed is done, and all you can do
is really remember next time to insist that no parts are to be replaced until youve been
contacted and given a price. ONe way of making sure that happens is to let on you've
not much cash at the get-go, they wont replace parts without calling you first if they think
you might not be able to stump up for them,.