sjetexas Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Just finishing up getting new granite countertops put in and also just got an undermount sink put in.Sink is in place, just need a plumber to come hook it up. Pipes may need to be reconfigured since the sink is deeper than the old one, hook everything up (dishwasher probably needs to be reconnected as well), replace my lousy garbage disposal (don't have the replacement), and install a new stainless faucet we bought (hole already drilled in granite). Also need drains for the sink.Anyway, just got a quote from the outfit I usually use (who is usually reasonable) and they quoted me $695 w/the disposal. After picking my jaw off the floor I said I'd call them. Does this sound a bit absurd? If it's about right, I'll schedule it. Or if anyone has any recommendations of another outfit to try I am all ears (Sugar Land area). I need this done tomorrow though, as being without a kitchen sink and dishwasher is not fun.Thanks for any input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeats Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 That's almost exactly what we paid, and we had the exact same things done: reconfiguration of pipes, installation of new garbage disposal, installation of faucet, new drains, etc. But maybe we both got ripped off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 My first reaction is that it is on the high end...are there any parts of the work you can do yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjetexas Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 My first reaction is that it is on the high end...are there any parts of the work you can do yourself?No, I am pretty worthless when doing anything handy!I got a quote from an independent plumber a friend has used...he stated $125 to hook up the disposal, $150 for the sink/faucet. Need to buy the disposal, but seems cheaper. Not sure if its enough to use someone new vs a company I trust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 No, I am pretty worthless when doing anything handy!I got a quote from an independent plumber a friend has used...he stated $125 to hook up the disposal, $150 for the sink/faucet. Need to buy the disposal, but seems cheaper. Not sure if its enough to use someone new vs a company I trust.That seems a bit in the ballpark. If you trust their work, then that alone might be worth the money, and since you've worked with them before, they would probably be more open to any issues you may have after installation.Piece of mind is worth the extra moolah, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memebag Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Sounds high to me, but I'm no expert. I just had Michael Bates of Harvard Plumbing (281-351-9224) replace a toilet, fix a bunch of faucets, replace a spray hose thingy and explain what that weird dripping sound was for about $700. He did a great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 That seems steep. I did this exact same job, myself, when I put in granite in my kitchen. I guess it was $695 job. =)For the disposal... go to home depot and check the price. I put in a decent one for ~$100? I can't even remember. Look for what you're paying for too. For example, are they just going to go to Home Depot, buy the parts, charge you cost+markup on those parts, labor, etc...What is the itemized breakdown in the cost estimate? If they are charging you this much for this kind of job, they owe you a detailed cost estimate to justify it. This seems like a $200, $300 job - including parts and labor, to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Buy a 1/2 hp disposal at Home Depot for about $85. Call for another estimate. Call someone else if you have to, or just tell your normal guy that everyone is telling you it should be a $200-300 job. I've watched a plumber friend do this exact same job twice now, and he never took more than 3-4 hours, and charged $250 labor.Note, many of the big shops are now charging about $95/hour labor plus a show up charge, so $695 may not be that far off for the big shops.BTW, "rerouting pipes" involves cutting a couple of pieces of 2" PVC. That'll take 6 or 7 minutes, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcoole Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Take a picture of all the plumbing coming out of the wall under the sink and the new sink. Go to home depot or lowes, plumbing section, and show them the photo. They will tell you everything you need and exactly how to do it. You know what they say, if I can do it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREASER Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Guanos plumbing (sp?) ..these guys are good...Leslie did all my work and wouldnt trust anyone else. He is very meticlus (sp?) and everything is perfect. That is expensive..labor is 100/hr for good work. Buy your own disposal (dont buy on for under 100) and call them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Find a company that's been in business for ahwile, has trucks, a shop, (storefront), pays property taxes, has a stake in the community we live in. One that looks out for the livelyhood of their employees. You know, someone who has some skin to loose if he has unhappy customers.Stay away from the franchise types (ARS) unless you are comfortable with the type of employees they are sending to your house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Guanos plumbing (sp?) ..these guys are good...Leslie did all my work and wouldnt trust anyone else. He is very meticlus (sp?) and everything is perfect. That is expensive..labor is 100/hr for good work. Buy your own disposal (dont buy on for under 100) and call themSorry to completely slap down your post GREASER, but spending even a dime over $100 is like throwing money down your insinkerator. 1/2 hp is all you need...unless you plan on grinding construction waste from your remodel. You're throwing vegetables in the thing. It doesn't take much. Bones go into the trashcan. So does grease.My plumber told me to buy a 1/2 horse disposall, because anything more was a waste. I saw a 3/4 horse on sale for $89 instead of $74 for the 1/2, so I bought it. When the plumber saw it, he laughed at me for falling for the "bigger is always better" scam.As for a $100 an hour plumber, I would agree that REAL plumbing requires a REAL plumber. But, installing a faucet, disposall and dishwasher is so simple that a do-it-yourselfer can do it. Talk to the neighbors. Surely, someone knows a plumber working side jobs for half that rate or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcoole Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Exactly what I am saying. I have never fixed anything around the house. I was able to remove an old vanity, install a new one, install new faucets and a new drain. It seems harder than it is, it's really much easier than you would think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Exactly what I am saying. I have never fixed anything around the house. I was able to remove an old vanity, install a new one, install new faucets and a new drain. It seems harder than it is, it's really much easier than you would think.You can get in a bind though, especially with old galvanized plumbing. "Hey, this job will only take me 30 minutes!" ... 4 hours later... you're finally done. Regardless if the job seems hard or not... in the end... it's perseverance (and stubbornness that you're going to finish the job - no matter what) that will pull you through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 You can get in a bind though, especially with old galvanized plumbing. "Hey, this job will only take me 30 minutes!" ... 4 hours later... you're finally done. Regardless if the job seems hard or not... in the end... it's perseverance (and stubbornness that you're going to finish the job - no matter what) that will pull you through.I would think galvanized is easier than copper. No solder involved. Just teflon tape. Google 'How to install a faucet', or 'How to install a dishwasher', and you'll find a couple hundred sites explaining how to do it.This may be getting off the original question, but it goes to show that 700 bucks is probably high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 I would think galvanized is easier than copper. No solder involved. Just teflon tape. Google 'How to install a faucet', or 'How to install a dishwasher', and you'll find a couple hundred sites explaining how to do it.This may be getting off the original question, but it goes to show that 700 bucks is probably high.Old, rusty galvanized that you have to first undo, to put new in. It's backing out the old stuff that will make you cringe/cuss (e.g. you've got your biggest pipe wrench on a leaky shut-off valve, trying to get it off - and its not moving, at all... more force... and then finally... it breaks free... or it just breaks, crap.) Definitely agree that that putting in new galvanized is easier than new copper...Those web sites can indicate - "If your shut off valves are leaking, just replace them." That should be easy! ... Well... depends on what you're up against... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREASER Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Sorry to completely slap down your post GREASER, but spending even a dime over $100 is like throwing money down your insinkerator. 1/2 hp is all you need...unless you plan on grinding construction waste from your remodel. You're throwing vegetables in the thing. It doesn't take much. Bones go into the trashcan. So does grease.My plumber told me to buy a 1/2 horse disposall, because anything more was a waste. I saw a 3/4 horse on sale for $89 instead of $74 for the 1/2, so I bought it. When the plumber saw it, he laughed at me for falling for the "bigger is always better" scam.As for a $100 an hour plumber, I would agree that REAL plumbing requires a REAL plumber. But, installing a faucet, disposall and dishwasher is so simple that a do-it-yourselfer can do it. Talk to the neighbors. Surely, someone knows a plumber working side jobs for half that rate or less.My house is currently gutted due to the neighborhood handyman. Just hire someone. Think how much time you have wasted just contemplating what to do and reading postings and thinking about it etc....time is money and hopefully your time is worth more that savinga few bucks.When you talking such little money, I dont think spending a little over 100$ is a big deal. Plumbers are like everyone else in the service buisness, their job is to get it done, not stick around and see how long something last. Like the carpenter whos house has putty all over it and the mechanic whos car barely runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 My house is currently gutted due to the neighborhood handyman. Just hire someone. Think how much time you have wasted just contemplating what to do and reading postings and thinking about it etc....time is money and hopefully your time is worth more that savinga few bucks.When you talking such little money, I dont think spending a little over 100$ is a big deal. Plumbers are like everyone else in the service buisness, their job is to get it done, not stick around and see how long something last. Like the carpenter whos house has putty all over it and the mechanic whos car barely runs.Perhaps, but my plumber is also a good friend. He not only installed the faucet, disposer and dishwasher in the kitchen, but then replumbed the house. We discussed and debated virtually everything about residential plumbing. The opinions I am throwing up are his, not mine. As for spending more money than is needed, if that were not an issue, I suspect the OP would not have posted in the first place. Your post made it sound as if disposers under $100 were deficient. I was merely pointing out that my plumber advises that spending over $100 is a waste of money. One of his pet peeves is plumbing fixtures that try to make themselves seem better by jacking up their price. I also do not think $100 is a big deal, IF you get something for it. Looking on the Lowe's website, it looks like all you get for the extra 100 bucks is a nice outer shell...hardly worth $100 for something that is under the sink.Now, the DIY advice is a bit off-topic, and not something that most homeowners want to mess with. It takes a special breed to get satisfaction from installing plumbing yourself. Only freaks like myself would enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgallagher Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 If you are not good at that stuff, don't try to do it on your own. It should cost $250-$400 + the cost of the disposal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 If you are not good at that stuff, don't try to do it on your own. It should cost $250-$400 + the cost of the disposal.i'm thinking 400 is on the high end as well. 695 is outrageous IMO. i can't bend over that much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjetexas Posted August 25, 2008 Author Share Posted August 25, 2008 Thanks all for the advice. Bought the 1/2hp disposal myself for $75 and had a licensed independent a friend recommended do the work for about $300. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeats Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Thanks all for the advice. Bought the 1/2hp disposal myself for $75 and had a licensed independent a friend recommended do the work for about $300. Damn, that's what we should have done. That's what you get for being in a hurry... Good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Thanks all for the advice. Bought the 1/2hp disposal myself for $75 and had a licensed independent a friend recommended do the work for about $300. I love it when a good plan comes together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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