Compared two local plumbers for a pipe replacement last month

One charged me $150 just to look at it and the other gave me a full quote over the phone for free, so I went with the second guy and the job was done in under two hours - has anyone else had better luck skipping the fancy companies?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_adam27d ago

Funny you mention that - my brother-in-law runs a small heating and air outfit and he says the same thing happens all the time. He'll give someone a free estimate over the phone and then show up and fix their furnace in 20 minutes, but they still act surprised when he doesn't bill them for the visit. The big companies have all those office people and fancy trucks to pay for (not to mention the owner's boat payment, probably). I've had the same luck with our local electrician - called three guys, one wanted $75 just to come out and another quoted me over text and fixed the breaker in an hour for a flat rate. Seems like the smaller operators are hungrier for work and cut through the BS.

cora_scott7727d ago

Wait, do you ever wonder how some of those bigger shops stay in business with those charges? lol. I had a similar thing with a plumber last year - called a chain place and they wanted $80 just to look at the toilet, but this older dude down the street came over, fixed the flapper in like ten minutes, and only charged me for the part. Honestly feels like the little guys just want to get the job done and move on, whereas the big ones nickel and dime you before they even pull into your driveway.