Is it usual to pay to get a quotation?

Discussion in 'Repairs & Maintenance' started by Burramys, 18th Jul, 2019.

Join Australia's most dynamic and respected property investment community
  1. Burramys

    Burramys Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,921
    Location:
    Melbourne
    I have a very slow leak and will have all the flexible hoses replaced, a very simple job for a plumber. There's maybe $100 at most for the hoses, probably a lot less, and under two hours for the plumber, so it will be $2-300. I'm getting estimates and hourly rates but two companies want to charge me $50 for a fixed quote, which will come off the job if it proceeds. If not I have lost $50. It seems to me that the $50 is to make the owner think that costs have been paid, may as well go with the first company. Getting three estimates or rates on this basis would cost $150.

    I can see that a fixed cost is useful when there's a substantial reno, but for a small job it does not appeal at all. Is it common for tradies to charge for quotations? TIA.
     
  2. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    41,672
    Location:
    Australia wide
    yes it is common
     
  3. Propertunity

    Propertunity Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    19th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    3,476
    Location:
    NSW
    You want a fixed price quote. Tradies are happy to do work on an hourly rate basis, so they don't lose out. If you want a fixed price there is obviously more risk in it for them - so they will inflate the amount to cover contingencies or charge you for a quote to cover the fact that they are pobably not going to win the job.
     
    wylie likes this.
  4. marmot

    marmot Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    23rd Jan, 2018
    Posts:
    1,215
    Location:
    N.S.W , W.A
    For small jobs its a waste of time driving 15-20 , inspecting and writing a quote and then driving 20 minutes again for a job that they might not even get..
    That two hour job just turned into a three hour job , thats even if they win the quote.
    Its also to stop time wasters just looking for extra quotes.
     
    Foxdan, Stoffo, thatbum and 3 others like this.
  5. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    6,380
    Location:
    Qld
    $50 seems very reasonable - around an hour of their time plus travelling expenses.

    Experience has probably taught them that requests for a fixed quote usually means the person is tradie-shopping for the cheapest price.
    Marg
     
    Empire, thatbum, Guest and 5 others like this.
  6. budgetbathrooms

    budgetbathrooms Member

    Joined:
    16th Jul, 2019
    Posts:
    5
    Location:
    Melbourne, Victoria
    Hi, we do all ours for free except for an interior designer.
     
  7. Shogun

    Shogun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th May, 2018
    Posts:
    2,861
    Location:
    Perth
    If your sure it's $100 of flexible hoses. Not sure how installing them would be 2 hours labour. Just get prices for 2 hours work.
     
  8. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    27,100
    Location:
    Sydney or NSW or Australia
    And no guarantee on the hoses from the plumber. If they buy them, their problem to come back and fix, you supply them, then they'll charge to replace if they burst.
     
  9. Shogun

    Shogun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th May, 2018
    Posts:
    2,861
    Location:
    Perth
    I guess I worded that poorly. I am used to tradesman only installing parts they supplied.
     
  10. Guest

    Guest Guest

    For a small job it would not appeal to quote for free as a tradesperson.

    I don't even understand why you would bother with three quotes for such a small job. You are wasting your own time and theirs.
     
    Beano, MRO, Angel and 1 other person like this.
  11. Burramys

    Burramys Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,921
    Location:
    Melbourne
    Thanks. The companies that wanted $50 to quote would not even give me an hourly rate. While I'm not a plumber I have a fair idea of how long it would take and thought $2-300. I got one estimate of $180 and I'm going with him, paying at rates. Most tradies work steadily and do not pad out the time. Only once was I caught, with an idiot licensed plumber who totally botched the job. I did not pay them but paid another plumber half what the first one wanted to fix the damage.

    I have never asked for anything more than sight unseen estimates and rates for simple jobs.

    The kitchen sink is a mongrel of hoses for the sink and dishwasher, with poor access due to a shelf. Two hours may be a bit much but it's close enough for the purposes. The $50 companies would not even quote on two hours.

    Edit: Joseph, we posted at about the same time. I was not after quotations. I wanted an estimate and rates. Agree, getting three quotes for such a small job is silly. However, there is quite a variation in prices. One estimate received late today was for over $500.
     
  12. Guest

    Guest Guest

    So the $50 was not a fee to attend and quote, but simply to put in writing their charge for the job? That does seems strange then. Are you absolutely certain there wasn't an expectation they would look in person?
     
  13. marmot

    marmot Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    23rd Jan, 2018
    Posts:
    1,215
    Location:
    N.S.W , W.A
    Do isolation valves (stopcocks) need to be fitted at the wall as well.
    Many early flexible hose setups with mixer taps were just connected up to the old pipework.
    Some states now require plumbers to fit a stopcock on flexible hose and mixer taps when they are replaced.
     
  14. Burramys

    Burramys Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,921
    Location:
    Melbourne
    I was burrowing under the kitchen sink and found there were no stop cocks for the hot and cold pipes. Interestingly, this is the only place where there are no stop cocks, and adding them will be tricky. There is one 19 mm copper pipe visible and the end of the other one is buried well behind the cabinet, connected with a flexible hose that will be very hard or impossible to replace without demolishing the cabinets.
     
  15. marmot

    marmot Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    23rd Jan, 2018
    Posts:
    1,215
    Location:
    N.S.W , W.A
    A good plumber should be able to take it in his stride, the advantage with having them fitted is you dont need an emergency plumber to come out if it goes on a weekend , or go without showers, using the toilet, and not even being able to wash your hands or boil water for a few days.
    I think it even voids some warranties for mixer taps.
     
    Mws likes this.
  16. Burramys

    Burramys Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,921
    Location:
    Melbourne
    The plumber replaced the HWS, replaced the hoses and installed stop cocks. No charge to quote, lowest price, $1550. The other people were asking for $3000+. The prices included the new HWS and removing the old one. It took most of a day. My gas use has dropped about 60%, a good result.
     
    Last edited: 7th Oct, 2019
    Terry_w likes this.
  17. bunkai

    bunkai Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    858
    Location:
    Sydney
    Interesting. What did you change from / to?

    I have a suspicion my old instantaneous system uses too much gas...
     
  18. Burramys

    Burramys Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,921
    Location:
    Melbourne
    The old gas HWS was a big unit, maybe 1600 mm high. The gas was on all the time, and this is the main reason that the gas use has dropped. The new gas HWS is a Rinnai 26 litre a minute variety, much smaller than the old HWS. The Rinnai has gas on demand, so when the hot tap is turned on the HWS heats the water. The old HWS was big and the new HWS is small, and with the modern look is aesthetically very pleasing. I used a Rinnai plumber. He said he could get the HWS for less cost than other plumbers.
     
  19. Burramys

    Burramys Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,921
    Location:
    Melbourne
    The plumber has just advised that the old gas HWS was a Parsons combination boiler – late 70s to early 80s.
     
  20. Paul@PAS

    Paul@PAS Tax, Accounting + SMSF + All things Property Tax Business Plus Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    23,319
    Location:
    Sydney
    Ahh modern technology ...Heat pumps, instantaneous, solar and all sorts of technology reduces emissions impact, energy rating and cost. Just have to filter the fact from fantasy.