Plumbers quote for drainage and hook up

[Heather M]

Hi anyone that can help.

Asked a local plumber for a quote on plumbing a new house drainage, hook up and gas. The house is small 2 bedroom all plumbing at one end of house except for the one gas heating outlet. One shower, one toilet and two sinks. We will purchase our own gas instaneous heater and water tanks but all drainage to be supplied by plumber. Drainage will be a Septic tank with 67m2 absorption trench. We were quoted $13,600 I almost died. How can this quote be so high? I asked the plumber to break up the estimation he said he couldn't except that drainage was $8,500. Does this sound right? I'm an owner builder completely no idea, this is scary and we have only just begun. Any help would be great. thanks

[bsrlee]

The phone book is your friend. Ring around the district & some larger firms that aren't local - be prepared to fax them the plans. The 'I refuse to give you an itemised quote' line definitely sounds odd to me.

[batcat]

It IS only the first quote - dont panic yet, he may not have really wanted the job so overquoted.
Not knowing your layout, did he include the cost of a machine & driver to dig the drainage etc - I recently got a quote to seperate my sewer from a shared line, less than 10mtrs of drainage to be dug, admittedly 2+mtrs down to the board's main, (he reckoned too much to hand dig) so included an excavators quote of $3,000+ and $3000+ for plumbing.
Any other new work around your area? See if you can hunt out any other OB's who can reccomend (or not) any plumbers.

[SilentButDeadly]

....not being able to give a itemised quote is garbage. Find another plumber.

It'd be worth checking hourly rates for a Bobcat operator in your area. They charge about $80 per hour in our neck of the woods and I'd imagine you've a days work there at least. Add another couple of grand (five?) for the septic. Then another grand for drainage parts and gravel....

As for the inside cost.....seen the price for copper pipe recently? See if you can find someone who'll use the Auspex push fit gear. Saves time if nothing else.

But overall when you take into account that it might take the best part of three days work for two people to do your job......perhaps ten grand plus is not unlikely.