heart attack (almost!)

Well, just got the first quote for a *small* job that needs doing here.

We have 12m of gas pipe from the meter than needs replacing, 12m gets to the next join in the original pipe. (orig pipe is 1 1/4" gal)

Trench dug, sand ready to be used, all that needed to be done was undo the original pipe and put in the new pipe, test the joins and all should be fine. Should take about an hour (so the plumber said)(I would be surprised if it took that long, but thats just me)

$695 was his quote, approx $320 for 12m of copper pipe, a little more for any needed fittings, over $350 for an hour of labour (for a job he said he would probably do on his way home)

So is this the normal sort of price plumbers charge these days ??
(yes, he has the right ticket to do the gas work)

The best building estimator I ever knew once told me "its not what the job costs but what the market will bear"

if he is replacing it with 32mm/ i" 1/4 copper, he would be loosing money. it sounds the right price for 25mm/ 1"..... sounds like an expensive hour though. and yeah and hour would do it, if its already dug.

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Originally Posted by rat52

The best building estimator I ever knew once told me "its not what the job costs but what the market will bear"

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The market (ie: us) cannot & will not bear that price :)

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Originally Posted by davo2310

if he is replacing it with 32mm/ i" 1/4 copper, he would be loosing money. it sounds the right price for 25mm/ 1".....

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25mm is what he was going to use, and we do not have too much a problem with that, we know the price of copper has gone thru the roof lately.

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sounds like an expensive hour though. and yeah and hour would do it, if its already dug.

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Oh yeah, we spent a few hours with the crow bar, jack hammer & shovel digging the trench, the reason for the work to be done is we are landscaping the front yard, and found the gas pipe about 50mm below ground level (err, I knew where the pipe was, but assumed it would be at least 300mm down, guess the old days, 1963, were not real strict for somethings!)

Just got a call from a mate of my son, a plumber with the right tickets, $480 :(

He has convinced me there is really nothing wrong with the original pipe, there were no leaks or anything like that, so for $100 he will add some length and lower it to go down into the trench, back fill with packing sand and all should be fine.Thats the way we are going...

if it's gal pipe, you should replace waht u can now. its going to rust out eventually

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Originally Posted by davo2310

if it's gal pipe, you should replace waht u can now. its going to rust out eventually

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Yes, it is gal pipe , it will be replace sometime in the next few years, the stuff in the ground (about 9m) is starting to look a bit shabby, all the gal pipe under the house looks as good as the day it was first put in though, when it comes time to actually replace it, it will be an easy job, the trench has already been dug, and is to be backfilled today with mostly sand, it is 90% in a garden bed.

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Originally Posted by Terrian

He has convinced me there is really nothing wrong with the original pipe, there were no leaks or anything like that, so for $100 he will add some length and lower it to go down into the trench, back fill with packing sand and all should be fine.Thats the way we are going...

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Job done, took him about 45 minutes, charged me $70, said when we do need to get the original pipe replace there will be a less messing around for him to do (brazing fittings to copper pipe etc) so should only take 1/2hr or so to replace the old gal that will need replacing .