COST OF PLUMBING ON THE GOLD COAST
If you want to get a plumber out to your house on the Gold Coast and you are wondering “how much will it cost”.
There are several things you will need to be aware of that can impact your final decision when hiring a Gold Coast Plumber.
Ringing around and asking plumbers what their hourly rate is and choosing your plumber based on the cheapest price isn’t necessarily the best idea. You need to find out what type of plumber they are. Are they are a one-man-show or a company that employs a team of plumbers. Depending on what type of plumber they are can impact the costs they charge and also the quality of service and workmanship that you get for your money.
Costs of a plumber working on their own
A single plumber working as a one-man-show will often have a cheaper hourly rate than a plumbing company. This is because they will have less running costs and overheads. Therefore they don’t have to charge as much. However, there are pitfalls involved in this type of plumber. Problems customers may often face are as follows:
- This plumber rarely answers their phone and is difficult to get in contact with, because they can’t take calls and work on the tools at the same time. You may have to wait quite a while to get confirmation for an appointment.
- You usually have to take whatever appointment time they give you. This is because they don’t have staff to juggle around, so there’s not a lot of flexibility in their schedule.
- Usually they have minimal tools and equipment to do the job as they don’t have the money to invest in specialised equipment that can get the job done quicker, saving you time and costs.
- They usually do not spend time or money educating themselves so if laws or the plumbing code change; they may continue doing things the ‘old’ way which may now be illegal.
- Sometimes they are not insured or properly licensed. Always make sure you check that they have the up to date required licenses. Most people don’t realise a separate licence is required to perform gas work.
- Their hire costs are usually charged by the hour so you never know how much the job will cost until the end. You could end up with a nasty surprise.
- It appears to be common practice for this type of plumber to take payments in ‘cash’ and not issue you with an invoice or receipt in return for you not paying the GST. Although you may save paying the GST you are put at risk because there is no record that they have performed the job for you. If anything goes wrong they won’t come back to fix it, you won’t be covered by their insurance and there will be no warranty.
- Some plumbers will tell you their hourly rate when asked but do not include the GST. Make sure you check if it is included, otherwise the rate that you were given may increase when given the final bill.
- It may take a lot longer for a big job to be completed as one person working is a lot slower than two or three. If time is important to you then this needs to be considered.
Costs of a plumbing company
Although the price may be a little more when engaging a reputable Gold Coast plumbing company, there are many more benefits that you receive as the customer. Some of these benefits include:
- When you ring the plumbing company a booking officer will answer the phone and schedule your appointment straight away. This is very useful especially when you have a plumbing emergency or you have a specific time that you need to book your appointment.
- The company vehicles are fully stocked with fittings and materials so the plumber won’t waste your time going back and forward to the suppliers and then charge you for it.
- A plumbing company usually has convenient ways for you to make payments like credit card and EFTPOS facilities.
- A proper run plumbing company ensures that they have up to date insurance and the required plumbing and gas licences.
- A fixed price quote can be provided before starting the job so you know exactly what the price will be and you can decide if that suits you before going ahead with the work.
- They have a legitimate website where you can check out their profile and perform your own research on the company before you call them.
Above all, the cheapest rate isn’t necessarily the best. Make sure you decide what is important to you before ringing around and enquiring about cost of Gold Coast Plumbers. There is a well-known principal when it comes to business. There are three options, price, quality and time, but you can only choose two.