Why is plumbing so expensive?

So I have had this asked in a variety of ways.  The most common is the surprise at how long it took to fix the problem compared to the charge to fix the problem.  The customer is not saying it is to expensive, they are covering it up with how quick the process took.  Ok, let me shed some light on plumbing and the trades in general.

Like most service businesses, we sell time and experience.  To get a plumbing license (the initial one) you have to apprentice for two thousand hours before you can sit for the exam.  So a lot of time has been invested to understand how to fix the plumbing at your house or business.

There are four time elements to a normal repair.  The time to trouble shoot, the drive to the supply house for the parts.  The time to get to and from your location.  And finally the time to make the repair.  So it might take twenty minutes for the repair but all in it has taken two hours for the process.

And finally, part of the pricing is that there is a lack of plumbers in the market.  I am 51 and when I was in school you took shop.  And for kids that were not scholastically orientated they would go to trade schools (and have strong careers).  At some point that fell out of favor and now everyone goes to college where they can struggle and end up with degrees that won't support their lifestyle.  That's caused a lack of supply of good plumbers (or trades) which means pricing will actually continue to rise.

Long story short is that most plumbers (or trades in general) are not out to take advantage of people.  There is just a lot more time invested beyond the actual time to repair the problem.

Have a great day!