To thying think plumber is trying to overcharge us?

[FrogCatchcer]

DH and I are doing up our first house and are on a very tight budget.

We're had to install a central heating system, bathroom & kitchen. Plumber had (verbally) said he would install sink and gas supply to oven.

He then said he didn't remember agreeing to this but he could do it. Fine, great, we thought.

We have just received a £400 invoice from him, £300 for installing sink (everything already there & sink came with waste) and extending the gas supply to oven.. This took him a morning, if that,and materials only come to £20 by my calculations (plumbing kit & pipes).

AIBU to think he is overcharging us and to challenge him?

Does sound expensive. Can you calculate the hourly rate for the previous work? I guess you were happy with the cost for that work?

I plumbed in out sink myself with a b&q kit and a DIY book. Joiner cut the hole in the work surface for me and I did the rest.

Fwiw our plumber charged me £40 to move a radiator inc draining system, new pipe work and lifting floorboards/carpet. £300+ seems OTT

Our plumber charged £200 to remove replace a leaky radiator in the bathroom, which was also has an electric over-ride switch on it. Price included new radiator (very nice one too). He also charged £400 to replace a power shower, again price included the shower.

I would ask for a full breakdown - any work I've had done on my house has come with a breakdown of the supply and labour costs.

Also get him to estimate first next time!

He has given a breakdown:

Installed new kitchen sink.
Installed new kitchen sink tap.
Connected new kitchen waste.
Connected new hot cold supplies to kitchen sink.
Installed w/m connections.
Installed gas supply to new cooker.

It took him about half a day, everything was pretty much in place anyway... He charges £200 a day by the way.
I just cannot believe it is going to cost us £400, we could have done it ourselves!

I'd tell him he's taking the piss and give him £100 since that's half his day rate.

Wow yeah I'd definitely talk to him. £400 for a half a days work when he admits to only asking £200 for a whole day is ridiculous

you couldn't be messing around with gas supplies yourselves.

You should have agreed a price before hand, not wait for an invoice.

I think £50 an hour is normal, at least for the first hour. Why didn't you get a written quote (or three)?

But yes, itemised bill. Time plus supplies.

Dh has now really fallen out with him, it's so awkward... He is saying that he is charging extra not for kitchen but for bathroom. He agreed to lay vinyl floor and tile around bath for £200.
I had a call from him the morning of the job to say the wall wasn't straight so I would need to buy different tiles. I found some within an hour and took them back to house, there weren't enough so had to wait until next day to get the rest. He didn't mention charging us anymore as they were different tiles... I got vinyl planks instead if sheet (his recommendation), so he also want tk charge more as they took longer to lay... None of this was mentioned until now!!! Arghhhh!

Better to ask for written quotes. Even for extra pieces of work.

£400 does sound expensive. Does this include VAT?

The gas connection to the cooker you should not do yourself but connecting a sink with waste supplied is straightforward and actually both seemed to take him a long time.

Its unusual to get a plumber to do tiling as well. I think he's pushing his luck. Query his invoice and try to get him to halve it!