Replace a shutoff valve in five minutes

[Terry]

Robert Schlosser says he can replace a toilet shutoff valve and escutcheon in five minutes.
Without a sleeve puller.

Because of that, he thinks we shouldn't charge for the work.
What do the plumbers think?
Should we charge for a five minute job of replacing the shutoff, included ferrule, back nut and wall plate?
Can it in fact be done in five minutes by anyone?
What is the average time to shut down the water to the home, drain the pipes out low enough to prevent ruining the floors, pull the back nut off, replace the wall plate, the shutoff, and then get the water back up in the home?
Five minutes?

Is is this guy just trying to work me?

 

[hj]

IN many cases 5 minutes might be more than enough, but even it it takes 10 seconds, such as cutting off the refill tube of a Fluidmaster, or pressing the disposer's reset button, it STILL costs the customer the minimum ONE HOUR charge. I stopped being altruistic when I started in the business 60 years ago.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Bluebinky]

Maybe UPS should deliver for free, since it only takes a couple of seconds to hand off a package and they were in the neighborhood anyway

I'm not a "real" plumber, but I would certainly have a minimum charge if I was. As with any business, just showing up implies a significant overhead...

 

[hj]

I once had a customer complain to my boss that I charged for a full hour when I was only there for a couple of minutes. I explained to him AND my boss, that he owed the "full hour fee" as soon as I put the key in the ignition and started the truck. He said, "I wish I could get paid that much for just starting my car." I told him he could, IF he knew how to fix plumbing problems, but if he did, he would not have called me in the first place.

 

[Gary Swart]

My non-professional opinion is this. If you make a call to a home for the sole purpose of replacing that valve, then you should be paid for the service call. If you are already in the home doing other work at your regular rate, then you should have the option of charging a modest price or if the whole job was large enough, throw in the 5 minute valve replacement as a freebie. Again, your option, but if you do, note it on your bill to the the customer and mark it "No Charge".

 

[Jimbo]

Robert Schlosser says he can replace a toilet shutoff valve and escutcheon in five minutes.
Without a sleeve puller.

I would refer all calls for shutoff valve replacement to him!!!!!!

 

[hj]

Thinking about the original question, I wonder if he meant that if it was changed during the course of a "total" job, there should not be an additional labor fee for doing it, then that might be a valid point, as opposed to "flat rate" plumbers who have a separate "additional" charge, for EVERY task.

 

[Terry]

It's a separate charge if a shutoff valve is replaced.
We have to shut the water down, drain it, pull the back nut off, Emory the pipe, supply new parts; shutoff and escutcheon, and then bring the water back on.
And then of course, there is the implied warranty on the new parts and repair. I don't touch anything without considering my insurance payments and liability for working in someone's home.

We don't install shutoffs or supply lines that are left by the homeower.
We buy the best and stock them on the trucks.

I've seen cases in the past where saving a buck or two can mean a service call later on. One problem in 100 is still too expensive when it comes to call backs.

We normally pull the back nut, unlike many plumbers, and replace the wall plate. It all looks very nice when completed. Some plumbers pull out a can of paint and cover the old rusted plate. We like shiney new stuff.