Wow...high priced handyman!

[JeffJ]

Its a busy week and the wife decided we needed to replace three ceiling fans and a vanity light in our downstairs guest bath. Seeing as we were busy this week I called a friends handy man. He quoted me the following:

Three ceiling fans @ $85/ea
One vanity @ $75

I laughed and told him I would get back to him.

I installed the vanity last night in 9 minutes.

[Langston32]

yea that is a little high lol, he is probably just really busy.

[PondPopper]

Yep. My mother in-law,who is single,had her 40 gallon electric hot water heater go out. It's in her garage and it's very easy to access. Some shyster plumber she called quoted $300 to pull it and replace it. My wife called me upset and told me. I said "ain't no way that's happening". That is ridiculous!!!

I did it for her after church and it took a whole 45 minutes.
I realize folks have to make a living but WOW.... That's theft...

[Amazing Grace]

I have been building a house and I'm not even going to get started on the stupid bids and crappy work that has nearly driven me insane over the last several months.

[Gummi Bear]

Those prices are on the high end, but certainly not out of line...

For every 5 minute job, the next one takes 2 or 3 hours and a trip or two to the hardware store because something is not correct.

People don't want to pay $X per hour, they want to know how much it costs beforehand, and that is a rate determined by experience.

It is expensive to do work like that. Truck, fuel, insurance, insurance for truck, tools, parts inventory, communications, billing, etc. It goes up even more if you have employees, and have to cover their benefits as well.

[Slew]

Those are hunting season rates!

[Larry]

Doesn't seem high to me. He's gotta make a living just like the rest of us. It's probably a price plenty will pay if you don't have the skills to do it yourself.

[Avezorak]

Not that high.

[perow]

pretty fair price

[OrangeBlood]

.

[expressfish]

hang a ceiling fan, thats about $125 in my book. Fuel, time to location and back, misc connectors, actual labor adds up.

[one2bowhunt]

I love how people say someone's prices are to high. You must have no idea what it cost to run a business. He has to carry insurance right? That's not cheap. Taxes? You know that on average 40% of every dollar in profit goes to the local, state, and federal government? He has to have tools to perform the work, those cost some coin. Drove his truck over their right? To look at the job? Then come back later to perhaps to do the job? That's at least two trips to your house worth of fuel. Good thing that's getting cheaper. And what if he has to go get parts? Back in that truck waisting at minimum half an hour of his time to go get you the correct parts needed to do the job that you don't know how to do, or are to busy to do, or to lazy to do. Contractors are just trying to do something they enjoy and make a living at it. Most contractors work twice as many hours and make less than half what they did working for someone else. If I show up at your house or job and do work or start my machine it will cost you $160. Even if it's only 5 min of time. Just something to think about.

[35remington]

Price is fair. Don't like it? Install yourself. Just like you did.

[Walding1989]

Those prices are on the high end, but certainly not out of line...

For every 5 minute job, the next one takes 2 or 3 hours and a trip or two to the hardware store because something is not correct.

People don't want to pay $X per hour, they want to know how much it costs beforehand, and that is a rate determined by

experience.

It is expensive to do work like that. Truck, fuel, insurance, insurance for truck, tools, parts inventory, communications, billing, etc. It goes up even more if you have employees, and have to cover their benefits as well.

Yep thats right overhead. No need for complaining man's gotta make some money.

[TP3]

So less than 350 bucks to remove and replace 3 ceiling fans...and a vanity?

Doesn't sound unreasonable to me. I wouldn't be surprised if someone else gave you a higher bid.

How long did it take you to remove and replace the ceiling fans?