snickerzmom

Okay, technically, I'm not the wife until next month.

I thought I would post a note here first, introducing myself and letting you know who I am, why I am here and what I am looking for. And I'd appreciate any and all assistance - even if you are just directing me to a thread on the forum that I haven't found yet, or might overlook. Oh, and please overlook (but feel free to correct me) on any terminology errors I might make. Thanks!

My fiance is a plumber working as a foreman for a construction company. He works mostly with pipe fitters and on heating systems.

We have been asked recently if we were interested in side jobs doing some repair work. It seems that in this area, plumbers are not that interested in the smaller repair jobs in industrial buildings and have been regularly passing on them. I would think that is odd in this economy, but I know the person who has asked for help, and she has no reason to exaggerate.

My fiance has been talking about starting a plumbing business for a while, and this seems like our opportunity to try it on for size and see if it is something he wants to do full time.

Where I need help is the following:

• Is there a listing somewhere of the standard hours to quote for jobs ie: toilet removal x hours toilet replacement x.5 hours, etc.
• What is a fair rate to charge? We were considering $100-$110 per hour. (We are in Toronto, Ontario)
• Should we be charging a "truck fee" for showing up, and what is a reasonable minimum hour charge (3 or 4 hours?)
• It seems that we should be charging cost + 30% for parts, is that correct?
• We have looked into liability insurance, it's seems we would be looking at $1K to $2K per year, does that seem right
• Do any of you have websites? Are they attracting customers?
• Are there things we should be taking into consideration that we might be missing?

My fiance wants to purchase an estimating program, but the one I saw discussed here was $2000+, that is a bit steep for us. I would expect that with a table of estimated hours for standard jobs, I could whip up something in excel fairly quickly.

Thank you in advance for welcoming me!

Colleen

Phat Cat

[quote]Not that you asked, but 'the wife' seems like a lowly title for someone who's doing her man's work.

Sounds like 'the husband' may have an opportunity in a niche business and investigating the opportunity may be a wise thing to do.

If he is going to do the work, he should assign his own time to complete the tasks. Most books that list times are averages and are useful when managing more than one plumber with different skill levels IMHO.

Your anticipated costs need to be determined first before coming up with an hourly rate. If you want to side step this very important step, call local plumbers and try to find out what they charge. Your fiance is in the industry, surely he can find out the number.

You may want to see what is customary in your area regarding 'truck fees' and minimum charges. Many small plumbing companies have a one hour minimum.

No, it's a bit more complicated than that.

Shop your quotes and you will get the right number.

Yes & Yes.

What is your risk tolerance? Do you have financial backing? Is this the right time to start a business? The first year of marriage is an adventure - starting a business takes a lot of time and work with little energy left over for anything else.

Welcome to PZ Colleen!

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house plumber

I would do what PC says.

ILPlumber

$1000 to $2000 per year.....

I wish.

What will snickerz do while mommy is gone to work.

Have your fiance' post here. This is a board dedicated to plumbers. Not people who think they might become one.

snickerzmom

Thank you for the feedback PC!

No worries Matt, I just didn't want to be a lurker - thought I would say hi, let you know I am here and, yes, eventually get my fiance on to the board. Oh, and the liability seemed off to me, which is why I posted the question. My background is in electronics, wire and cable, so I am used to selling and quoting materials and labour jobs (been doing it for 25+ years), but I don't have any experience in quoting plumbing jobs. Hense the questions. And I always go to the experts when I have a question, and this board looked like the right one.

I would like to say that the discussions in the Business section have been very, very helpful with our analysis. Thank you to the members for having such great discussions.

I probably should have mentioned that John is a Master Plumber - but he has always worked for a company, and not on his own, which is why we are doing our research before making a move.

Again, thank you for the input and feedback.

ILPlumber

I couldn't tell you what coverage a service plumber carries to begin with. I have no idea what it would cost. I bet someone does.

TheMaster

Your in the range of liability insurance cost for owner/operator. It depends on how much money you make and the type of plumbing work you do and where.

Plumber Jim

I would agree with PC. and for your insurance that sounds about right. Get some more quotes to be sure though. Get your soon to be husband on here. we have a bunch of guys from Canada here. If you do a search on the site you should find some posts on how to figure out what your hourly rate should be.

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Tommy plumber

Welcome aboard. My liability insurance is about $900 per year- but I work alone. Just me, myself and I. Some plumbing companies around here who still charge by the hour are charging around $ 85.00 per hour plus of course materials. Those of us who are flat rate, can base the flat rate on a certain amount that we need to earn per hour. For example: If your overhead dictates that you should earn $ 100 per hour and you repair a toilet which takes 1 1/2 hrs., then your flat rate will be $ 150 just for labor plus another figure for parts. That's how you will arrive at a flat rate.

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Hire a licensed master plumber.

OldSchool

Our insurance is about 12 K per year or 1K per month....

Rates will vary on your Gross Sales.. more sales higher liabilty.

Dont be the cheapest guy in town that gets you no where fast. Its like spinning your wheels while you are stuck in the mud.

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