Plumber advice

Please could people advise.

We are having a loft extension which means moving a tank etc. The loft company plumber had to drain down the system. Afterwards in two of our bathrooms we had water leaking back into the toilet bowl which was probably due to limescale on the old parts inside the cistern so we needed to get them repaired.

Eventually we called in a plumber we have used before. He is expensive but reliable.

He drained down the system and replaced the parts plus some other valves etc that needed changing. Then the issue. When he filled the tank he couldn't get the cold water running again. This was Friday. So he eventually gets it going by late afternoon and leaves. By Friday late evening it had stopped again. He the came back on Monday. Eventually got it going and then the hot water stopped. By the time that was fixed it was Monday late afternoon.

He sent us the bill today and it was £150 parts and £850 labour.

I honestly don't think this is reasonable and have questioned him. He is blaming the loft plumber for leaving debris in the system for causing the inability to get the water running again. He is also saying if we don't pay in fill he will come over and remove his parts.

Can I have people's thoughts please?

Ps this is in Berkshire.

Get another plumber lined up and waiting to oversee and then tell him to come and get his parts.

Seems a lot for two days' work, but he has fixed it hasn't he? I'm guessing you didn't agree an hourly rate?

So 2 days work and 850 Labour ? Ask him for a breakdown before telling him to pi$$ off

Decent plumbers in our neck of the woods are £35-£40 per hour..

Ask him to break down the bill?

Original plumbers fault, should have been up there with a bucket and cleaned out the tank before draining and Pulling everything through the system, why did you not get them back out to fix it ?, second plumber don’t know why parts needed renewed I would have thought a strip down to clean them out and possibly new washers the repeat visit for the blockage is just bad luck i would say, he managed to clear some of it for it to later appear in another part of the system, as to cost I’m sorry don’t know the rates in your area

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Originally Posted by Onelasttime

Seems a lot for two days' work, but he has fixed it hasn't he? I'm guessing you didn't agree an hourly rate?

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I was thinking a few hours over the 2 days. If it's 2 work then it might be expense but...

Yes seems very high for 2 days work. 75% of which was him getting the air out of the system.

Unfortunately didn't get a quote for the work.

Still not sure what to do.

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Originally Posted by rdesouza

Yes seems very high for 2 days work. 75% of which was him getting the air out of the system.

Unfortunately didn't get a quote for the work.

Still not sure what to do.

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Well for a start, the threat of returning to remove the parts is an idle one; you don’t have to allow him back into your house and even if you did, he’s not legally allowed to touch anything.

The price does seem excessive so you need to see a breakdown of the bill before entering into any discussion with him.

Ok thanks. I've asked.

Generally plumbers (and to extent sparks but mainly plumbers) are ripping off so-and-sos that want to earn twice what I do per hour! As such I only use them if I really have to and all the other wet work I do my self. e.g. I got a plumber in to do the boiler swap, actually a perfectly respectable charge for that, but all the taps/showers/bathrooms/radiators/etc... I do myself. Kitchen company wanted £500 for a plumber to do the pipe work for the new kitchen... I did it my self in a day (saturday ready for the fitter coming on the monday). There's a learning curve involved so the first job takes you three times longer than it should but you gradually get better and faster. btw don't touch that plastic quickfit stuff... btdt :-( Reduced flow rates with the plastic and the only time I've ever had leaks was with plastic.

If only I had the ability and time..

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Originally Posted by rdesouza

If only I had the ability and time..

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Time? At £850 that’s a couple of weeks work-

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Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK

Decent plumbers in our neck of the woods are £35-£40 per hour..

Ask him to break down the bill?

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£90/h our way!


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I owe a local plumber for 5 call outs over the last few months. And a few parts too.

He’s got a tap to fit for me and then I’m gonna square up the bill.

I’ll be shocked if it’s anywhere approaching £500

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Originally Posted by rdesouza

He is also saying if we don't pay in fill he will come over and remove his parts.

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How is he going to get in to your home to do this ? Tell him you’ll call it quits at £300.

Price breakdown required!
My plumber is £170 a day, but he won’t come out at the drop of the hat so you’d of had no heating system for at least a week while you waited - so your going to pay more for someone who comes out (especially if you have already had someone else out first!)

Just had lots of work done by a decent plumber

£220 a day, pretty much 8 hours a day, although who knows how much work is actually done, in my head I feel that he’s not working at capacity but then who does

Ended up being 5 days, I had another quote from a recommended plumber who wanted to do it on a price and he wanted £1500 plus materials which I thought was a lot


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They really are robbing cheats (and that’s just the VAT man)

I assume that VAT is included in his ransom note?

Follow it up with the breakdown of costs, and what his hourly rate is (get him to prove by his terms and conditions - and not one cobbled together last night).

All very well him saying that you never asked for the rate, but then he carried out the work without you agreeing to any rate.

It gets better. He went up the loft companies scaffolding and had to climb through the window to get to the tank. On way out he had s small tumble that was witnessed by the roofers.

Got a call from the loft company saying he has sent them an email saying he will sue them for liability. He had a couple of small scratches.

Tell him you'll write to the tax man to let them know he charges so much just to make sure they ensure it is reflected in the taxes he pays........

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Originally Posted by rdesouza

It gets better. He went up the loft companies scaffolding and had to climb through the window to get to the tank. On way out he had s small tumble that was witnessed by the roofers.

Got a call from the loft company saying he has sent them an email saying he will sue them for liability. He had a couple of small scratches.

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Frankly the guy sounds like an arse.

That just sounds excessive!!! I live in the same area as you and a day rate should be around £200 per day or around £40 per hour. When I had to get some emergency work for a relative in west London it was £90 per hour - but they already gave me advice that it should only be around 2 hours (and it was).

He's just ripping you off.

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Originally Posted by rdesouza

It gets better. He went up the loft companies scaffolding and had to climb through the window to get to the tank. On way out he had s small tumble that was witnessed by the roofers.

Got a call from the loft company saying he has sent them an email saying he will sue them for liability. He had a couple of small scratches.

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That's a matter for the roofing company - their guys onsite should have told him he was not allowed on the scaffolding.

(or at least get a statement from his lads saying that he was told that he wasn't authorised to use the scaffolding)

Where can he "not get the water running" from - it should come in from the mains and he should be able to tell you where it gets to and that valve needs replacing. It sounds like you have cold storage in the loft so that valve may need replacing - hardly a difficult job I did one of these myself once.

The toilets probably just need a "jiggle" to clear the limescale or can replace the parts again this is straight forward and should be easy for any plumber.

Seems expensive but if it was an emergency call out then it would be higher however you should have agreed the price before hand. The reason I don't touch domestic stuff (sparky) is because too many know it all customers think my rates are too high and I should work for 50p an hour sorry if you know better then do it yourself no shortage of work for me anyway. A decent tradesperson has spent 4-8 years getting qualified plus keeping tickets updated etc every year or so. Just because they don't go to work in a suit doesn't mean they're worth less than you (not aimed at op)

Ask for a breakdown and take it from there he is not allowed to enter your property without your permission so taking the materials back isn't going to happen empty threat.


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Originally Posted by bootneck

Seems expensive but if it was an emergency call out then it would be higher however you should have agreed the price before hand. The reason I don't touch domestic stuff (sparky) is because too many know it all customers think my rates are too high and I should work for 50p an hour sorry if you know better then do it yourself no shortage of work for me anyway. A decent tradesperson has spent 4-8 years getting qualified plus keeping tickets updated etc every year or so. Just because they don't go to work in a suit doesn't mean they're worth less than you (not aimed at op)

Ask for a breakdown and take it from there he is not allowed to enter your property without your permission so taking the materials back isn't going to happen empty threat.


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Hi, not an emergency call. Trust me I dont mind paying for good service\skillset but I am starting to think he wacked up the price because he was going to try it with the loft company and then force me to pay the over inflated price to get rid of him or get the money from the loft company. Apparently this happens quite a lot with the loft company so they dont like anyone else using their scaffolding.

Just had a local guy pop round a fit a new 3 way valve and head ( been a bit dodgy for a few years) test him Saturday and he popped in foray with his partner and a trainee - all don’t for £180 whivj I thought was goid - the valve was partially behind a door frame so a little tricky