Charging for quotes & estimates

[KTrain]

Free quotes on large projects is pretty standard. We received a free quote on some shutters we had installed last year and family had a few for a larger landscaping job. That's normal.

I don't think it's the same for small fixes or appliance repair. It's not worth their time to come out for what should be a $200 job only to have the homeowner say it's too much.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by BsFaninCGY

Is this a new thing? I've had two instances in the last few months where I needed to bring in a professional to work on my house. One was for replacing a hot water boiler, the second - today - I need someone to look at a toilet that isn't draining water from the bowl well.

Both times when calling around for quotes I get met with 'we quote when we're on site. On site visits cost $xx.xx'. Basically, we have no possible idea how much it could possibly cost to replace a hot water tank. We need to see it. Then we can charge whatever we want because we're there, you paid for us to be there, and you might as well go through with it.

I feel this is an incredibly scummy way to do business. I'm self employed and have a rate sheet I devised that will cover 99% of the jobs I will get. Want to hire me? I give a quote, we go from there. Why are these trades any different? Is this the way things are going or is just select companies? Or am I totally out of whack to think they should know a basic cost to plunge a toilet?

/rant. Know any good plumbers?

How can you possibly value somebody's time and expertise at $0? I can't fathom that mentality.

[Ducay]

The boiler quote should have been free

The toilet not draining sounds like someone wants the plumber to come out and do a free diagnosis. That one could be a $80 job not worth sending an estimator and then a plumber, heck or even a plumber himself.

[BsFaninCGY]

Originally Posted by Sliver

How can you possibly value somebody's time and expertise at $0? I can't fathom that mentality.

What are you talking about?? I want an over-the-phone estimate for the starting price for a service they supply. How you stretched that to mean I place $0 value on someone's expertise is why you're the troll you are. Unless you're talking about the expertise involved in telling someone what their service costs. Then yes, I don't place much value on being a verbal price tag. Sheesh.

[Frequitude]

Sounds very reasonable. You are looking for information that is of value to you and which takes hours of effort for someone to prepare. That is something you should expect to pay for.

[BsFaninCGY]

Originally Posted by Ducay

The boiler quote should have been free

The toilet not draining sounds like someone wants the plumber to come out and do a free diagnosis. That one could be a $80 job not worth sending an estimator and then a plumber, heck or even a plumber himself.

Nope, not looking for someone to come over and estimate. Looking for a starting rate. Just like every other service-based industry. Cell phones, internet, tv, delivery companies, light & power - the list goes on. They all provide a starting point for prices and prices can change based on needs.

The narratives some of y'all are pushing is insane.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by KTrain

Free quotes on large projects is pretty standard. We received a free quote on some shutters we had installed last year and family had a few for a larger landscaping job. That's normal.

I don't think it's the same for small fixes or appliance repair. It's not worth their time to come out for what should be a $200 job only to have the homeowner say it's too much.

I guess it depends on what they do. If they come to your house to see why your fridge or range isn't working, then I can understand paying. You're not just paying for them to come and quote a repair, you're also paying them to come and do some troubleshooting/diagnosis work.

For somebody to come and quote you on a new fence/deck/windows/siding, etc. Then they're not diagnosing anything.

[BsFaninCGY]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Sounds very reasonable. You are looking for information that is of value to you and which takes hours of effort for someone to prepare. That is something you should expect to pay for.

Hours?! Holy ####. What do you do for a living? It takes me seconds to look at my price list and quote someone. It may have taken hours to build the list, but that's the cost of doing business + experience.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by BsFaninCGY

Nope, not looking for someone to come over and estimate. Looking for a starting rate. Just like every other service-based industry. Cell phones, internet, tv, delivery companies, light & power - the list goes on. They all provide a starting point for prices and prices can change based on needs.

The narratives some of y'all are pushing is insane.

But you literally said in your OP they gave you a starting rate to come look at it.....

[BsFaninCGY]

Originally Posted by Ducay

But you literally said in your OP they gave you a starting rate to come look at it.....

They gave me a quote to come look at it yes. I don't want that. I want an estimate before they come. You know, where they've unclogged 10,000 toilets in their time so they know a rough idea of costs? That sort of thing. It's not unreasonable. I'll pay them to come over and fix it once I know the cost. Not the other way around.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by BsFaninCGY

What are you talking about?? I want an over-the-phone estimate for the starting price for a service they supply. How you stretched that to mean I place $0 value on someone's expertise is why you're the troll you are. Unless you're talking about the expertise involved in telling someone what their service costs. Then yes, I don't place much value on being a verbal price tag. Sheesh.

I don't believe you couldn't get a price over the phone for a hot water tank unless there is something weird going on with your hot water tank. I had to replace mine a couple years ago. Five minutes on the phone had me three or four quotes.

The toilet - how do you expect someone to quote that when they don't know what is wrong? They need to be at your house to figure out what is wrong. To do that takes time, and you should want to compensate them for their time if you want them to run a business that is available the next time you need them.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by BsFaninCGY

They gave me a quote to come look at it yes. I don't want that. I want an estimate before they come. You know, where they've unclogged 10,000 toilets in their time so they know a rough idea of costs? That sort of thing. It's not unreasonable. I'll pay them to come over and fix it once I know the cost. Not the other way around.

Yeah, they probably have repaired a lot of toilets and I'm sure they know better than you that it can take between five minutes with a plunger and three days if they're replacing pipes, ordering you a new toilet, etc.

If somebody doesn't want to pay a reasonable fee for you to come to their house, that's a giant red flag. You can't make a guy like OP happy. If you say well, 90% of the time we can just do a plunge and a snake and it'll cost $120, other times it's based on an hourly rate until the problem is fixed you can bet he'll throw a tantrum if it is more than $120.

[BsFaninCGY]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I don't believe you couldn't get a price over the phone for a hot water tank unless there is something weird going on with your hot water tank. I had to replace mine a couple years ago. Five minutes on the phone had me three or four quotes.

The toilet - how do you expect someone to quote that when they don't know what is wrong? They need to be at your house to figure out what is wrong. To do that takes time, and you should want to compensate them for their time if you want them to run a business that is available the next time you need them.

I don't believe you had 4 quotes in 5 minutes. You're a liar. See, we can both do that?

No one would give me a quote over the phone (of the 4 or 5 places I called). Believe it, don't, I don't care. But I certainly didn't start a post to open dialog on the practice of paid quotes with lies just because.

The toilet, sure, maybe there is 200 possible things that could be wrong and the only way to provide a starting quote is in person. I doubt it, but sure. Maybe. At least offer to waive the consult fee if services are rendered. It's a stupid way of doing business and I won't support anyone that operates that way.

[BsFaninCGY]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah, they probably have repaired a lot of toilets and I'm sure they know better than you that it can take between five minutes with a plunger and three days if they're replacing pipes, ordering you a new toilet, etc.

If somebody doesn't want to pay a reasonable fee for you to come to their house, that's a giant red flag. You can't make a guy like OP happy. If you say well, 90% of the time we can just do a plunge and a snake and it'll cost $120, other times it's based on an hourly rate until the problem is fixed you can bet he'll throw a tantrum if it is more than $120.

Completely, 100% wrong. I live by the motto buy once, cry once. I pay for top notch service and equipment for my business because I believe in doing things right the first time. Explain to me why it went from a plunge to tearing up my floors and I will understand and bite the bullet. You don't know me, don't act like you do.

*edit* and to add on to this. I take great offense in you assuming 'you can't make a guy like OP happy'. This couldn't be farther from the truth. I value small businesses more than most people I think. I go out of my way to shop local and I review all good service I get online with raving reviews. And when I don't get good service - I don't say a thing. It's why no names are mentioned in this post. I won't try and sabotage someone's living over them having a bad day (or me). Again, you don't know me. #### off.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Sliver

The toilet - how do you expect someone to quote that when they don't know what is wrong? They need to be at your house to figure out what is wrong. To do that takes time, and you should want to compensate them for their time if you want them to run a business that is available the next time you need them.

I don't think BsFaninCGY is asking for that at all. He's asking for a starting price to fix his toilet. That should be pretty simple for any plumber to know - all they need to say is 'our starting rate is $xx for a simple fix. If it is more involved then our additional charges are $xxx/hr' or whatever. Most people understand if the job turns out to be more complex than first believed then the price will go up.

Charging for a quote is a non-starter for me too, anyone who does that (regardless of what the service is) is off my list before I even start.

[BsFaninCGY]

Oh, and I did get a quote today. $220 plus tax to put a camera down there and potentially fix the problem if it's as simple as the back water valve. This includes taking the toilet off and putting it back on. Could be more if the problem is greater. Perfect, exactly what I wanted and the guy is coming Friday. See, it can be done.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by BsFaninCGY

I don't believe you had 4 quotes in 5 minutes. You're a liar. See, we can both do that?

No one would give me a quote over the phone (of the 4 or 5 places I called). Believe it, don't, I don't care. But I certainly didn't start a post to open dialog on the practice of paid quotes with lies just because.

The toilet, sure, maybe there is 200 possible things that could be wrong and the only way to provide a starting quote is in person. I doubt it, but sure. Maybe. At least offer to waive the consult fee if services are rendered. It's a stupid way of doing business and I won't support anyone that operates that way.

I'm still calling BS on your inability to get an over-the-phone quote for a hot water tank unless you communicated to them you had something other than a standard tank in a standard installation scenario, in which case of course they'll have to see it.

But, I'm happy for the companies that you aren't supporting. You're starting off already dismissive of their value and happy to waste their time. If you can see that they have to be there to figure out the problem in order to provide a quote, but you want that to be on the house for...reasons?...they're way better off without you.

You may find a guy that will somehow magically come up with a price to fix the problem with your toilet over the phone (I honestly don't know how you expect them to come up with a price on that), but you'll be the last guy he does that for. I think anybody who goes onsite to quote for free does it until they get burned, and then they never do it again.

And if you want him to comp you the site visit price, he's just going to roll it into the cost of the job. Don't be naive.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by BsFaninCGY

Completely, 100% wrong. I live by the motto buy once, cry once. I pay for top notch service and equipment for my business because I believe in doing things right the first time. Explain to me why it went from a plunge to tearing up my floors and I will understand and bite the bullet. You don't know me, don't act like you do.

*edit* and to add on to this. I take great offense in you assuming 'you can't make a guy like OP happy'. This couldn't be farther from the truth. I value small businesses more than most people I think. I go out of my way to shop local and I review all good service I get online with raving reviews. And when I don't get good service - I don't say a thing. It's why no names are mentioned in this post. I won't try and sabotage someone's living over them having a bad day (or me). Again, you don't know me. #### off.

Yeah, you don't come across as angry or the type of guy that would fly off the handle at all.

[BsFaninCGY]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm still calling BS on your inability to get an over-the-phone quote for a hot water tank unless you communicated to them you had something other than a standard tank in a standard installation scenario, in which case of course they'll have to see it.

But, I'm happy for the companies that you aren't supporting. You're starting off already dismissive of their value and happy to waste their time. If you can see that they have to be there to figure out the problem in order to provide a quote, but you want that to be on the house for...reasons?...they're way better off without you.

You may find a guy that will somehow magically come up with a price to fix the problem with your toilet over the phone (I honestly don't know how you expect them to come up with a price on that), but you'll be the last guy he does that for. I think anybody who goes onsite to quote for free does it until they get burned, and then they never do it again.

And if you want him to comp you the site visit price, he's just going to roll it into the cost of the job. Don't be naive.

Not once have I said I want someone to come over for free. I would never expect that. Stop trolling. Read what I say and don't respond if can't figure out the meaning of the words.

[BsFaninCGY]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah, you don't come across as angry or the type of guy that would fly off the handle at all.

You got the reaction you were looking for, troll. I can't believe I let you drag me to your level.