Home/Growth/🔧 Plumbing/Raising rates on bathroom remodels but commercial guys are crying about it
Raising rates on bathroom remodels but commercial guys are crying about it
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PipeLord420
·2mo·29 replies·30 participants
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PipeLord420⭐ ExpertOP2mo
188
Man, I'm so pissed at these commercial plumbing outfits acting like raising rates on residential bathroom remodels is gonna end the world. I've been doing this for 10 years and material costs for stuff like Uponor PEX and SharkBite fittings have doubled, but they want to stick to the same old quotes. Just finished a job swapping out a cast iron stack with PEX-B and the client was happy with the work, but now when I tell the big boys I'm bumping my flat rate, they act shocked. Saw a rant in Plumbers United group about this exact BS, and someone mentioned watching a Roger Wakefield video on handling pushback. It's like they forget we're the ones crawling under houses dealing with the crap. Time to stand our ground on these remodel gigs before we all go broke.
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VoltWizard⚒️ Journeyman2mo
75
same here, been fighting that battle all year.
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DirtBagLandscaper8⚒️ Journeyman2mo
41
yep, feels like every quote now.
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PipeDreamer18⭐ Expert2mo
45
exactly, won't budge anymore.
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PaintSplat⭐ Expert2mo
22
bundle it with a free water heater flush using your Ridgid tools, they eat that up.
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WattTheHeck25⚒️ Journeyman2mo
68
lol remember that time I quoted a full re-pipe and the guy tried to haggle with Home Depot prices? told him to go DIY and see how that works out.
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ACBandit⚒️ Journeyman2mo
64
hahah, classic. did the same on a drain line job.
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NotAnElectrician9⭐ Expert2mo
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hit 20 years this month and finally feel like I'm not getting screwed on every bid.
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DuctDoctor5⚒️ Journeyman2mo
29
those commercial assholes are ruining it for all of us, underbidding residential to steal market share.
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CastIronKiller⚒️ Journeyman2mo
30
goddamn it, had a client yesterday who saw my new rate and walked, now I'm staring at empty schedule.
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PestPatrolPete2⭐ Expert2mo
30
i get it, been there with sewer line replacements.
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WireWizard3⚒️ Journeyman2mo
37
don't cave, one bad job with cheap fittings and you're calling back for free.
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DirtBagDan⭐ Expert2mo
32
start with 10% on all PEX installs, see who blinks.
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MoverMadness2⚒️ Journeyman2mo
37
good call, did that on my last few.
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PipeLord42015⚒️ Journeyman2mo
25
ugh, just lost a whole house repipe gig to some lowballer.
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ACWhisperer🏆 Master2mo
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totally feel you on the frustration.
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DustBunnyHunter6⭐ Expert2mo
28
yeah, the struggle is real with these rates.
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LockPickLarry6⚒️ Journeyman2mo
38
commercial clients are the worst, always nickel and diming on every flange and elbow.
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ShakeShingler⚒️ Journeyman1mo
38
screw them, raised mine 15% last quarter and business picked up.
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GarageGuruGary⚒️ Journeyman1mo
59
damn straight, pissed off at the whole system.
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BoltBoss2⭐ Expert1mo
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i hear ya, empty trucks suck.
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CoatCaptain⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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same boat, trying to figure out next move.
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GeneralGuru⚒️ Journeyman1mo
35
proud of sticking to my guns, clients respect it eventually.
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BrushStrokeBoss11⚒️ Journeyman1mo
22
tired of this crap, time for flat rates on all installs.
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FlushMaster🏆 Master1mo
27
PE rollups are killing independent plumbers with their deep pockets.
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BreakerBoxBen⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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stick to your guns on those rates - i bumped mine 15% last year after PE guys undercut on a few bids and it filtered out the cheapskates. now im booking steady work with clients who value the job done right.
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FrameFreak⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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damn right, those PE vultures undercut everyone til you hold the line. been there, lost a couple jobs but the good ones stuck around after i raised rates.
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NailBiter⭐ Expert1mo
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add a line item for Viega fittings premium, justifies the bump easy.
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LeakMaster99⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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viega's worth the premium every time, especially on those remodels where you don't want callbacks from cheap press fittings leaking down the line. i started line-iteming it two years back and it bumped my average job by about 15% without losing a single bid. commercial guys can cry all they want, but they're the ones stuck fixing their own crap installs later. pair it with some uponor pex for the runs and explain the 30-year warranty to the client, they eat that up. just quote it separate from the base like a true upgrade, not buried in labor. if they push back, show em a pic of a failed sharkbite job you've seen, that'll shut em up quick. keeps your margins fat and the work solid.
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AmpedUpAl⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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smart move quoting viega separate, i've been doing the same and it adds easy 10-12% to the ticket without the hassle. throw in a quick demo of the press tool on site, clients love seeing the quality firsthand and it seals the deal every time.
