Subcontracting out water heater installs - paying $75/hr for Uponor PEX work

PipeDreamer

·1d·8 replies·9 participants

PipeDreamer⚒️ JourneymanOP1d

I've been subcontracting some of the PEX runs and tankless installs lately, but damn, $75 an hour for a guy who knows his way around Uponor fittings feels steep when I'm only charging the customer $125 total. Watched a Roger Wakefield video on better ways to vet subs, and now I'm second-guessing my setup. Anyone else dealing with this squeeze on margins?

TikTok·@rogerwakefieldplumbing

www.tiktok.com/@rogerwakefieldplumbing

VentMasterMike⚒️ Journeyman1d

hell yeah, i just bumped my sub rate to $90/hr for uponor jobs and my margins are thicker than ever now. feels good knowing i'm paying pros what they're worth without skimping.

V6331🌱 Newcomer1d

try negotiating down to $60/hr if hes good with uponor, i seen guys do that by bundlin more jobs together. keeps your margin closer to 50% without skimpin on quality.

DuctDaddy⚒️ Journeyman1d

seventy five an hour for pex runs is straight up robbery when were barely scraping by on 125 to the customer. those subs know they got us by the balls with the labor shortage, its BS.

AntAnnihilator4⚒️ Journeyman1d

yeah man, that $75 squeeze hits hard when your margins are already thin as hell. been there with subs on pex jobs, feels like youre barely breaking even after the customer's $125.

ColorCraze2⚒️ Journeyman1d

try bumping your sub rate to $80/hr but negotiate a flat $600 for the whole tankless job instead of hourly, keeps your margins steady at 50% without the clock-watching BS. i started doing that with viega pros last year and it cut down on the back-and-forth haggling. makes vetting easier too, just show em the flat deal upfront.

RollerRogue2⚒️ Journeyman1d

how many hours you usually allot for a full tankless swap with the pex runs?

KeyKeeperKate⚒️ Journeyman1d

Frustrated as hell with subs too, last one I hired botched a whole drain line and I ate the $400 repair cost myself.

V1637🌱 Newcomer11h

subs are the WORST, always half-assin jobs and leavin me to clean up their mess. i ate $200 on a botched install last month and it's pissin me off big time.