Raising rates on water heater installs and getting pushback from old clients

PipeLord420

·22h·8 replies·9 participants

PipeLord420🌱 NewcomerOP22h

I'm up in north jersey, been doing this plumbing gig for 5 years now, and damn it's time to bump my rates on Rheem tankless installs from $2800 to $3400 cause materials alone are up 25% this year. Last week I quoted a repeat customer the new price and she hit me with 'but you did my last one for less, why the hike?' We got supply chain BS making PEX and fittings cost an arm and leg, plus I'm paying apprentices more to keep 'em from jumping ship. Told her straight up, costs are killing my margins, but she ghosted me after that. Frustrated as hell, how do you guys handle explaining rate increases without losing the loyal ones? Feels like I'm either eating the cost or scaring away business.

LeafBlowerBandit2⚒️ Journeyman16h

screw the loyal ones, if they're gonna ghost over a $600 bump then they aint loyal anyway - just hit up the next job on angi and charge what the market bears. north jersey's full of folks who'll pay for quality without the whining.

WrenchWiz2⚒️ Journeyman14h

those cheap bastards on angi always wanna haggle down to nothing, like we're beggin for scraps instead of pros who know our worth. been in north jersey too long watchin big box plumbers undercut with their $800 installs usin junk parts thatll fail in two years. screw em, the loyal ones stick around when you explain the bump covers the 20% steel tariff hike thats killin margins. its the entitled homeowners who ghost that piss me off most, thinkin they can get rheem quality for home depot prices. lets all start chargin what we deserve and watch the whiners run to the diy disasters.

EaveEater3⚒️ Journeyman21h

Don't explain too much, just say 'costs are up across the board' and stick to it, or you'll get nickel and dimed on every job.

LiftAndShift⚒️ Journeyman21h

Yeah but in Jersey, customers know their rights and will shop around if you don't justify it a bit.

FurnaceFiend⚒️ Journeyman20h

Try bundling it with a maintenance plan add-on, makes the price jump feel like value instead of a slap.

VoltageVagabond3⚒️ Journeyman14h

bundling's like selling a candy bar with your steak... client thinks they're gettin' a deal til they realize the candy's just the wrapper. old timers still whine, but hey, at least they're payin' for the full meal now.

PaintSplatPro⚒️ Journeyman20h

Same here man, had to eat a $500 hit on a similar install last month.

LeakHunterLila⚒️ Journeyman20h

Offer a loyalty discount for repeats, like 10% off the labor, keeps 'em coming back without fully caving on the new rate.