The short answer is – sometimes plumbers are not expensive – sometimes plumbers are expensive. That is – when you are talking strictly in dollar terms.
But what you will usually find is that the old business adage “You get what you pay for” holds true in this industry just as in so many others.
What we really need to start with is value. Value is defined as the actual worth of something or some service.
For an example of value, you can buy a new puppy from a reputable breeder or you can buy one at the local pet store. The one from the well known breeder probably has better genetics and family history since that breeder has a vested interest in seeing that his dogs meet the expectations of the characteristics of his particular breed.
After all, his reputation is on the line. Most breeders strive to breed champion lines of dogs and do not pick up breeding stock from puppy mills and pet stores.
On the other hand, the Pet Store is usually not nearly as picky about the breeding but more interested in the appearance of the dogs they sell. And price. And lowest price usually does not equal best value.
Because of this difference, the pet store dog is way “cheaper” than the breeder’s dog in terms of dollars. But when you evaluate the dogs against each other for quality in terms of breeding value, standard breed quality characteristics, life expectancy and behavioral traits, you will almost always find that the dog from the breeder is a much better value in the long run.
So if you have the extra money, you are much better off spending it on the breeder’s dog. (Leaving “mixed breeds” out of the conversation).
There is another old saying that goes like this: “Only rich people can afford to buy cheap stuff.”
What in the world does that mean in terms of plumbing? It means folks with a lot of money to burn can afford to pay a thousand dollars every 4 years for a cheap water heater but most working folks are way better off paying $2,000 for the one that’s going to last for 10 years.
In this example, the first heater costs $250 a year to own and the second heater costs only $200 dollars a year to own. So if you have the money, the obvious choice is the second heater.
If you’ve got money to burn, then you don’t care and you buy the junk heater. And keep your fingers crossed that it lasts a little longer than its 4 year expected lifespan.
In other words, you can afford to gamble if you are rich. But if you are like the rest of us, you really need to insure you get the best value right out of the gate.
How to get the best value
Assuming you’re with us so far, the next question becomes “How do I tell that something’s the best value and I’m not just getting ripped off? Especially when it comes to something that’s sometimes so technical and I have no idea of its worth?”
We have found the best indicator of value to be the type and length of time the providing company is willing to cover the product or service after the sale.
In the plumbing industry, coverage ranges from none at all to partial coverage during the coverage period (like only parts but no labor, for instance) to full coverage (including parts, labor, equipment and trip charges) for the entire length of the stated coverage period.
You might postulate (and you’d be right) that the second type of coverage would probably (all other things equal), make the service/products a better value. Even if the second service costs more in terms of dollars, it’s a better value.
On regular service like diagnosing plumbing problems, changing faucets and the like, there are two immediate indicators of value you should be aware of. Those are warranties and guarantees.
Guarantees
A guarantee is the type of coverage you will want as it is an indicator of much higher quality (and value) than a warranty.
Legally, guarantees cannot contain restrictions or modifications. For instance, a 1 year guarantee has to mean that all parts of the product/service, including trip charges, labor, material, etc. are 100% covered for the whole period of the year.
You should pay absolutely nothing for repair of any product or service defect for a full year if you are given a 1 year guarantee.
Warranties
A warranty on the other hand can be modified any way the issuer decides and can be as worthless as the paper it is written on. Most of the 1 year warranties you see in the plumbing industry cover labor for 30 days, no trip charges and parts for a year.
It follows that the company issuing a guarantee vs. a warranty must be doing something different, right? You are correct.
The company issuing the guarantee is probably using properly trained and State Licensed plumbers, so they have a lot more confidence that they will not have a problem than the other company.
They also are most likely using much better materials, so they have confidence that they will not have a failure causing a problem for their clients.
Do you want to pay good money for somebody to install the $3 part which has a 20% – 3 year failure rate or the $20 part with a 1% – 10 year failure rate?
The company with the guarantee instead of a warranty is obviously much more confident in their product and service.
Their price is probably higher in terms of actual dollars than the “warranty” company, but the company with the guarantee is actually the better value.
Hopefully you are starting to get the idea that plumbing done correctly is an expensive proposition.
Beware of the following:
We know of several companies who advertise that they use licensed persons but actually do not. We know of several companies who use substandard hardware store material, and think their success depends on being “cheap”est in the market.
We know lots of companies who cut corners in so many ways that they are unable (or afraid) to provide a guarantee instead of a warrantee. Some companies even advertise that they are insured when they are not.
As a matter of fact, in our market, we know of NO other company that provides any sort of guarantee that even comes close to that provided by Yes! Plumbing. (We saw a billboard advertising a guarantee but it also had the illegal note at the bottom saying ”restrictions apply” so, not really).
Why Chose Yes! Plumbing
Yes! Plumbing offers 2 year guarantees on every single repair we make. We offer 3 year, 5 year, 7 year and 10 year guarantees on our installed pumps.
We offer 6 year, 8 year, 10 year, and Lifetime guarantees on our installed tank water heaters.
This is what a company can do when it uses proprietary materials only available through Yes! Plumbing and State licensed and trained Plumbers.
And in the last 26 years, we have never charged a client a single nickel for service on covered repairs.
Is Yes! A little higher priced than our competitors? Proudly.
And we are proud to offer the very best price when it comes to value in the plumbing service industry in the Illiana market.
So if you live in Schererville, Munster, Dyer, Highland, Griffith, Crown Point, Hammond, or St. John, compare our guarantees to any competitor and you will rest assured you paid the best price in the area for your plumbing needs.