A plumbing job that surfaces out of the blue can derail your budget. There’s no denying that. However, an idea of what the job will cost can help you understand how you can shift your budget to meet the unexpected expenses.
In general, basic plumbing services range between $130 and $150 on average throughout the US. Intense plumbing jobs can take the total to over $500 including material costs. HomeAdvisor presents slightly different estimates. According to them, a typical plumbing job would cost between $45 to $200 per hour. In such instances, the cost of a plumber stands at $175 to $450.
Jobs included in this estimate include repairing sinks, faucets, bathtubs, and toilets. Some plumbers may charge a service fee or flat rate, which is $300 on average. Here’s more on the average plumbing job cost:
What you need to know about plumbing jobs?
Plumbers are experts who fix, replace, and install fixtures and pipes. When your plumbing system acts up, you need to pick your pace and get it repaired as soon as you can. This prevents the damage from aggravating, helping save the extra load of cash that goes to solving bigger plumbing problems.
Water can quickly chip in significant damage. Leaks can soak ceilings, foundations, and also cause mold and rot. If you’re wondering about reliable plumbers near me and their costs, you can use a cost estimating calculator such as Thumbtack that helps give you an average cost of a plumber in your area.
On your part, you only have to enter your ZIP code and save yourself from a scammer who charges more but doesn’t solve the plumbing issue effectively. On average though, homeowners spend between $195 and $32,405 on plumbing costs as per ImproveNet.
How much do plumbers charge?
HomeAdvisor notes that an on average plumbers charge between $45 to $200 per hour. But, Fixr notes that most plumbers take $45 to $65 in an hour for all the labor. This estimate, however, does not include inspection or service.
On average, you can expect to pay between $80 to $130. Luckily handyman rates are lower as they don’t handle complicated work. They deal with issues such as unclogging a drain, which is why their costs are somewhere around $45.
Certain plumbers charge a flat rate fee. These charges can vary between $100 to $400 for simple services. Complex jobs take more time, which can add to the labor charges. Note that these charges will be different if you call a plumber in an emergency or after their work hours.
Such after-hours work, holiday, and weekend work take the cost up by several notches. In such a case, the hourly rate can increase to $70 to $400, and the trip or flat fee can run anywhere between $100 to $350. This can also go higher in extreme cases.
Most plumbers triple their rates per hour when you call on a holiday or emergency. This boils down to individual contractor policies.
Basic plumbing job costs
Plumbing costs also, of course, differ as per the job at hand and its complexity. Thumbtack gives an estimate of common plumbing issues. Here’s a brief break down:
- Sink installation costs range between $130 to $400. Plumbing companies that offer full-service may also provide new sinks and faucets in addition to helping install them.
- For services such as toilet installation, plumbers usually have a time estimate. Therefore, they charge a flat rate such as $150 for toilet installation. These charges can accumulate if the plumber provides the toilet bowl.
- Shower repair work can take between $150-$190. This work has a lot of diversity, say, you may have leaky fixtures or insufficient water pressure. Both of these works cost different. So, for clogged or slow drain, the fixing charges can be $150. To clear the line, you will have to pay up to $400. Likewise, a broken diverter costs $125 in repair charges, whereas, plumbers charge $150-$500 to fix a dripping or leaky faucet.
- Professional plumbers take between $120 to $170 for repairing pipes. Leak repair costs range between $150-$350. Moreover, diagnosing the problem can cause an additional $100. These charges don’t include repairing the wall after the repair work. Those costs are separate and add between $250 to $750 depending on the location and size of the hole. If the pipe has burst, then you can expect the plumbing charges to come between $1,000 to $4,000, which covers both repair fees and water damage cleanup.
- For water heater installation, the plumbing charges can spiral to $1200-$1700. The price depends on the work involved, whether it is installation, replacement, or repair.
Summing up
To wrap it up, you now have an idea of what plumbing jobs cost on average. It’s best not to delay calling the professional because the delay will multiply the problem that, in turn, will increase the repair charges.
