Water Softener Install - how long should this take?

[avsmithy]

Apologies for the self interested thread, but I would very much appreciate the advice of you knowledgeable folks. I got a plumber in to install a water softener in my flat yesterday, I assumed it would be a 3 or 4 hour job, it ended up taking 12 and 1/2 hours. I do a lot of DIY, but don't know much about plumbing, so I figure I'd get professional in. Given I'm paying extraordinarily high rates (£125p/h), I kind of expected it to be done both quickly and professionally.

Could you estimate how long this job should take for an expert?

 

[Chuck]

Could you estimate how long this job should take for an expert?

As far as I can see from the video that's been done quite nicely by someone with a good level of skill who was taking good care to end up with a neat set of pipework that doesn't waste space, which is important in a flat. There's not a lot of space to work in and they may have had to dismantle units temporarily take the boiler off the wall, etc. to drill some of the holes and get them that close to the wall. Access and making good often take longer than the plumbing itself. Retrofitted water softeners are often a real mess because people don't take enough time to make a good job.

£125/hour would be expensive for a single person in my part of the world (the SW) but people are entitled to charge what the market will bear and we're in a pandemic...

IMO, a tradesman should always give the client a written estimate even if they don't ask for one. And a customer, you should always ask a tradesman for a written estimate before work starts, even if you think it should be a quick and simple job.

 

[snowhead]

£125 p/h sounds like pimlico.

As Chuck has said, a fair bit of work and it's neat and compact.

 

[Gasmk1]

It’s a neat job are you based in london

 

[Ric2013]

Price depends on area. Where are you?

It does look like a job that was fiddly and the time taken probably reflects the standard. Regarding the work, you'd struggle to find any better than that.

 

[avsmithy]

Thanks for the feedback fellas. I definitely agree it's very neat and professional job, it's simply the amount of time which blindsided me. I had to pull him aside after six hours since no work had been done, after which it was predicated to take another two hours, and then proceeded to take another 6 1/2. All the copper you can see was cut, placed and soldered in the last 3 hours.

London based. I was watching the whole time (working from home), no units off the wall, just had to pull out the built in dishwasher (then you have completely free access to stick the hard water feed under the sink).

 

[Scott_D]

The last one I fitted took me about 6-7 hours and it was all done in one cupboard.
This looks like like a lot of work and Is a neat job.
Can’t really comment on what it cost as You could be on a tenth floor flat in London with no parking.
Did you ask for an estimate of cost?

 

[Ric2013]

after which it was predicated to take another two hours, and then proceeded to take another 6 1/2.

Oh dear... poor communication.

 

[avsmithy]

The last one I fitted took me about 6-7 hours and it was all done in one cupboard.
This looks like like a lot of work and Is a neat job.
Can’t really comment on what it cost as You could be on a tenth floor flat in London with no parking.
Did you ask for an estimate of cost?

I did ask beforehand, apparently it was going to be provided within the first hour, it wasn't. Granted I should have chased that, but I was distracted all day by my own work.

(I provided free parking right outside, there's a lift, and the entire work area was cleared of machines and everything unpacked...)

 

[Scott_D]

Have you been charged 12.5 x £125?

 

[Chuck]

Thanks for the feedback fellas. I definitely agree it's very neat and professional job, it's simply the amount of time which blindsided me. I had to pull him aside after six hours since no work had been done, after which it was predicated to take another two hours,

Okay, the essence of your claim is that you were given and accepted an estimate for eight hours work, which in your opinion would have been a reasonable time to complete the work to a satisfactory standard, but you were charged for twelve.

Have you asked the firm to reduce the bill accordingly? If not, I suggest you do so. Google 'small claims' and 'implied terms in contracts' first.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

What was he doing for the first 6 hours if he hadn’t started ?

 

[avsmithy]

Okay, the essence of your claim is that you were given and accepted an estimate for eight hours work, which in your opinion would have been a reasonable time to complete the work to a satisfactory standard, but you were charged for twelve.

Have you asked the firm to reduce the bill accordingly? If not, I suggest you do so. Google 'small claims' and 'implied terms in contracts' first.

Thanks Chuck, I told him to simply stop at 6 hours because it was getting ridiculous. We both talked to head office and they instructed him to continue anyway to finish the job (as it was "almost done"). I haven't paid yet and was told to receive a call from their customer services yesterday to sort it out (which I didn't get).

I've been trying to gauge how reasonable the situation was as I'm not particularly familiar with professional plumbing.

What was he doing for the first 6 hours if he hadn’t started ?

First 20 min we were going through the plan, the remainder was drilling a single hole to route the hard water spur to the tap. I fitted a new tap there last night, that plumbing was not complicated and I actually have a lot less sympathy with this time now.

Have you been charged 12.5 x £125?

No, just the small sum of £1000 as a day rate.