"Your Plumber Will Know"

NICKPAUS

I have had a problem finding a good plumber in my area that knows about new constuction sump pump installations. Most of them seem to be Service plumbers with little knowledge of new constuction. My question for you pros not DIY's or hacks is Do you and most other plumbers in your area do service and new construction or one or the other. I have determined after last couple conversations with plumbers locally that majority of there business is service and I need a new construction only plumber. A good friend of mine has been a plumber for almost ten years now and when I asked him about Sump Pump he had no clue what to do. Would a "Master Plumber" know both New and Service.

rex

i do every thing.....there are lots of companies that only do certain things.......it all depends ive met some master plumbers who couldnt lay out the eaiest plumbing system......

KillerToiletSpider

Depends on the individual and their past experience, I've done new work, service work, remodel work, I have planned, laid out, and run new high rise work, complete from doing the mechanical drawings to having the factory make the fitting I designed. I have gotten guys on jobs that have a good working knowledge on how to do whatever is asked of them, and I have gotten apprentices that didn't know how to do anything other than install closet flanges, cause that is all they did for three years on the last high rise they worked on.

Some guys don't want to do service work, all they learn and do is new work. and some guys see the profits that can be made in service work and stay away from new work and it's lower rates, it is a rare shop that does both nowadays. Before flat rate pricing become the standard there were more shops that did both, but like everything else surviving in today's market is finding your niche and putting all your effort into building that niche.

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Grumpyplumber

A new construction plumber would know how to install a sump with his hands tied behind his back.
Ask him why the pump keeps running but no water is ejected, he's stumped.
Ask a service plumber to install a shower valve and he'll do it with his hands tied behind his back, as him why the spouts dripping and he'll replace the cartridge with no problem.
Service plumbers tend to have more time & experience...construction plumbers tend to do the same tasks efficiently and repetitively, but may not be too great with the intricacies & working parts of what they install.
The trade off?
Price, service plumbers make much better money hour per hour...most won't touch new construction because it's a pay cut.
Don't say it Killer...you do high end union work...different planet altogether.

NICKPAUS

Thanks for the info I know the plumbers I have spoke with are not hacks they have never installed a sump system so when I ask them they are clueless. The majority of my friends plumbing business is all service cause that is where the money is at as he puts it. He may run a few new lines in a remodel and add a shower or toilet but not often. He has to be available for service calls and like you said Grumps its not worth the paycut to him and being held up on a job for a couple days to do new construction. It may be cleaner work but you cant charge same rates as when you gotta sh*t you gotta shi* and will pay the price. Looks like $102.50 an hour is what I will be paying for a good new construction plumber who knows how to install the sump pump system needed on another friends house build as mentioned in other post.

Ron The Plumber

I do both new and old plumbing work,

NICKPAUS

Old as in service ( Clean drains replace valves) New as in ( New construction) ?

Ron The Plumber

Old as in service and new is in new const.

genecarp

as a contractor of both new homes and renovation work, my plumber is well versed in most aspects of plumbing, if we encounter an area that he is not experianced in, he will research it and get the job done. that being said, the most important skill he has is that keeps us working together is the ability to show up, and present himself as a proffesional, he is a nice guy, and that is something that cant be learned.

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neolitic

Hear, Hear!

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22rifle

Your post baffles me a bit. Why wouldn't these guys know about a sump pump? That genuinely puzzles me. I thought any good plumber, service or new construction, would know how to install a sump pump correctly.

And here is the thing. Even if it is something new to me, because I have the context of my experience, I can research it and install it like a pro because of that context. I would like to think any other plumber would be able to do the same but I know better.

BTW, what kind of sump pump are you talking about? A sewage ejector in a sump? Or just a water sump pump? Inside the house or outside?

PS. Sorry you are having this grief. It's uncalled for in my opinion. Best of luck to you!

Grumpyplumber

Thats universal.
I dropped a contractor that never answered his cell, took days to return messages and only showed up on the job to collect his checks.
There aren't many things more frustrating then being on hold until you can talk to a sub, or GC. It's money out of my pocket when I have to lose time, or sit with one finger on the "send" button on my cell phone to schedule around someone else.
For example, if a toilet flange falls center on a joist, I talk to the GC before I hack the joist...I have seen too many GC's blow a gasket when plumbers take initiative and just do what they think should be done.
I know share of plumbers who do the same..I finally stopped swapping work with a good friend because he just never answered his phone...he'd tell me he needed work, I'd set him up and get a call a few days later from the customer asking me when he was gonna call.

I can understand contractors & subs not being able to make it ontime, sh-t happens, but I could never understand why so many can't just make a simple phone call to explain.

NICKPAUS

House requires a sewage ejector pump located under house and a Water sump in backyard for rain water. Like you said 22 installing sump system might be new to him but if he knew new constuction plumbing he ought to be able to lay it out and figure it out. The field inspector on job is clueless about pumps so I figure he just has to make it work and it will pass City has no method or diagram of how it must be installed based on inspector and office inspector at building safety.

Grumpyplumber

These are two completely different things, sewage ejector and sump pump.

Part of an effective sump system is a french drain that runs the perimeter of the basement below slab...usually put in place by the GC prior to pouring the slab.
If your plumber isn't familiar with a sewage ejector, there's a big problem there...he can't be very experienced, they're pretty common.

KillerToiletSpider

Even in my market the margins are tighter than the guys doing strictly service work.

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neolitic

What's up with the "Spider"?
Or should it be "Spyder"?
Buy a Porsche pick-up?

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KillerToiletSpider

It was always spider, Nathan fixed it so that the last three letters would fit. The story of the killer toilet spider is a bit long.


I only buy American made vehicles.

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