What is it with plumbers?

$7500 would be a gift.  

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

I installed a gas branch line in my ex-s house a few years ago. She wanted the dryer relocated from the basement to the second floor.  There was an old branch that was capped in the basement for the water heater that was replaced by a heat exchanger off the boiler.  So I rerouted that in the basement, up inside a wall, across the ceiling above some new ductwork, and to a shut-off valve. Actually turned out to be one of the easier tasks I did in that house.  She had pulled a permit for the renovation so when the inspector came to look at everything for the rough-in and plumbing inspection, that was one of the items I was fearful of (never mind the metric ton of PEX I installed for the second floor bathroom).  He didn't say a word about any of it.  

In reply to jfryjfry (Forum Supporter) :

We have the same issue in industrial sales.  I know some handy young guys that would do well - I suggested sales but they don't like the idea of being out or available after hours.  
 

We have a 40 year veteran that makes $200-$250,000 a year but it took his career to get there.  The guys I talked to want to work from home on a laptop.  Getting called out ($$$) to look at a hose problem on Saturday morning once in a while is not something people want to do but you can make a good living.  

In reply to Ian F:

Yes.  I had just replumbed this whole house in so much red and blue Pex it looked like the 4th of July.  (they had under-slab water leaks...)

I could have easily done this gas job in an hour.  But... the realtor told the owner there would be complications if a "licensed plumber" didn't do it.  I completely understand the worry.  So, they paid an extra $500 for not worrying.  OK.  I get it.  They have a inspection record on file.   

But, OMG, if i ran my company so inefficient...

Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Ian F:

Yes.  I had just replumbed this whole house in so much red and blue Pex it looked like the 4th of July.  (they had under-slab water leaks...)

I could have easily done this gas job in an hour.  But... the realtor told the owner there would be complications if a "licensed plumber" didn't do it.  I completely understand the worry.  So, they paid an extra $500 for not worrying.  OK.  I get it.  They have a inspection record on file.   

But, OMG, if i ran my company so inefficient...

You mean, to do things legally so there will be insurance coverage?

Yep!  Gotta keep the lawyers, insurance inspectors, home inspectors, and realtors happy.  

Grew up with a father that was a building inspector.  Their job is to protect the current and future home owners.  I support them completely.  

My story was to just point out i couldn't sleep well at night if i blundered through a job inefficiently and still charged $135 per hour.

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

My point is more along the lines of if the work is inspected and signed off on, I'm not sure why it matters who actually did that work.

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

The real answer is because that's the way the laws are written.  Licensed work must be performed by a licensed contractors.

The second reason is liability. Only a licensed contractor would be insurable for licensed work.  It's not the inspectors job to assume liability- it's the contractor's.

A small case could be made for installation technique. There are things an inspector can't see... was the joint properly cleaned?  Were the insides of the pipe contaminated?  Was the Teflon tape wrapped sufficiently?  Any cross-threads?  But honestly, this part is mostly bogus. It's a fear tactic to make people hire licensed workers to do things people are afraid of like gas lines. 
 

I agree with you- shouldn't matter. 
 

However as a licensed contractor who spent years earning his license, I can tell you I get pissed off when municipalities fail to enforce laws that require licenses.  Most licensed professionals feel this way (including engineers, and architects, and others)

In Houston you are supposed to get a licensed electrician and a permit to have your wall receptacles or wall switches changed.

It is the same  for changing out an under sink  garbage disposal.  The sink drain pipe change out alone also requires a plumber and permit.

But those parts are for sale in Home Depot to anyone who walks in the store.   Laws like this just reduce people's respect for laws. 

In reply to jharry3 :

Generally, homeowners do not need a license to work in their own homes. 

In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :

Our county just changed that rule this year to allow homeowners to do electrical that can be shutoff in their own house.  Prior to that they wouldn't give electric permits to anyone who wasn't a licensed electrician registered in the county.  

In reply to Patrick (Forum Supporter) :

Right. That's probably because your County found that they were not in keeping with the majority of the country, and that licenses pose a legal threat to homeowners and they didn't want to end up in court. 

Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:

jfryjfry (Forum Supporter) said:

I believe part of the problem is it seems there are fewer young people getting into the trades - seems like many study programming or other desk jobs. Couple this with a general lack of interest in fixing things and you suddenly have less supply of qualified people for the same or increased demand.  So prices rise. 
 

plus there are a lot of costs associated with owning a business that travels to do their job.  
 

 

The average age is definitely rising in construction, no one my age (37) is really doing it. In the last 15 years I've worked with exactly 1 person younger than me

The housing crisis of 2008 did a lot of weeding out and off putting of interested Workers.

To take a different track on this:

I've been mentioning to my kid on and off that the trades are a viable option to going to college. 

Brett_Murphy (Forum Patrón) said:

To take a different track on this:

I've been mentioning to my kid on and off that the trades are a viable option to going to college. 

When I was a younger punk coming into my adult years, I never thought college was a real option (didn't like the idea of more homework, no idea how to pay for it). So I got a job delivering parts and got complacent. I would have benefited greatly from someone gently nudging me towards welding or machining, even plumbing (kinda tried, but not with long term goals, and my head wasn't in the right place).
What I'm saying is thanks. That's good advice that I wish I'd had, and hope I'd have listened. 

In reply to barefootskater :

 I can understand your concern about the inspection—especially with all that work you did on the PEX! It’s funny how sometimes the things we worry about the most get overlooked, right?