# So you want to be a plumber?



## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

Sure, drain-cleaners can sometimes make ok money, and the job is virtually recession-proof, which I guess is why so many people are thinking to get into it lately, given the current global recession.
But think carefully...very expensive and heavy equipment, a lot of liability, unsanitary working environment, very late hours, and of course the endless exposure to human waste!:thumbup: 





So you want to be a plumber? _(actually the title is "drain-cleaner" technically speaking, licensed plumbers do a hell of a lot of things besides unclogging drains.)_
Here is the afternoon job I did, I was standing in a pile of human waste and toilet paper while cleaning the sewer drain. Keep in mind that I am simply posting this photo as TODAY'S AVERAGE DRAIN CALL. This is not the grossest job by any stretch, this is just your average, run-of-the-mill sewer-drain backed up in the basement. Luckily the lighting is pretty bad so you don't get a real clear view of the sh!t-logs.


----------



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

Took a bath yesterday from the backwashing contents of a kitchen sink drain as I was attempting to jet the line from underneath the sink. I stopped it quickly before it could flood but not before it sprayed me pretty good with whatever congealed skankiness was contained in the line.


----------



## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

Last bad one I was on was a stopped up floor drain in a mechanical room. Old building, no cleanouts, naturally i rodded from the 4" flor drain that was oozing out some of that good stuff. First cable in and it broke some stuff loose and here came the flood. Stood in 4" of all kind of stuff, lots of corn, turds, tampons, the usual. Luckily i keep a pair of knee high waders in the truck.


----------



## PipemanNYC (Nov 21, 2008)

I hate drain cleaning.. I try not to do them.. but when i do im happy with the cash i make...


----------



## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I made a nice turd slushie yesterday. A guard shack honeywagon valve busted off on Monday. I plugged the pipe and went back yesterday to repair it. I pulled the plug and my favorite flavor, turds n' piss came out, staining the snow covered sidewalk a nice yellow brown color. I don't even have to fight back horking anymore, I am numb to it. I broomed the mess down the hill and it's covered up till springtime:whistling2: I replaced the cheap ass ABS knife valve with a 3" galvanised nipple, reducing coupling, and 2" bronze ball valve with a camlock connector. Now it won't break off when it's about zero and the plastic gets brittle:thumbup:


----------



## ASUPERTECH (Jun 22, 2008)

yOU FORGOT TO MENTION ARGUING WITH THE COSTOMER THE NEXT DAY, BECAUSE AFTER YOU WERE DONE BREAKING YOUR @#$, AND YOU EQUIPMENT UP, AND LEFT, THEY CALLED AROUND AND FOUND A GUY WHO WOULD HAVE DONE IT FOR $50.00


----------



## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

ASUPERTECH said:


> yOU FORGOT TO MENTION ARGUING WITH THE COSTOMER THE NEXT DAY, BECAUSE AFTER YOU WERE DONE BREAKING YOUR @#$, AND YOU EQUIPMENT UP, AND LEFT, THEY CALLED AROUND AND FOUND A GUY WHO WOULD HAVE DONE IT FOR $50.00


I never really have that have problem. But I do get a lot of calls from people just looking for the cheapest price in town. I never go out on those calls. They all say the same thing, "Umm, let me get right back to you, I have to think it over."  Yeah right, I never hear from them after that.


----------



## TDB (Jun 25, 2008)

We refer those calls out to specialists


----------



## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

Maybe they can call this guy on craigslist I found tis morning. "Honest, reliable, cheapest rates in town":2guns:
Forwarded his ad to the head plumbing inspector here.


----------



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

ASUPERTECH said:


> yOU FORGOT TO MENTION ARGUING WITH THE COSTOMER THE NEXT DAY, BECAUSE AFTER YOU WERE DONE BREAKING YOUR @#$, AND YOU EQUIPMENT UP, AND LEFT, THEY CALLED AROUND AND FOUND A GUY WHO WOULD HAVE DONE IT FOR $50.00


I'm about 5 minutes from walking out the door to a family Christmas party last night (Saturday) when a guy who is a retired judge and lives in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in my market calls with a stopped up toilet and a house full of guests. His cost had nothing to do with who he was (I didn't know at the time anyway) or where he lived but I really did not want to go since I was about to leave. So I did something that I virtually never do and quoted him the price, if it was a simple augering, over the phone. $118 to come out, which is twice the normal service call rate (and very reasonable for after hours weekend call) and $99 to auger the toilet which is the same amount it would cost to auger a toilet on Tuesday at 10:30 am. I wanted him to say "I'll get back to you" but he didn't, so I change clothes, get the truck warmed up, drive over there, auger the toilet, clean up, pack up, collect, listen to him tell me how "although I appreciate your prompt service (I was there about 25 minutes after he called) this is pretty stiff for 15 minutes work". I tell him "thank you. I know that I made solving his problem look easy but that I know my numbers and what is required to get a "cold" truck to his house on Saturday night and that the price was fair and really only $59 more than he would pay any other time." I also let him know that it was good that he called when he did as I was about to walk out the door to a family Christmas party of my own. He readily acknowledged the quality and promptness of the service. It made no differance. He won't call us again. I was over an hour late to my Christmas party. His was virtually uninterrupted.


----------



## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

smellslike$tome said:


> I'm about 5 minutes from walking out the door to a family Christmas party last night (Saturday) when a guy who is a retired judge and lives in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in my market calls with a stopped up toilet and a house full of guests. His cost had nothing to do with who he was (I didn't know at the time anyway) or where he lived but I really did not want to go since I was about to leave. So I did something that I virtually never do and quoted him the price, if it was a simple augering, over the phone. $118 to come out, which is twice the normal service call rate (and very reasonable for after hours weekend call) and $99 to auger the toilet which is the same amount it would cost to auger a toilet on Tuesday at 10:30 am. I wanted him to say "I'll get back to you" but he didn't, so I change clothes, get the truck warmed up, drive over there, auger the toilet, clean up, pack up, collect, listen to him tell me how "although I appreciate your prompt service (I was there about 25 minutes after he called) this is pretty stiff for 15 minutes work". I tell him "thank you. I know that I made solving his problem look easy but that I know my numbers and what is required to get a "cold" truck to his house on Saturday night and that the price was fair and really only $59 more than he would pay any other time." I also let him know that it was good that he called when he did as I was about to walk out the door to a family Christmas party of my own. He readily acknowledged the quality and promptness of the service. It made no differance. He won't call us again. I was over an hour late to my Christmas party. His was virtually uninterrupted.


 
Did he tell you he would never call you again? My bet is he will. (Great reply to his comment)


----------



## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

*********************************************************


----------



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

para1 said:


> Did he tell you he would never call you again? My bet is he will. (Great reply to his comment)


No he did not say that specifically but he was pretty whiney about the cost and while I try to NEVER be rude to a customer, I find myself less and less patient with this sort of thing. 

I don't know if anybody else has found this to be true but I find a lot of people who are lawyers (not all) seem to find it very important to themselves to preserve their "stature" based on "dollars per hour". They are not stupid people but when they do their faulty math, faulty because they only consider the amount of time you are actually hands on to their problem, they quickly calculate that you make $200 per hour or more which is more than they are able to charge. Well first of all that's not true on either end but the point is that they don't seem to be able to accept the idea that a skillful manipulator of modern plumbing systems should make more money than a skillfull manipulator of our legal system.


----------



## gusty60 (Oct 21, 2008)

smellslike$tome said:


> I'm about 5 minutes from walking out the door to a family Christmas party last night (Saturday) when a guy who is a retired judge and lives in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in my market calls with a stopped up toilet and a house full of guests. His cost had nothing to do with who he was (I didn't know at the time anyway) or where he lived but I really did not want to go since I was about to leave. So I did something that I virtually never do and quoted him the price, if it was a simple augering, over the phone. $118 to come out, which is twice the normal service call rate (and very reasonable for after hours weekend call) and $99 to auger the toilet which is the same amount it would cost to auger a toilet on Tuesday at 10:30 am. I wanted him to say "I'll get back to you" but he didn't, so I change clothes, get the truck warmed up, drive over there, auger the toilet, clean up, pack up, collect, listen to him tell me how "although I appreciate your prompt service (I was there about 25 minutes after he called) this is pretty stiff for 15 minutes work". I tell him "thank you. I know that I made solving his problem look easy but that I know my numbers and what is required to get a "cold" truck to his house on Saturday night and that the price was fair and really only $59 more than he would pay any other time." I also let him know that it was good that he called when he did as I was about to walk out the door to a family Christmas party of my own. He readily acknowledged the quality and promptness of the service. It made no differance. He won't call us again. I was over an hour late to my Christmas party. His was virtually uninterrupted.


This guy sounds like a real tight a s s. Your price was more than fair!


----------



## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Ya shoulda went back to the ****ter, flushed some baby butt wipes or paper towels, and said, "keep your money, call some other plumber."


----------



## Kyle181 (Sep 5, 2008)

well you are a better man than me , if i was on my way out to a party i would have never answered the phone


----------



## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

Some of my best customers are lawyers. One of them is by far my best customer to date. I have done over $15,000 in repairs at her house so far. 

She feels I treat her fairly, and one time I was explaining the bill to her husband _( he's a retired lawyer too, they work for some sort of high-power securities firms on wall st.)_ and he looked at me and smiled...
"don't worry about explaining your invoice, Carl. My wife is one of the highest paid attorneys in the whole country and she understands the value of good service."
Another recent lawyer customer had me replace his 300' sewerline and then called me to video-inspect his downtown office drains. I somehow get along well with lawyers as customers. I guess I am just lucky.


----------



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

They're not all bad ... customers, but I've had different ones refuse service before along with a comment similar to this, "I don't make that much per hour". I don't know, it just rubs me wrong like "how dare you think you can charge me more than I charge everyone else. You're just a plumber! I have a degree and I've learned to use the legal system to steal people blind. You're just a plumber! You play with poo! I drive a BMW! Did I mention that you're just a plumber!" Now it may sound as if I actually care what they think about me and my place in the world, in reality I do not. All I care about is whether or not they will pay my price and how well I do my work. As I said I do not think they are all this way. I have worked for a couple who were very agreeable and appreciative of my work.


----------



## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

well, he must know that you own the business. In some occasions i try to make it a point not to let the HO know that i am the owner of the company. that way if they do complain about the prices i can very quickly let them know that i dont make the rules. I just follow them.
But i do feel you on the other point that some of these rich pricks think that they are so ABOVE us because of there place in the world.


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I once had a main line cleaning job I did for a cardiologist.
He commented on the price being higher than he expected.
I told him that I was going to give his line an angioplasty then after I was giving it an angiogram to make sure there were no problems with it...
He laughed and said do it!
He later came down and watched me do the angiogram...:laughing:


----------



## ASUPERTECH (Jun 22, 2008)

smellslike$tome said:


> I'm about 5 minutes from walking out the door to a family Christmas party last night (Saturday) when a guy who is a retired judge and lives in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in my market calls with a stopped up toilet and a house full of guests. His cost had nothing to do with who he was (I didn't know at the time anyway) or where he lived but I really did not want to go since I was about to leave. So I did something that I virtually never do and quoted him the price, if it was a simple augering, over the phone. $118 to come out, which is twice the normal service call rate (and very reasonable for after hours weekend call) and $99 to auger the toilet which is the same amount it would cost to auger a toilet on Tuesday at 10:30 am. I wanted him to say "I'll get back to you" but he didn't, so I change clothes, get the truck warmed up, drive over there, auger the toilet, clean up, pack up, collect, listen to him tell me how "although I appreciate your prompt service (I was there about 25 minutes after he called) this is pretty stiff for 15 minutes work". I tell him "thank you. I know that I made solving his problem look easy but that I know my numbers and what is required to get a "cold" truck to his house on Saturday night and that the price was fair and really only $59 more than he would pay any other time." I also let him know that it was good that he called when he did as I was about to walk out the door to a family Christmas party of my own. He readily acknowledged the quality and promptness of the service. It made no differance. He won't call us again. I was over an hour late to my Christmas party. His was virtually uninterrupted.


 I guess the lesson for the day hear is ----Shoulda gone to law school instead.


----------



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

ASUPERTECH said:


> I guess the lesson for the day hear is ----Shoulda gone to law school instead.


No way! I sleep just fine at night thank you!


----------



## Song Dog (Jun 12, 2008)

Redwood said:


> I once had a main line cleaning job I did for a cardiologist.
> He commented on the price being higher than he expected.
> I told him that I was going to give his line an angioplasty then after I was giving it an angiogram to make sure there were no problems with it...
> He laughed and said do it!
> He later came down and watched me do the angiogram...:laughing:


That is MINT! I was camera'ing a line for a older guy and looked down and said, "Thats kinda like a ?????? (what ever the name is that they camera your butt)" I laughed and said, "I beleive so, we are in the health care profession. He chuckled and thought the camera technology is neat.

Btw- I cabled a line tonight and had poo stuck to my shoe. What a joy!:laughing:

In Christ,

Song Dog


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

ASUPERTECH said:


> I guess the lesson for the day hear is ----Shoulda gone to law school instead.


I don't want to get into a big discussion on religion, after life, or cause any off subject controversy but... 

I'll skip taking chances and not become a lawyer...:laughing:


----------



## Pipelayingghost (Jan 1, 2009)

I once did a mainline backup for a cheap Indian landlord on 1 of his rentals, he bargained me down to a lower price then I quoted him but i did the job anyways since I was already there, the guy followed me around the whole time I was there annoying the crap out of me, anyways I was using a gorlitz basket spinning machine in the back yard in a clean-out, i put out all my cable and some how missed the blockage,I pulled back all the cable,dripping with poop and corn still and started to cable it again, well the cheap customer just happen to be still right on top of me and got himself cover in poop from the my basket spinning, he could not move fast enough and was wearing a nice white shirt, 15 years later I still remember the look on his face when it started to hit him:furious:, I didn't do this on purpose but enjoyed it the same:laughing:. He did stay clear after that.


----------



## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

I thouhgt I'd revive this thread with a pic. 6" main backup in a 3 story building. It was about 6" deep in the crawlspace by the time we got there and shut down the RR's. I'm not sure when, why, or how that 2" got disconnected, may have been that way from the start, but it sure left a nice place for the soup to go. This kind of service call should be a requirement for every new apprentice/helper to go through in his first week in the trade.


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

airgap said:


> I thouhgt I'd revive this thread with a pic. 6" main backup in a 3 story building. It was about 6" deep in the crawlspace by the time we got there and shut down the RR's. I'm not sure when, why, or how that 2" got disconnected, may have been that way from the start, but it sure left a nice place for the soup to go. *This kind of service call should be a requirement for every new apprentice/helper to go through in his first week in the trade.*


*I dunno!*
*It's only poo!*
*I still say you haven't had your drain cleaning cherry busted...:yes:*
*Until you've done a Funeral Home!:laughing:*


----------



## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Redwood said:


> *I dunno!*
> *It's only poo!*
> *I still say you haven't had your drain cleaning cherry busted...:yes:*
> *Until you've done a Funeral Home!:laughing:*


How about the second week for dead body goop!


----------



## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

40'x40' square of raw food and sewage in a cs of a hospital has been the worst of late. Pumped 400 gallons of it out to a pump truck, then had to fix the line live..... great day


----------



## Bollinger plumber (Apr 3, 2009)

the first thing out of a persons mouth when i tell them i am a plumber is ewwww i couldn't do that, but the first thing out of thier mouth when i go to collect is "oh thats way too much" I answer them with a question. How much would you charge me to come put your face and hands in my toilet. They usually don't answer.


----------



## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

*funeral homes*

love em. no competition. no one else would take the jobs. i've built two embalming rooms. one total replumb and one total rewire. there will be folks on gurneys around. you have roll them out of the way. lol. morticians have a sense of humor, so do i. lot of crude jokes. breid


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Pipelayingghost said:


> I once did a mainline backup for a cheap Indian landlord on 1 of his rentals, he bargained me down to a lower price then I quoted him but i did the job anyways since I was already there, the guy followed me around the whole time I was there annoying the crap out of me, anyways I was using a gorlitz basket spinning machine in the back yard in a clean-out, i put out all my cable and some how missed the blockage,I pulled back all the cable,dripping with poop and corn still and started to cable it again, well the cheap customer just happen to be still right on top of me and got himself cover in poop from the my basket spinning, he could not move fast enough and was wearing a nice white shirt, 15 years later I still remember the look on his face when it started to hit him:furious:, I didn't do this on purpose but enjoyed it the same:laughing:. He did stay clear after that.


It wasn't Mr. Patel was it?:laughing:


----------



## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

There are a lot of those Patels around here. Hell I guess they are everywhere. And they all have money. I have done 2 houses for patels, and currently waiting to trim out a third. All of them have been over 4k sq ft. Marble floors, the works. Where do they get all this money? Where is my share?


----------



## Artisan (Apr 14, 2009)

__I dunno, maybe you guys are way tougher then me. I would NEVER stand in a pile of hazardous waste just to make a few bucks. I happen upon these situations as much as anyone else BUT, I make them clean it up first, THEN I will work. Sure if it is a small area I will pick it up / move it / do whatever is necessary but work in it inside a building? You need to align yourselves with a local Water Damage / Clean Up Services company whom will deal with the clients insurance co. and get the INSURANCE MONEY ROLLING, then you waltz in and do a PROPER job in a clean environment. Most of these Water Damage Companies actually pay YOU for all the advertising you do for them, I.E. calling them with the clients phone number and job description, so you usually end up making double. It really is a no brainer. These guys charge almost 2K to clean these jobs up. The clients JUMP at the oppurtunity to use their homeowners insurance. They get it all cleaned up, they do not have to do it and YOU work safe. I have had them out for sewage floods under homes, they muck it out, sterilize the soil with amendments and make it whole again. Then YOU get to work in a civil conditions and your not jeopardizing you family by bringing home something you should not, and you know what I mean, like that stench that gets trapped in a guys nasal cavity that seems to take 4 hours to disapate plus your clothes and truck! My truck smells like tools, not a whisp of crap ANYWHERE, including the cab, and it has a Spartan 2001, 100, 15Amp electric jetter camera and a Rotheberger hand held in backand it is an ENCLOSED truck. 

__Why would you walk into something like that? The risks are phenomenal. A slip and fall and a cut and man...there just is not enough money in it for me to do it and I do not and I STILL GET THE JOBS doing it this way!


----------



## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

Love those clean up companies money in the bank :thumbsup:
Some people don't want them to clean it I find up here in NH some have no homeownes insurance Thats freaking "NUTS" It's not expencive tell them its worth having but no they feel it's to expencive lose your home and you will wish you had it.


----------



## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

My uncle sent me to a six flat that was owned by an Indian guy. He lived in the basement apartment and had sewerage backing up into the mechanical room. he had super snow white shag carpeting through out the unit to get the the mechanical room and told me, as I was looking at this black grease and poop covered floor, "If you get my carpet dirty I no pay you!" I told him I need to go get my rod and went out the the van and called my uncle and explained the job to him. He said it was not worth it just leave. So we started the truck and split. About 2 weeks later my dad gets the same call and tried to send me there, I explained to him how I was there two weeks ago for Jackie (my uncle. So my dad and uncle went there, the owner did not mention his carpeting or anything about making a mess, just said to them "Please help me a plumber was here two weeks ago said he had to get his rodder and never came back."

I love drain cleaning:thumbsup:, I get more satisfaction out of clearing a clogged drain than replacing faucets or putting in a water heater.


----------



## Artisan (Apr 14, 2009)

Now, here comes SWINE FLU! Guess where it started? In Mexico! Where they use rubber saddle tie ins and clean drains from roofs and where billy butt kraque and johnny jack leg learned there "skills", because it's CHEAPER LOL!, thus helping to destabilize the health and welfare of the world! If this thing turns into a pandemic, and the CDC ALMOST did today from what I understand, the PLUMBERS whom practice BS plumbing will be the first to die!


----------



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Ok don't make me close this thread, play nice or not at all.


----------



## MTLPLUMBER (May 2, 2009)

one funny story was how my boss once finished doing work at a restaurant and the owner said "i dont mind the labor charge but making money on the material is not right''.my boss responded by telling him how he will be coming over tonite with his wife and how he will bring his own steaks and that i will pay u the labor it took to cook the steaks.he paid


----------

