# What's the cheapest rate you remember?



## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I got into plumbing in 76 and remember the rates were $25.00 or so an hr and that was one of the most expensive company's in town.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

In 1977, Sink clogs were $19.50 and Sewer Clogs were $24.50-$29.50


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I remember back in the 70's when I was in the USAF where I got 1/2 of a paycheck every other week... :laughing:

I don't want to remember the amount...


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Redwood said:


> I remember back in the 70's when I was in the USAF where I got 1/2 of a paycheck every other week... :laughing:


 I always sent mine home, otherwise I'd just drink, smoke and gamble it away.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

mpsllc said:


> I got into plumbing in 76 and remember the rates were $25.00 or so an hr and that was one of the most expensive company's in town.


 That's pretty much what I remember as well.


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

1989 $54 per hour for drain cleaning and $62 per hour for Plumbing repairs.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Widdershins said:


> I always sent mine home, otherwise I'd just drink, smoke and gamble it away.


Ah... The Good Life.... :laughing:

Did you forget the money you gave to mamasan? :laughing:


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Redwood said:


> Ah... The Good Life.... :laughing:
> 
> Did you forget the money you gave to mamasan? :laughing:


 I stayed away from the Mamasans -- Those STD lectures we got in Basic were pretty damned graphic.:laughing:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

In '74 I remember $ 18.50 in Dallas. I made $2.75 of it as a apprentice.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

SlickRick said:


> In '74 I remember $ 18.50 in Dallas. I made $2.75 of it as a apprentice.


The cost of a big mac back then was only about 50 cents, so, you were rolling in the dough. :thumbup:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

ChrisConnor said:


> The cost of a big mac back then was only about 50 cents, so, you were rolling in the dough. :thumbup:


That is true, I went from there to a prevailing wage hospital project and made $6.50, you would have thought I won the lottery.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2008)

Started @ $1.65 hr ,,, seemed to always have PLENTY of $$$$


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I remember 1.60 an hr. Us helpers would cash our checks and drive thru the Burger King and open the wallet which was loaded with our cash hoping to empress the girl at the window. :laughing:


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

I'm kind of new to this so the cheapest service rates I remember were $55 per hour here in California around '97. That was about 2 years after I started in Colorado (no idea what they charged then). I believe I got $8 per hour when I started as an apprentice.






Paul


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## Associated Plum (Nov 4, 2008)

1973. $11.00 an hour.

Journeyman were making $5.50 plus benefits including 100% paid family medical.

I started out at $1.50 laborer 3 months later when I was a 1st year Apprentice I was making $3.00 an hour


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Holy crap that was a lot of money at 11 dollars an hour. In 1972 I made 1.35 an hour and the company charged 10 bucks an hour.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

$5/hour when I started in 87. 

I remember working for $14/hour when I first went out on my own as a plumber... dirt cheap to all.

Talk about a fast learner; in 14 months, without a plumbing license of any kind, I was plumbing houses to code and better than the licensed guys (attention to detail) at age 20.

Plumbed 14 houses and a few log cabins under farmstead exemption or another plumber pulling permits. I was good, work was tight... and I loved it.

Never got in trouble but had one union plumber out to get me. Never succeeded though. 


I was truly a rare breed to be able to pick up a code book, along with my time plumbing new construction for another company and rolling with it. 

I knew my work would be graded, so I made sure no stone was unturned. Do I feel bad for working unlicensed? 


Never. I put up great work. Rarely do I faulter with mistake as I'll never leave the door open to get destroyed by bad workmanship.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> $5/hour when I started in 87.
> 
> I remember working for $14/hour when I first went out on my own as a plumber... dirt cheap to all.
> 
> ...


 That should be on a plaque. What a statement,,,, Well said Dunbar. 
I too insist on being thourough, professional,and leave a clean scene when I'm done.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

I've been told that in days past, that a really good plumber could expect to reach the s.s. max before years end. Not so much anymore.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I'm sorry, but huh??


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

mpsllc said:


> I'm sorry, but huh??


Social security withholding limit reached, resulting in a higher paycheck for the plumber.


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## bikefitter0 (Nov 22, 2011)

1971= $ 10 bucks


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Back in 74. I was making 5.00 per hour and bringing $ 350 a week. 

Had to work 70 hours a week. My father made sure I worked 7 days a week with no overtime paid


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Some of you guys are Old....:laughing: (I'm a youthful 44)

I started at $ 3.35 an hour; that was the minimum wage at the time.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

I remember the first house I bought was 40,000. And I remember thinking I was going to be debt ridden for the rest of my life. Scared the hell out of me back then


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## liquid plumber (Nov 25, 2011)

as an apprentice in 92' i remember labor rates @$ 55.00, i was probably getting 5.00 .


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## plumber666 (Sep 19, 2010)

I started @ $8 in '86. Boss bumped me up to $8.50 when I got a haircut.


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## smoldrn (Oct 4, 2010)

I started at 3.00/hr in '75, company was charging $30-35 an hour, I believe.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

plumber666 said:


> I started @ $8 in '86. Boss bumped me up to $8.50 when I got a haircut.


You were rolling in it in 86. That would buy a half a tank of gas.


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## TPWinc (May 30, 2011)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> $5/hour when I started in 87.
> 
> I remember working for $14/hour when I first went out on my own as a plumber... dirt cheap to all.
> 
> ...


I love the last sentence. Similar story for me. It was about a year before they turned me loose and about 6 months after that I was doing the top projects. I made alot of plumbers mad because they felt I didn't put my time in, but I also got alot of compliments on my work! I enjoy plumbing just as much today as I did then. That's probably why I learned so quickly. This is a little before my time, but my uncle claims he was making $6.00 an hour as an apprentice back in 71 building a school. That had to be Big money because I thought $5.00 an hour was good almost 20 years later.


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## TPWinc (May 30, 2011)

OldSchool said:


> I remember the first house I bought was 40,000. And I remember thinking I was going to be debt ridden for the rest of my life. Scared the hell out of me back then


Ha! Mine was 35,900. I felt the same way. You had to have 20% plus closing costs to put down. The interest rate was 9.5%. Times have changed. Sometimes I wish I still lived in that house. I do miss the payment.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

TPWinc said:


> Ha! Mine was 35,900. I felt the same way. You had to have 20% plus closing costs to put down. The interest rate was 9.5%. Times have changed. Sometimes I wish I still lived in that house. I do miss the payment.



Yeah and the thing about that payment is...you have a house now that cost 4 times the price and the payment is 10 times the payment of your first house.


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## user8031 (Dec 14, 2011)

Ten Billion dollars per hour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wouldnt that be nice!!??:laughing:


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

I started plumbing full time the day after high school, working for my Dad, & brother (who is 10yrs older), in June, 1979. Made $4.00 per hr, for 5yrs. I don't know why, but I never hurt for money. But I did do lots of side jobs, so maybe thats why. My family never registered my SS until 1983. Don't know why or how, but every paycheck, for years, was $160.00, based on 40 hrs, no matter how many hrs I worked. And it was mostly over 40 hrs.
The 1st year on my SS statement is 1983, & I made $9200.00 for the whole year, working full time.
So my family's motto for me, working in the family business, was "WE EXPECT TWICE AS MUCH, FOR HALF AS MUCH.
But I'm not bitter at the family, cuz I learned the trade, & the business. Kids today want to start out at $15 an hr or more. Hard to teach basics to anyone at the cost you need to pay them today. And even if you do, they don't stay with ya long enough, for it to pay off.
I remember my mother answering the phone, every day in the early 70's, & telling customers, our rates are $11.00 per hr, plus materials.People would think that was outrageous. Amazing how things change.:yes:


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## hasbean (Jun 27, 2011)

I started in 1955 in the uk and wage *per week* was £1.75 =$5.25.
Richard


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Man you guys are old:laughing::laughing:

I can't remember starting wages ever being under $8 for any type of work in the trades. 

Do you guys feel like it has leveled off over the last 10 years? I know that inflation has gone up, but it seems that wages have stayed stagnant.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

plumberkc said:


> Man you guys are old:laughing::laughing:
> 
> I can't remember starting wages ever being under $8 for any type of work in the trades.


You are too young....



plumberkc said:


> Do you guys feel like it has leveled off over the last 10 years? I know that inflation has gone up, but it seems that wages have stayed stagnant.


Well you aren't a 1%er then....


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## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

When I first started in '66 my (union) wage was $3.25 per hour plus bennies, including a .50 per hour vacation pay. 

When I worked in Bonner's Ferry, Idaho, in 1974, my employer charged $10.50 per hour. Plumbers in Sandpoint, Idaho at that time were at $15 per hour.

When I bought my first house in 1973, it cost $20,000 brand new and payments were around $120 per month and included taxes and insurance.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

plumberkc said:


> Do you guys feel like it has leveled off over the last 10 years? I know that inflation has gone up, but it seems that wages have stayed stagnant.



I was making $14 hr in '98, I know a guy that's making $14 an hour now and he says he's been doing it 20 years.


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## greenscoutII (Aug 27, 2008)

Herk said:


> When I bought my first house in 1973, it cost $20,000 brand new and payments were around $120 per month and included taxes and insurance.


That's funny...

When my dad and mom bought their house in 71', it cost $21,750. He showed me some of the old payment book stubs. $128 per month. The payment on his 73' Monte Carlo was $68 bucks every month.....

He told me he and my mother both working brought home, together, a little over $600 monthly and they felt flush.....

Back during the boom, I felt like clearing $600 per _week_ (after taxes and child support) was just OK.


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