Community Chat

[gertrudecloset]

Well.  When I furst purchased my home there was no such thing as a diagnostic fee.  Every plumber I ever called, I tell them what's going on and they tell me how much it costs.  Not anymore.  They have this new thing they do (especially plumbers) that they call "diagnostic fee."  You pay that whether they do the job or not.  Add the cost of the job and you're out an extra $145.00 or so just for their "expertise."

I had the need to call a Plumber at least twice within the last year or so to only discover they want this $ whether I give them the job or not.

Is this something happening in the areas you live in?  Fee for walking in the door?  These tradespeople are invaluable, but I think they are getting paid more than doctors!!!

[deeva]

Not happening where I live.

[deepwaterdotter]

Sounds like the era of the "free estimate" is over.

[Icegoddess]

Haven't needed to call anyone in awhile, but for a few years now here there has been like a $50 fee just to come check out the issue.  If you decide to hire them to do the job, that fee is deducted from your total.

[gizmogal]

Here it's just a "service call". It's deducted if they get the repair job. But if they drive to your house, spend time examining and trouble-shooting an appliance, a leak, a failure or a breakdown of something they must be paid for their time. If you contract them to fix or replace it then the service call becomes full services performed and no charge for the visit.

No one works for free and every tradesman is trained and using professional time. I agree $145 is an excessive charge. But it is still expertise you pay for when a skilled tradesman arrives. I can't expect an expert to show up and give advice or estimate a cost to fix/replace and not pay anything for that time spent.

I usually face a basic service call fee of $65-85. But I don't expect someone to drive here, spend a half hour or so, possibly with tools or instruments for testing and evaluation, and then walk out with just a thank you or "I'll call you when I decide".

This service call minimum fee tends to discourage consumers from shopping around for competitive estimates since every service call gets the fee except for the one you hire for the job. I find it common and acceptable. But not for $145. 

[millieshops]

@gertrudecloset I have been gobsmacked by some of the charges as I have been doing my updating, but I haven't encountered anyone yet that charges for giving an estimate.  Does the firm you choose to do the work apply the fee to the job?  

[OKPrincess]

We had a plumber on Tuesday and was quoted a service call $120.00 but applied to bill if work was done. 

So we did not have to pay an additional service call.

[gertrudecloset]

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@gizmogal wrote:

Here it's just a "service call". It's deducted if they get the repair job. But if they drive to your house, spend time examining and trouble-shooting an appliance, a leak, a failure or a breakdown of something they must be paid for their time. If you contract them to fix or replace it then the service call becomes full services performed and no charge for the visit.

No one works for free and every tradesman is trained and using professional time. I agree $145 is an excessive charge. But it is still expertise you pay for when a skilled tradesman arrives. I can't expect an expert to show up and give advice or estimate a cost to fix/replace and not pay anything for that time spent.

I usually face a basic service call fee of $65-85. But I don't expect someone to drive here, spend a half hour or so, possibly with tools or instruments for testing and evaluation, and then walk out with just a thank you or "I'll call you when I decide".

This service call minimum fee tends to discourage consumers from shopping around for competitive estimates since every service call gets the fee except for the one you hire for the job. I find it common and acceptable. But not for $145. 

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@gizmogalI'm well aware that they don't work for free.  Many of them used to come out and give an estimate w/o the exchange of $$.  Most times whoever I called, got the work to begin with.  I do my due diligence when hiring people to come into my home to fix major things like plumbing, electrical and things of that nature.

Right now it is only plumbers.  Every single one in my area will tell me there is a fee for walking through the door.  This has started since Covid.

[SilleeMee]

The only thing I've encountered is a minimum charge regardless of how small or how little time the job takes to finish. For instance I had a leak in a drain pipe under my kitchen sink and all it needed was a turn of wrench to tighten a pipe joint. Took all of 5 minutes yet he charged me his minimum fee of $75, or something like that, to complete the job. 

[gertrudecloset]

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@OKPrincess wrote:

We had a plumber on Tuesday and was quoted a service call $120.00 but applied to bill if work was done. 

So we did not have to pay an additional service call.

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Yes I've had that too.  My more recent call was a diagnostic fee and then the work that he did combined @OKPrincess