I had a thermo couple replaced in my furnace yesterday and I was charged 132.45. Is this a bit much?

It depends upon where you live. The local labor rate and the mark up on parts.

If you called a service company and stated simply that your furnace doesn't work then yes that sounds acceptable. He repaired your furnace. Whether he did a little or a lot is not the point.

Remember you are not only paying the service guy for what he does but also what he knows.

If you called a service company and stated simply that your furnace doesn't work then yes that sounds acceptable. He repaired your furnace. Whether he did a little or a lot is not the point.

Remember you are not only paying the service guy for what he does but also what he knows.


Is that why we work so cheap here. LOL:)

Apparently lol.

I agree, if this was a service call and it resulted in a thermocouple being replaced it seems reasonable. If you knew 100% it was the couple you could have done it for about $4. You paid his mileage, diagnostics, knowlegde and parts. Labor was probably minimal.

I agree, if this was a service call and it resulted in a thermocouple being replaced it seems reasonable. If you knew 100% it was the couple you could have done it for about $4. You paid his mileage, diagnostics, knowlegde and parts. Labor was probably minimal.


As to mark up or costs of business, keep in mind a quality contractor that will be there for you when you need him may have some or all of the following business expenses:

Not limited to;

401K
Coffee
Health Insurance
Holiday Pay
Office Benefits
Sick Pay
Uniforms
Vacation Pay
Air Conditioning Equipment Maintenance
Building Repairs
Cleaning Service
Electric Utilities
Facility Mortgage Payments
Furniture
Gas/Oil Bill
Landscaping
Office Rent
Parts Storage Racks
Security System
Shop Tools
Callbacks
Miscellaneous Hardware
Air Conditioning License
Answering Service
Bad Debt
Business Licenses
Cash Reserves
Certification Tests
Chamber of Commerce Dues
Collections
Company Picnic
Dealer Meetings
Employment Testing
Help Wanted Advertising
Interest Expense
Internet Access
Inventory
Inventory Shrinkage
Invoices
Legal Services
Liability Insurance
Management Training
Mobile Phone Charges
Mobile Phones
Office Training
Pagers
Property Insurance
Recycling
Subscriptions
Tax preparation
Technician Training
Trade Association Membership
Brochures
Charitable Contributions
Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Door Hangers
Home And Garden Shows
Magnets
Newsletter
Newspaper Advertising
Other Advertising
Outdoor Advertising
Patches
Radio Advertising
Sales Commissions
Warranties
Website
Yellow Pages
Youth Sports Team Sponsorships
Accounting
Calculators And Adding Machines
Computer System Maintenance
Computers
Copier
Copies
Fax Machine
Files And File Cabinets
Network
Office Supplies
Phone Bill
Phone System
Postage
Postal Equipment
Printing
Software
Stamps And Pads
Telephone Bill
Telephone Equipment
Training Equipment
Trash And Disposal
Water Bill
Call Taker
Dispatcher
Employee Incentives
Employee Pay
Management
Office Staff
Receptionist
Technician Pay
Federal Taxes
Local School Taxes
Local Taxes
Municipal Property Tax
Other property Taxes
Sales Tax
Social Security Taxes
State Taxes
Unemployment Insurance
Worker's Comp
Gasoline
Ladders
Radios
Tires
Tools
Truck Decals
Truck Depreciation
Truck Insurance
Truck Inventory
Truck Ladder Racks
Truck Maintenance
Truck Shelves
Trucks
Profit
Tool Insurance
Truck Plates
Life Insurance
Equipment Insurance
Warranty Expenses
Code updates
Other trade book updates
Permits
Dental / Vision Insurance
Equipment Consumables
Inventory Tax
Research & Development

Yep, I kind of condensed the list.

Thanks for your help. I didn't mean to sound like I wasn't getting my money's worth. It just sounds like a lot to me. Why do people charge so much anyway? I don't have that kind of money to dish out every time I have to call someone.



If you called a service company and stated simply that your furnace doesn't work then yes that sounds acceptable. He repaired your furnace. Whether he did a little or a lot is not the point.

Remember you are not only paying the service guy for what he does but also what he knows.

Maybe next time I will do it myself.
I am female and 59. Think I could do it?
Bet I could.



I agree, if this was a service call and it resulted in a thermocouple being replaced it seems reasonable. If you knew 100% it was the couple you could have done it for about $4. You paid his mileage, diagnostics, knowlegde and parts. Labor was probably minimal.

I guess what we are saying is if you knew it was a thermocouple then yes you can do it, its fairly simple. However, most issues start with the home owner not knowing what part failed, they just know the furnace or water heater isn't hot. A pro can diagnois the issue and craft a correct fix based on test results, can you do this, not always likely unless you have experience and testing equipment,

One think u must think about!! DON'T FULL WITH GAS IT IS DANGERRRRR. Good lucky