[ronnie51]

We had out bathtub drain replaced. The plumber charged 366 for parts and used a p trap instead of putting back the drum trap.
We think we were grossly over charged for parts. What do you think?
2-45
1-90
2in. P trap
Collar
Rubber boot
Glue and about 4 ft. pvc pipe

[speedball1]

I hate to touch complaints like this. Were you hammered on the material. It sounds like you were to me but perhaps the plumber was attempting to offset his labor charge. You failed to give me a charge per item so I can't really tell. Your plumber replaced the old drum trap because a drum trap won't allow a snake to get past it. Drum traps are like galvanized water pipes. Out of date and not in use in new construction and remodels. I would have replaced it too. So what was the labor charge?
Cheers, Tom

[ronnie51]

We didn't get a price list for each item. He charged us 137.60 for labor. He wrote on estimate. w&g-0210, replc. Trap on tub wood floor(he didn't have to cut the floor. Bathtub plumbing exposed). T-10-1 replc. Tub drain. Drain not replaced

[speedball1]

You should call the company and demand a parts breakdown. The labor doesn't sound out of line But you need a statement that lists the price of each part. Let me know what they say. Good luck, Tom

[ivanh]

There is know way any outside person could predict or estimate the pricing of a unseen plumbing job. It's the labor that allways kills you. And labor varries with site specific difficulty.

P.S. A poorly designed plumbing system is allway the culprit for excessive service costs, but if you feel that you were over charged, just don't ever call this guy back again. That'l teach them. Payback is a mutha. You can take your business elsewhere!

[speedball1]

Ivan,
I couldn't agree more.
Ronnie,
If they won't furnish a complete parts breakdown then lodge a strong complaint with The Better Business Bureau. A parts breakdown should be included in every statement.
Do I think you got hammered on the material? Sure do! Good luck, Tom

[ivanh]

Note: Drum traps were outlawed in Chicago many years ago. Don't know why, but they have always been a trouble spot for me. The P-trap is suitable and preferred by my taste.

By the way, I have always found it an oddity that drum trap installations that I've encountered in vintage buildings were almost always installed in inacessable locations. Improper design. Cost more labor for the plumber to GET to the drum trap than if a simple P-trap were installed at the fixture. Sometimes they would be buried under floors and/or ceiling demo required just for rodding!

[massplumber2008]

Hi all

Not to stoke the fire here, but I'll tell you that you can replace a drum trap for a ptrap only as long as the drain line is vented properly.

In some states that use drum traps to this day you don't need to have a vent within 10 feet (or more) of the drum trap. If you installed a PTRAP on this kind of drain setup the trap would siphon/burp and could allow sewer gasses into the home.

I'd want to know how close the vent is to the new PTRAP... should be within 3-5 feet of the new PTRAP to be valid/safe to have swapped out for that drum trap.

My two cents...

MARK