What do most plumbers charge per hour?

What do plumbers charge per hour for plumbing services in the Lafayette, Broussard and Youngsville communities?

The honest answer is it depends on a lot of variables. Most service plumbing companies don’t charge by the hour, but charge a flat rate for a particular task, much like an auto mechanic shop does.

However, the flat rate is often based on an hourly cost of operating a business. And that hourly cost of doing business varies greatly among the 80-plus service plumbing companies in Lafayette Parish.

How do I know what local plumbers charge? I’ve been a plumber in Lafayette Parish for 18 years and know personally or know of almost every licensed master plumber in Lafayette Parish. And I’ve operated my own plumbing business here for 12 years.

So what can you expect to pay a local plumber?

First, keep in mind it is super expensive to operate a service plumbing company where a plumber drives to your house to fix water, drain, gas and plumbing fixture problems. Think hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses for a 2-3 person business operation. And more for bigger companies. Don’t forget the objective of any business is to charge more than it costs.

Many local plumbing companies charge a service fee to drive to your house to evaluate your plumbing problem or project, and give you an estimate - anywhere from $25 to $150. Some other companies provide free estimates.

Then, in addition, the flat rate to repair a plumbing problem or install a plumbing fixture at your home will mostly range from $150 to $600 per hour in our area. Sometimes this flat rate will include the cost of materials and sometimes materials will be an additional cost.

The cost to you boils down to the type of plumbing service provided; job complexity; time of day; if your job is on a weekend; emergency service; travel; and of course the cost of goods sold, materials, labor, overhead and profit of the company helping you.

A few local plumbing companies offer special membership programs that provide discounts, priority scheduling, free annual plumbing inspections, and other benefits for a monthly or annual fee.

Keep in mind not all plumbers are the same, much like doctors and lawyers are different. There are service plumbers; remodeling plumbers; new construction plumbers; residential plumbers; commercial plumbers; industrial plumbers; and institutional plumbers for schools and hospitals.

All plumbers in Louisiana are required to be licensed, which means they have experience and demonstrated skills to pass a written and hands on exam given by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana.

But, because of the various fields of plumbing, some plumbers are more qualified and skilled to do certain jobs than others. For example, many commercial new construction plumbers don’t have the skills to do service plumbing, and vice versa, many service plumbers can’t do new construction plumbing.

Find the right plumbing company you need by asking friends and family; researching online Google reviews; and asking questions when you call a company. Be careful about Facebook and other social media recommendations for local plumbing companies as often the posts are filled with recommendations from the people who work at the plumbing companies themselves.

Hope this honest and unbiased information helps you understand how much plumbers charge per hour in Lafayette, Broussard and Youngsville.

Location: Lafayette, LA