• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
  • ENGINEERS
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
  • INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • CONTRACTORS
  • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
  • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
  • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • WATER TREATMENT
  • PMC COLUMNS
  • PMC COLUMNS
  • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
  • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
  • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
  • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
  • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
  • CONTINUING EDUCATION
  • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
  • FIRE PROTECTION
  • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
  • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
  • PME COLUMNS
  • PME COLUMNS
  • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
  • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
  • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
  • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
  • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
  • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
  • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
  • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
  • CODES
  • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
  • PROJECT PROFILES
  • COLUMNS
  • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • COLUMNS
  • Codes Corner
  • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
  • Guest Editorial
  • MEDIA
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
  • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
  • DIRECTORIES
  • EBOOKS
  • PM BOOKSTORE
  • CE CENTER
  • MARKET RESEARCH
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
  • EMAGAZINE
  • ARCHIVE ISSUES
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • EBOOKS
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!
Columns

Our Undervalued Profession

By Frank Blau
June 1, 2000
Last December I wrote an article entitled “A Dear John Letter,” regarding a service technician who quit a PHC company after explaining that he was fed up with the hard work, low pay and lack of customer appreciation. A contractor sent a copy of that article to a customer who had “fired” him for charging too much. The customer then wrote to me. Here are excerpts from that customer’s letter, in italics, followed by my assessment.

… I will say that Mr. (Contractor’s Name) has done several plumbing and heating jobs in my home over the past several years and I have found his work to be very good ...

I hear this all the time. The company does good work but … the contractor charges too much. This is the crux of the problem right here. When people admit that you do good work and then in the same breath say that you charge too much, they are saying that the work you do is not worth very much. When customers see everything you do in terms of dollars and cents, an important message is not coming across about the value of the work you do. PHC work is not unskilled labor. Our profession is woefully undervalued in the eyes of the public.

Let’s see what this job consisted of.

... It consisted of converting from well water to town water — a pretty straightforward job. The job took him 4.5 hours at a cost of $546.55 ...

Turns out that the contractor in question billed the customer at a time and material rate of $50 an hour, which is far too LOW in my estimation! The rest of the billing consisted of materials, one hour of apprentice time at $40, permit fee and taxes.

Later I spoke by phone to this angry customer. Among other things, he was put off by being billed for the cost of an apprentice. Just who is supposed to pay to help train apprentices, if not the customer? I asked. People just don’t get it.

Taken For Granted: The job in question involved the basic issue of bringing potable water into the home. This is something everyone in the Western world takes for granted, but millions of people around the world die because they lack it. It’s pretty much a once in a lifetime job, but not worth $546 in this customer’s mind. (Blau Plumbing probably would have charged twice as much!)

... I spoke to a neighbor who also had been connected to town water at the same time. To my astonishment, he told me he was charged $50 by his plumber ...

Same old story, some slug who doesn’t have a clue about his cost of doing business and how to price a job sets the “going rate” for every plumber in town. Besides, he is comparing apples to oranges, as follows.

I admit, I had a few minor adjustments done, such as installing a pressure valve, but definitely not $500 worth. Also, we were charged an additional $20 for a plumbing permit. A quick call to Town Hall and we were told the permit was $15. Mr. (Contractor’s) explanation — his time and gas for his truck, even though he was picking up permits for other neighbors ...

The “minor” adjustments, like installing a filter along with the pressure valve, keeps the drinking water flowing. Again, this is a valuable service that takes considerable skill, but is undervalued by people like this consumer.

All of you time and material folks who think we flat raters are “rip-offs,” what do you say about someone who marks up the permit fee by a third? Why is that OK, when reasonable profit markups on our true cost of labor is not?

By charging a reasonable markup on your labor, you can make money the old-fashioned way, by truly earning it. You don’t have to chintz around trying to squeeze out five bucks on the permit fee.

The Materials Game: ... I priced the parts he used on the job and found I could have bought them for $78 less than what he charged me. By the way, of course I don’t qualify for a plumber’s discount. So, “just who is ripping off whom?”

This job entailed some $268 worth of materials, and this guy is upset because the contractor took a markup of about 41 percent on those materials. Is there a better argument on behalf of flat rate pricing? Itemizing materials just invites people to do some comparison shopping.

A little background. I’m a retired engineer who worked 39 years for the same company, retired 5 years ago and never reached $50,000 a year! Your article certainly hit home with me regarding the inequities existing between technically educated professions and those with less skills and the salary gap it presents, but I doubt that Mr. (Contractor) had in mind when he handed me your article ...

I’m sure he has to make a living, but to what extreme? Am I off base on this situation … ?

Way off base, as far as I’m concerned. I’m sorry his income never topped 50 Gs. Maybe he was as underpaid as most service techs in our industry. Yet, he seems to be agreeing with my main point that most of the people in our industry are undercompensated, undervalued and under-appreciated. Only he doesn’t want to be the one who pays the price of fair compensation! Let everyone else pay it, he seems to be implying.

The ultimate irony is that the $50-an-hour contractor who did the job is typical of the forlorn souls who populate our industry. I talked to the man. He’s 45 years old, has little to show for decades of hard work and his W-2 form for last year shows an annual income of about $19,500. Working for himself, he estimates that he put in upwards of 4,000 hours in the business. That means he’s working for less than the minimum wage of $5.15 that you can legally pay any employee!

Yet, this customer thinks he charges TOO MUCH!

My friends, is there a sorrier commentary about the state of our industry?

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Frank Blau can be reached at Frank J. Blau Jr. & Associates, 12221 W. Fairview, Milwaukee, WI 53226. 1-800-FLAT RATE. Fax: 414/258-3307. Web site: www.blauplumbing.com

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Worker using the Milwaukee Tool SWITCH PACK drain cleaner

    Pipeline profits: Drain cleaning, pipe inspection create opportunities

    Drain cleaning and inspection services offer lucrative...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
  • Uponor employee, Arturo Moreno

    The reinvestment in American manufacturing and training

    Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke and...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke and Natalie Forster
  • March 2024 Women in Plumbing hero image of woman engineer overlayed by circle of hexagon shapes with numbers from 1 to 10

    Celebrating 10 Influential Women in the Plumbing Industry

    Celebrating Women's History Month and Women in...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine
  • Manage My Preferences

NIBCO Press Solutions

NIBCO Press Solutions

IPEX celebrates grand opening of new Florida distribution center

IPEX celebrates grand opening of new Florida distribution center

Bell & Gossett Illustrates Path to Net-zero at AHR Expo

Bell & Gossett Illustrates Path to Net-zero at AHR Expo

AI can boost efficiency and profitability for plumbing, HVAC contractors

AI can boost efficiency and profitability for plumbing, HVAC contractors

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Plumbing & Mechanical audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Plumbing & Mechanical or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • J.J. Keller CMV vehicles on road
    Sponsored byJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

    The dash cam game-changer for small business safety

Popular Stories

Figure 1 is a sketch of the flow problems of the current plumbing system.

Hydronic heating glitch solved: Why adding a circulator won't fix primary loop flow issue

The interior of a government building.

President Trump signs executive order promoting skilled trades and apprenticeships

Underfloor heating installation with drain sewer hole in bathroom close up on water floor heating.

Using hydronics to leverage time-of-use electrical rates

PM BEMIS June 25 Free Webinar: Optimizing Plumbing Solutions for Single-Family, Multi-Family & Public Spaces

Events

November 13, 2024

Future Proofing MEP: Navigating the 2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

Join our deep dive into DOE’s new standards so you can future-proof your MEP practice.

EARN: 0.1 ASPE CEU; 1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 PDH

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Will business be up or down in 2025?

Do you anticipate business in 2025 to be up or down in comparison to 2024?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Water Came To A Stop

The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products

Download the FREE Water Conservation, Quality & Safety eBook: Plumbing Trends Increasing Safe Water Availability

Related Articles

  • Why I Don't Like Commissions, Either

    See More
  • The Ultimate Profit & Loss Statement

    See More
×

Keep your content unclogged with our newsletters!

Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Supply House Times
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • EBOOKS
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!