Plumbers - do you do drain cleaning?

Charlie from wmass

Well since I am 37 and Da is 71 I gues we average a bit younger of a work force than you Rich but I guess with the gray hair I got I can pass for a bit older. I am amazed every day how smart my father has become since I was 20, he sure has learned alot. When I was 20 I thought drain cleaning would be a great add on to our business.

John Starcher_4

I don't mean the little drains....

...like sinks; I'm talking about 3 and 4 inch main drains. We don't have a sewer cleaning machine. I had a call last night for a toilet leaking around the base - turns out the main line was plugged and water leaked out around the toilet when the washing machine pumped out. I gave the homeowner the number for a drain cleaning guy and left.

The dilemma - I don't feel like I can bill him for the service call since I didn't fix his problem. It's not as big a deal if I'M the one responding, but if one of my employees is taking the on call duty, I have to pay him overtime for HIS time, but can't bill the homeowner? What is your policy for situations like this??

gerry gill_2

Yes, we have a main line machine

even tho it will be yours truley who ultimately will be doing it..I use a Ridgid 1500 machine..i'm to little for those huge drums with a 100 feet of cable..my machine is a sectional cable machine..the trade off is many more trips to the basement..I know what your saying about the charging of fees tho..its like you almost have to diagnose that kind of call over the phone to determine if you really want to go out..but my advice would be to get a main line machine and practice up with it on your own drain till your comfortable with it..mine has paid itself off so many times that i wouldn't hesitate to get another..even tho it takes alot out of me to use it these days, its still one of my better investments and always a very well paying service call..I'd recommend you get a machine..it really will be a rewarding financial investment..its easy to sell the service once you have the machine.

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Leo G_103

John,

have you thought about subbing? We have a deal with a local drain cleaning company. They send us their invoice, we then invoice the homeowner, and charge for the diagnostic call. Saves the drainees time, and we get paid for our time also.

Leo G

EricAune

Why give it up?

A sewer snake is one of the few tools you can buy and actually allocate direct profit from.....Buy one, you will make money off it. I have found the two machines I own to invaluable during these slow times. Not everyone is building or adding on, but many people have clogs and roots and such regardless of the economy!

Rigid makes nice machines, but they are going to be the most costly. Research "General Cable". I have the drill model for up to 3" and a 100' cable machine for mains.

This is not the nicest or cleanest work available, however, it can be very rewarding and one more way to advertise your business.

Peace

John Starcher_4

Thanks, guys!

As usual, the Wall comes through!

Leo - I'm intrigued by your idea. Subbing the work had never occurred to me. The biggest challenge will be to find someone I know will be reliable, especially on the weekends. It's something I will definitely look into.

I have considered buying a machine, as well, and may have to revisit that idea.

I was interested also in everyone's opinion on whether a service call fee was warranted in my situation the other night.

Thanks again,

Starch

KevinCorr

Only if I am really very hungry!

Charlie from wmass

What you do not want to owner you can rent. We seldom do mainline clearing but if it is slow we rent a unit. The tech buys the sales man rents I think was an article a few years ago in PM magazine. If you find you are doing it often then buy a unit. you may find referrel or subbing may be better for you. Make sure you are up on your vaccinations.

mtfallsmikey

My weapon of choice

Was a Ridgid K-380. Tree roots can be a big problem on mains, so keep a few different cutterheads. You need something beefy for those jobs...And separate additional equipment and consumable charges did apply.

bob young

sub it out or not---- but be in control

the key is to find a reliable sub that lets you bill the customer . then you control the job & billing & more important retain the client. we also always did small stoppages with a milwaukee or general handgun but mostly as a customer courtesy [ but billed at our normal rate of course. ] we also have a spartan 300 for mainline [4", 5". 6 " ] lines. we pick & choose those situations, you better believe. i prefer the easy no problem one !! as long as you have the equipment on hand it is your call to do it yourself if you got the time or lump it out if you are doing something more lucrative or important.believe it or not their is big money in drain cleaning & we got the edge because we know how piping is usually installed& can visualize what is not visable or hidden to the eye.

Alan(OnVacationInOregon)Forbes

Backbreaking work

My body is not made for that kind of work; heavy equipment, on the roof if you can't find a cleanout, surprises at the end of the snake (infant diapers, adult diapers, tampons......), silly comments ("Where did that come from?") and terrible plumbing that begs to get clogged again.

Yeah, money is hard to come by right now, but some things are better left to others. I have the home owner call my favorite drain doctor and he sends me his plumbing jobs.

ChrisL

Rooter

I would definitely disagree on renting. First off, they're not that expensive, and you want the machine available at a moments notice. Finally, make sure you get an auto-feed machine. Definitely makes the job a lot easier. Also, sectionals are easier to carry since they are more modular, but they are definitely messier in enclosed spaces.

ChrisL

Charlie from wmass

I was not saying to rent on full time arraingment, I am saying FOr a few calls rent the unit and see if you have the temperment for it. I do not like draincleaning and 1500 to 3000 for a good machine to sit in the corner for emergencies I do not like dealing with is a lot of money. Also a used machine, even one used just once drops in resale value. So for the 4 or 5 times a year at the very most that I need a power auger I just rent. Even in my small town area one of the rental units has always been availible when I needed it, and often they are closer to the job than my shop is. If you find you are agreeable with do this type of work on a daily bases then by all means get set up with a good package. You will need a camera, a jetter, a good size mainline auger, a smaller unit ffor the 2"-3" size and a hand held for the sinks and bathtubs. So for about $10,000 you too can be availible for every stray personel hygene product gone awry and every rust out and corroded " I needed repiped when Johnson was President" sanitary system. I will stick to picking and choosing and renting when I need one.

Rich Kontny_3

I Agree

Sometimes you graduate from entry level work. A drain cleaner does not need licensing etc. Plus the grime not only smells up the truck it leaves you smelling somewhat foul. One man shops I can see why you may want to include this as another source of income.

It is not always easy money as cables snap, cables can be stuck etc. Homeowners want results and do not like to pay when you can not open the sewer up.

At the tender age of 58 I only do small drains if it is an add on. The drain cleaners need to make a living too !

bob young

business plan

I try to capitolize on every phone call that comes through my office. i don't care what it is or if i do it personally or designate to a subcontractor. if i can bill it through my office or collect a referal commission. you can usually negotiate a trade price so that the customer gets a fair shake , a good solid job & everyone eats.
when my phone rings i want to hear cash.my son is your age Charlie & I am a little younger than your Dad. my son likes to give everything away. F.O.C. . can't make ends meet like that. a lot of main sewer stoppages are trap stoppages. what could be easier than that. give me ten a day .

Charlie from wmass

Bob we do not have many house traps in Mass. When we have a mainline clog it is a big deal. The last one I had I spent 4 hours pulling feces and toilet seat covers out of a 4" cast iron main. I filled a 5 gallon bucket before I had it loosened enough to push it with a wing and a pray into the 6" plastic main out in the parking lot. I was on an easy clogged toilet call. It was not the toilet after all. The main clean out was 45 feet from the toilet bowl and was covered with shelving units and carpet. the 6" pvc clean out in the parking lot was glue shut. This was less than a month ago. Did I get paid ? yes. Would I do it again? Not so sure. F.O.C. was so foreign of a group of letters I had to google it to know what it meant. Good deeds are one thing but charity starts at home. The other line I grew up with is this " the name is Garrity, no charity"

bob young

F.O.C. .....not

wow,charlie, i forgot all about the no house trap situation in mass. you are correct , sir.....does that ever change the equation !! don't blame you....i definitely would not be bothered with main stoppages in that situation. it is all coming back to me now because i worked in the quincy shipyard in 1967-68 & did plenty of plumbing work in weymouth& nantasket beach. no thanks !! lol. a few wierdo jobs are still embedded in my mind. those shipyard workers could improvise anything & make it work but no way anyone could ever follow their jobs. impossible !! that fine thread brass was another killer !! gotcha on the F.O.C. , now you can have fun with it !!

jimmac

sewers.....

bobs right on the money we do it as a courtesy as well will go and see the job yes usually the call comes in as water leak! or toilet not flushing! after being in your situation for a backbreaking 4 hour sewer cleaning i use a sub for main lines very reliable and he bills me i bill customer.need to get a reliable one,and one you dont have to worry about intruding on your customer! but i will tell you that a great sewer man is never going to take six hours to clear a drain.as he would say "its how you put it in" i had a easy yard drain three hours cant get through (summertime why not go) 12 minutes he was through same machine same head used to use a drain company for all clogs but they werent reliable to had to go back to clear the smaller drains often with them so we take care of those still

jimmac