Am I getting shafted?

[PPJ2801]

Hi all,

Just want to run a quote past you.

Essentially looking to have 4 900x600 rads changed to newer double panel rads. These four would be a straight swap.

Also looking to have three vertical radiators changed:
- 1 is going from a 1600x480 to 1800x610 so wall cut out, pipework adjusted and patched up.
- Another vertical going from 1600x410 single panel to 1800x410 souble panel so should be a straight swap.
- Final vertical rad going from 600x600 standard rad to a 1600x410 double panel, so some boxed in skirting removed and slight pipework adjustment.

Been quoted £700 labour and 1 day for all of the above inclusive of patching up the wall, any other materials and filling/balancing the system. I have purchased the new rads myself. All rads currently have TRV's which we will be reusing.

Do you think this is reasonable for Manchester or am I being shafted?

Thanks!

 

[BlueLoo]

That's more than a days work.

 

[PPJ2801]

Really? From research it says around 30-60 mins per radiator to straight swap - so up to 4 hours for the first 4. Then that leaves another 4 hours or so for the remaining 3? Two of which require some adjustment, and another which is a straight swap?

Admittedly I'm not a plumber so excuse any ignorance!

 

[Laurieo]

No such thing as a straight swap ,when your changing radiator sizes.
Depths are different for pipe tails ,unless you don't mind crooked pipes .Brackets are usually different ,tall rads should be flushed through as well.

 

[oldbuffer]

1. Are the 4 "straight swaps" going from single to double. If so, pipework adjustment needed as pipe centres further from wall.
2. Vertical 1600 x 1800. Worth half a day in itself.
3. Vertical 600 8 410. Single to double = pipe centre to wall distance increase. Pipework alterations.
4. Other vertical. Slight pipework adjustment. Small adjustments can take longer than large adjustments.
5. If pipes coming out of walls, potential wall damage needing to be made good.
6. Do old radiator tails have to be removed and fitted to new radiators so that old valves can be used?
7. The new radiators will almost certainly have different fixing brackets from the old ones. So removal of old, repair of damage (although may be hidden and unnecessary), measuring, marking, drilling and fixing new for each radiator.
8. All assuming no need to lift floors.

To me, it sounds like 1.5 to 3 days work. Someone who has seen what is required might be able to quote for a single day with two people. As BlueLoo says, more than a man day's work. Sounds like an unduly reasonable quote to me, particularly in a large city.

 

[PPJ2801]

Cheers all, appreciate the responses.

As I said, bit unsure when it comes to plumbing so makes sense. Going to get a couple more quotes as sceptical about the guy that quoted a day.

 

[denso13]

Been quoted £700 labour and 1 day for all of the above inclusive of patching up the wall, any other materials and filling/balancing the system.

Sounds steep for essentially labour only.

 

[Mister Banks]

Really? From research it says around 30-60 mins per radiator to straight swap - so up to 4 hours for the first 4. Then that leaves another 4 hours or so for the remaining 3? Two of which require some adjustment, and another which is a straight swap?

Admittedly I'm not a plumber so excuse any ignorance!

IME you’ll be lucky to get 5-6 hours out of a day. So 2 mandays for the job.

 

[Notch7]

Really? From research it says around 30-60 mins per radiator to straight swap - so up to 4 hours for the first 4. Then that leaves another 4 hours or so for the remaining 3? Two of which require some adjustment, and another which is a straight swap?

Admittedly I'm not a plumber so excuse any ignorance!

I'm not a plumber, I changed some old rusty rads for new ones, the nearest equivalent size, even though it took me a lot longer than a plumber, it made me appreciate the amount of work involved: draining system, removing rads, taking up floorboard, cutting back pipework and putting in new tails etc etc.

I found the tails were often no good as the compression joints had leak and they were tightened to buggery squashing the olives right into the pipe.

Marking out for the new brackets isn't even that straightforward.

 

[Madrab]

sceptical about the guy that quoted a day.

Unless he's chucking 2 or 3 bodies at it.

 

[johnny2007]

£700 for that job is more than reasonable.
Will take longer than 1 day unless more than one man is involved.

 

[gas112]

minor pipework adjustment can take a lot longer than big pipe work adjustments
The 3 new verticals will take a lot longer than the 4 normal rads .
And Lot depends on whether the existing brackets can be reused some can most cant , also single rad to P+ might not need any pipework adjustment but to k2 it will