3 things that determine how long a plumbing job will take
When you hire a plumber to do a job, it’s normal to ask yourself how much time it will take, especially if you’re being charged by the hour. There’s no single answer to this question, however. The time that a plumbing job takes will be influenced by many factors that can lengthen or shorten it significantly. Here are 3 of the most common:
Complexity
The biggest factor in how long a plumbing job takes is its complexity. A clogged sink may take just a few hours to repair, but many other plumbing jobs can’t be done so quickly. For example, replacing a lead piping system in its entirety will take several days, if not weeks. So as a general rule, the more complex the job, the longer the plumber will have to work. If in doubt, you can always ask the plumber for a time estimate before they start.
Location
Where the problem the plumber has to fix is located is another big factor in determining how long it will take. There are 2 reasons for this. First, the plumber may have to spend more time diagnosing the problem. It will probably be easy for them to find the source of a clogged sink, but finding why the water supply to a home is being cut off may be more complicated. Second, a job may be more complicated to do because of where it’s located. For example, a problem with the piping underneath a building will require more effort and time to resolve, and a problem in a hard-to-reach location will take longer and be more complicated to fix.
On-site labour
The third thing that can affect how long a plumbing job will take is the amount of labour on site. Plumbers are commonly seen working in pairs or in teams to solve problems at customers’ homes. As a general rule, the more plumbers you have on site, the less time it’s going to take. However, more plumbers usually means a higher bill.
