"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:AEk6h.2764$dz.2038@trndny09...

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
I asked her how much it cost. She said she hadn't gotten the bill yet! I
was only partially surprised at the idea of working this way, but the
electrician is a guy who did some work for us in the past, and whose
prices were VERY reasonable. So....there's the other side.

There are a few contractors that you can trust to work like that. I
happen to have a plumber and an electrician that we use at work. I just
tell them what I want and they do the job at reasonable cost. I may ask
for a number for budgeting a big job, but it is never set in stone. These
guys have been working with us for about 15 years. I'd not do it with
anyone I don't have any experience with.


Send me the plumber! I thought I had a good one, but he's lost his mind
recently.

In my old house, the kitchen was right above the laundry room, and the old
iron pipes were set up like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/Bascoe/image5.gif

They were constantly clogging, and some were installed low enough to kill
anyone taller than 5'10". The plumber was already at the house doing a
warranty repair on my water heater, so I asked him how much to replace all
the iron with PVC, and re-route a couple of them. He said something like
$450. I said "Wanna do it right now?" Two hours later, done.

Three years later, new (used) house: Same basic arrangement. I called the
same plumber, who lives 5 minutes away. He takes a look and says $1500 to
$1800! I said I understood that the job wasn't absolutely identical, but why
THAT much more? He says "I was already at your other house. No travel
charges. And, I don't recall doing it that cheap". I save bills. I went and
got it and showed it to him. Didn't matter. I said "No thanks".

Travel charges - I could charter a private jet cheaper for a short business
trip.