"Molly Brown" wrote:

If I were you, what I would be worrying about is not how
much you paid
but if it happens again will he come back to fix it for
free. In other
words, what kind of warranty did he give you. ... My
advise to
people is not to worry about how much you’re paying but
how much you
can trust the guy who is doing the work.

Good advice.

My experience has been that if I find a car mechanic,
electrician, plumber, other skilled tradesman who has been
used repeatedly by my friends and colleagues, then I don't
have a problem with follow-up repairs.

Why was the toilet
wobbling in the first place?

The house was built 30 years ago, and the toilet had
required no work during that time. One of the two bolts on
the toilet which hold it down no longer was attached or firm
at the end below the floor. When the toilet was removed it
was clear that the original flange had just corroded away,
and the hole into which the bolt head fitted was enlarged -
so much so that the bolt head could not get a good grip.
The old flange was removed, which was the hardest part for
the plumber, per his comments. It was made of plastic and
I'm not sure how it had been fastened to the upright pipe,
which is also plastic. Eventually the old flange was
removed. Another plastic flange was then inserted over/into
(I couldn't see well enough to tell which) the upright pipe,
and glued to it. Then new bolts were inserted into the
metal ring that swiveled on the new flange. The toilet was
lowered onto the flange/floor, with the bolts sticking
through the holes on the base of the toilet. Nuts and
washer were applied, and after some shimming to make sure
there was no more wobbliness, and after ensuring that the
toilet was oriented parallel to the enclosing walls, the
nuts were tightened. Then the outside of the base of the
toilet was caulked. (At some point in the above process a
new wax ring was inserted - don't know its purpose but I
understand it is a standard procedure.)

Do you have enough of a background with this plumber to
know that he guarantees his work and takes pride in it?

I have no personal background with this plumber. He was
recommended by a friend as being competent and honest - the
two qualities I asked my friend about. So, I really know
nothing about any guarantees he might make, or how much
pride he takes in his work. He said if there was any
problem to give him a call. He was friendly, clean, and got
the job done. If the toilet still doesn't wobble by
Christmas I'll figure he did the job properly. If it starts
to wobble again I'll contact him to see his response.