In Japan, are the prices for contractors grossly higher in Tokyo as opposed to a smaller city like Numazu? My inner city plumbers want to charge let's say $475 USD to install a new toilet. Whereas in like Nashua, NH...they scoff at prices like that. They haggle and try to get a price of like $200 even though the toilet cost is like $150. My guys make money..and generally tell these people "it's $450 take it or leave it". A plumber I just hired said we are extremely high priced. But we get approvals on most of the bids I submit. I think it's all in the presentation.
Dear Willy, "It's all in the presentation".. Hmm.. May we see a thread of one of your winning "Do you give a crap about how your toilet is installed?" Presentations please? $475.. That thing better massage my prostate..
TOILET: $276.25 (Toilet, seat, wax, bolts, feed line) LABOR: $250. (2 hours) TOTAL: $526.25 That's one I wrote for a pressure assist toilet for a commercial account. I've written a $1300 bid for 1 toilet before. All depends on the style.
@willy Definitely Tokyo is higher priced for everything not just for Japan, but for anywhere in the world. Here are a few amazing facts about Japan back during our '90's bubble: The cost of one square meter of land in Tokyo was worth over 1million USD. The total land price of Tokyo is equal to the entire Western half of America. For many years the richest company in the world was NTT, the Japanese telephone company. Why? Because it owned a hell of a lot of land in Tokyo. Crazy stuff. It's not as bad now cause of our decade-long depression and deflation, but it ain't cheap.
As for contractors, my estimation is they charge 40% more in Tokyo than smaller cities. Osaka has an image for being cheaper, but it's not really.
Wow i usually charge $20:00 hr to do plumbing because im not licenced n ppl act like thats to high. Which i usually tell them too hire a pro plumber then
That's where I love having friends in nearly every trade, on costs me a case of beer to get anything done. Depending on size of the job, it could be 2-3 cases
$125. per hour bro. I've learned people will pay almost any price if you do certain approaches. 1. Give them a solid quote. On paper, professionally written, with a breakdown. Most small customers call and try to haggle the price down, and even price hunt. Eventually they realize the plumbers around here don't offer that. And if they do, its the same price or higher. Get em' a piece of paper with a solid number on it and stick to it. 2. Be OCD. Thats my method. I find guys that take pride in their craft. You won't get shoddy work that way, and customers will want them to be "their plumber". 3.
This thread is why I'm union. Better to go through apprenticeship then be thrown to the wolves like this. That and I hate residential calls. Much rather work in commercial / industrial where at least I'm usually allowed to work without people on my back.