Pm is using tradesman 45min away. huge bill?

My tenant reported a leaking gas issue. There is a line running to a gas heater in the lounge room and one to the gas cooktops.

The pm decided to call a guy that lives 45min from where my house is rather than using someone closer.

Ive been invoiced $440 for this job where the guy investigated the leak, traced it back to the regulator, replaced the regulator and tested it. He then did a maintenance check on the cooktop in the kitchen and tested it. I would have expected a bill for $220. I emailed him and he said that his hourly rate is $70 an hour and he charged me 45min one way travel.

It seems high. What do you think?

A few months ago I organised a plumbe fix something under the house as spotted by the pest guy. He did that on a thursday. Then suddenly on the friday the toilet broke and the pm sent out a different plumber who hit me up as well for this this small job.

I am wondering if the pm gets kickbacks or whatever. They get me the high rent but also the highest expenses ever.

cheers for your opinion
 
Donkey, the plumber that I use lives in Castle Hill and my sparks in Willoughby. They are reliable. I don't care that they need to travel to get to the property. Getting up our street can take ten minutes at the wrong time of day.

If the plumber attended the site yesterday you'd be just as ticked off if he went back for a different issue tomorrow. He was engaged for one issue. He's not a mind reader and if the tenant had waited until Friday arvo you would have had an out of hours call out.

Oh! he charged travel time not a call out fee.
 
Hi Donkey, Best to check if it is a travel cost or a call out fee. Tradesman will charge from $70 - $105 for call out fee depending on what type of tradesman you use. Once they arrive they then add on their hourly charge +parts+gst.
 
Ive been invoiced $440 for this job ..... hourly rate is $70 an hour and he charged me 45min one way travel ..... cheers for your opinion

So from a bill of $440 your concerned he charged you $52.50 travelling time for a bill you expected to be $220.

How much were the parts? How much was the labour for time on job? Was there are call out fee?

Given the work he completed from your details and not knowing the answers to the questions above I think the bill is probably reasonable.

The travel time makes up only $12% of the total bill so not really a biggy.
 
So from a bill of $440 your concerned he charged you $52.50 travelling time for a bill you expected to be $220.

How much were the parts? How much was the labour for time on job? Was there are call out fee?

Given the work he completed from your details and not knowing the answers to the questions above I think the bill is probably reasonable.

The travel time makes up only $12% of the total bill so not really a biggy.

So you object to travel and he charges you by the hour to drive. How do you expect someone to get between jobs ? Free ?...Up goes the hourly rate..Or ramps up prices for parts. Charges for incidental consumables.. A card surcharge...A recycling levy and....what happens when the job before him is a no show....That happens heaps with these guys. people expect them to be their slave and have no courtesy.
 
I am not sure the OP is objecting to the tradie charging for travel time, more that the PM chose a contractor 45 minutes away from his property.

Have you discussed it with your PM? It is probably that the closest person on their books was 45 minutes away, they would have had to do a phone around to get someone closer (who they wouldnt know personally).

I would chat with your PM and tell them your preferences.
 
You can find your own local trades and ask that they be used. As a PM, I would rather use a tried and tested trade who can be trusted who is a little further away than some guy out of the phone book :), reliable tradies are really hard to find but maybe ask for someone a little more local and if they don't have one, look around :).
 
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