jetters-money making or waste $

[NICKLAS ANDERSSON]

I have been trained by an old fashioned plumber, which I am very thankful for. I have decided to start a drain cleaning business, on my own. I have bought top of the line cable machines. I have been also interested in jetters. I am wanting to find the best way to clean kitchen sink drains, since many times I run into grease. I have heard that jetters do a superior job on drains with grease, some say they even will clean the pipe almost to brand new condition. I am also worried about the mess a jetter could make in a house. Will the pressure hit the blockage and come up in a different drain and make a black mess? Do these things work? I want to do the highest quality work, but also protect the customers property. Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!!!

[fourth yearParticipant]

Jetter are putting water into the line to perform their function. You have to have provision to handle that water until the drain begins to function, or it will come out of the sink’s drain opening and overflow into the residence. The water will come out of the lowest opening that is behind the stoppage until you establish proper flow function to the line.

[CLOGCLEANERParticipant]

Get a Spartan 100, put a slight kink in the cable every 15′ or so, let the ‘hot’ water run while you are cabling the line, do it twice if the line is really greasy……very simple.

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ClogCleaner

[SylvanLMPParticipant]

If my phone RANG off the hook all week long I know my prices are way to low.

For example Friday I went to a job at 11 AM and left at 4 PM ONE MAN using a 3,000 PSI jetter @10 GPM clearing out a total stoppage in a 3″ acid waste system for a commercial battery room.

For this one job (5) hours exactly I am able to bill out $1,650.

Monday I snaked out one 4″ main sewer 1/2 hour $325 plus I installed a 75 gallon hot water heater $1,400.

Guys that have this need to want to work 6 or 7 days a week to make the same net I make I think are fantastic as I have no problem sub contracting work to them.

I happen to like having lots of time off and I am basically lazy so why not make as much money using state of the art tools and equipment to allow me this relaxation time.

This past summer I and a helper installed 10 roof drains in 7 hours @ $1,000 per drain

A Professional can make $10,000 in a day (Netting $7,490) why work 24-7 if it isn’t necessary?

The guys who have no clue to their actual worth call successful businessmen rip off artists BUT I think Bill Gates deserves even more money (even thought he is now the worlds richest man) because he uses his brains to make a living and RE INVESTS BACK into his company.

Here a guy says he charges $49.95 to unstop a 2″ line, that is fantastic BUT you see my mechanic’s I pay over $45 per HR in the envelope NOT including benefits.

My lowest paid Jr. Mechanic I pay $30 per hour IN the envelope.

I have no idea what this guy calls the “good life”? as my personal income was over $225,000 this past year and I still think IM under paid.

Tony, ( part time $50 per hr no benifits) plumber working an average of 25 hours per week for 40 weeks made over $50,000 he is lazy also and likes time to spend with his family and go fishing.

If we work Saturday/Sunday its double time If we work at night (anything past 3:30 PM its double time) We like our time off also

Ever go to an office building and see several hundred lawyers working in this same place?

Some lawyers ( law firms) work for chump change of $200 per HR and others never charge less then $550 per HR.

They pay the same rent, have the same license BUT one knows their true worth and the ones who really are not that great have to charge less to grab the price shoppers rather then the folks who want and can afford the best.

Some folks think they have the good life driving a Yogo and other like myself enjoy driving my
Mercedes it is all what one considers is the life style they want for themselves and their employees

Lets think for one minute OK Jimbo.

Lets take the numbers given.

This gentleman says he can unstop a drain for $59.95 FANTASTIC ILL HIRE HIM FOREVER

Lets figure his Truck he got for FREE

and his truck does NOT use any gas Or need maintenance

Of course his insurance is about $6.00 per year and his men make under $25 per HR.

His equipment cost nothing to buy and it never gets damaged and his phone service is $5 per month and he has an office like most legitimate contractors and his rent has to be about $60 per year.

His Employees ALL get paid vacation and for this $59.95

I am sure he is able to afford hospitalization for everyone plus 2-3 weeks paid vacations and a yearly bonus around $1,200.

All I know is my video Camera with locator cost over $11,000 and my big Jetter cost me over $17,000 and my van to carry this one jetter cost me slightly over $32,000
and the “girl in the office” gross salary is $1,200 per week and my Merlin phone system with advertisements cost slightly over $800 per month and my office rent is only $2,500 and my insurance is only $40,000 per year so I can fully understand how someone can charge $59.95 and lead a VERY good life.

All I know is ILL continue charging enough to make sure my employees have the same decent life I have.

To even think of paying a skilled craftsman less then $30 per HR is a disgrace as $1,200 per week today is CHUMP change for a person to raise a family in a decent house with a new car etc.

I wonder how someone only charging $59.95 can keep abreast of all the codes they have to follow to be considered a “professional”

OSHA, NIOSH,MSDS,barrier free designs, plus all the safety equipment that have to be provided plus the BI yearly complete physicals required BY LAW for employees working where exposure to hepatitis B and A and other carcinogen’s these
employees are exposed to in this type of work.

Of course there are some folks who never bothered to read OSHA 1910 and have no clue about how many employees are required when working on a roof or a ladder.

FLSA Im sure is understood by someone charging $59.95 as they do keep abreast of the required on going training employees should have plus the weekly safety talks.

Jimbo if you went into business to work 100 per week Hey more power to you BUT if you think about it take the time your actually working and then find out how much your being compensated for it you may find you made more money working for someone else COUNT the hours your actually working. I try to work a 20 hr work week or less
I have been semi retired sinse Im 35.

If you take $200 per HR THEN honestly deduct your insurance, trucks, over head, employee salary, TRAINING, safety gear, new equipment, New Van, advertisement,
donations to charities. I budget $5,000-$8,000 per year for various causes like St. Jude hospital for children with Cancer and other charities it is called giving back to society and not taking constantly.

Being a ligitimate contractor means giving back to the society that gave you the oppotunity to make a decent living for you AND your employees.

There is something wrong in my opinion where a contractor or others do not give back to help those unable to help themselves.

I AM NOT TAKING WELFARE I am talking about the old the sick and Veterians and children who are deathly sick like make a wish foundation.

I know if I was silly enough to charge less then my normal $125 per 1/2 hr (For drain cleaning) I wouldnt be in a position to help anyone including myself.

The flat rate pricing is used by those who feel they cannot quote over the phone an hourly rate as it may scare price shoppers away.

You need to charge enough to make sure you can buy new equipment when needed and to train employees and yourself properly.

Jimbo your more then welcome to E mail me.

[CLOGCLEANERParticipant]

Jimbo,

Any fool willing to pay $325.00 to unstop a dam drain deserves whatever he/she gets. I dont know what part of country Sylvan is in, but I bet he would’nt last a day here in Texas and in my area.

And to inform you on the rates that i’m charging and living the “Good-Life”, son, i’m just in my second ‘official’ year of owning my company, and the future of my business and business stratagy will yield millions. Let me inform you on a few things, and if needed take notes. First of all,one of my mentors who is a volume drain cleaner alsond actually charges lower prices that me to unstop drainsnd is in the most competitve state for Plumbing/Drain Cleaning probally made just over a million last year in drain cleaning/drain repair related work($225,000..yes you may be UNDERpaid)and this is what I mean by living the good life(knowing that one day soon that will be me)and yes,starting out I maid like $50,000 the first year!! and at the end of my second full official year of doing business I allready ‘doubled’ my last years salary. Yes I will have drain-techs and they will be living the good life also..and I will have a unique pay-scale system that will work for everybody(don’t care to discuss that on this list)that is similar to my mentors. I do own a nice house,drive a caddi and an expedition. Drive a brand new 2001 chevy ext cargo van express(no-windows). As for my mentor(no names needed)if you are not talking about owning airplanes and living in million-dollar houses then you are not even in his league. So lets use this small example as what not to assume about the drain-cleaner who chooses to be fair,honest,hard-workingnd charge a decent rate. Hell I get new customers ‘daily’ who “use to” have a personal plumber that charges over a c-note to plunge the toilet!!!….DAILY!!!!!
So if you are finding sukkers to pay you those high wages and you are working less that 20hrs a week…well more power to you!!!..but if you ever come in my city,you will be un-employed so fast that I may have to hire you as a drain-tech and re-educate your mind……….GOOD-LUCK ON FINDING THOSE CUSTOMERS!!!!!!!!!

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ClogCleaner

[Author]

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