I have a pin hole in 3/4" copper pipe behind my kitchen sink. Roughly how much would it cost to cut a hole in the back of the cabinet and replace with new tubing and 5-6 propress fittings?

I've been charged a price that I think is egregious but want to get a feel for the going rate before getting upset.

Location will help

I will give some scenarios

Houston. At least one hour to get there if not longer

College station could be the same depending on where you are

Most plumbing companies have two employess in the truck at probably a 100 plus an hour per So 200 bucks before they even get there

One hour to cut out the back and one hour to put a slip coupling and solder and put back on

So I am guessing 600 bucks

Am i close ?

Do you have any access at all without having to cut out the cabinet back?

If you do, are reasonably flexible and don't mind DIY, you might at least give something like this kit a try:

Rectorseal 82112 Pipe Repair Kit

I've never used that particular type of kit (adhesive-impregnated fabric tape), so I'm afraid I can't vouch for its effectiveness.

I have used specialized (high $$) epoxies on pipes before, and they have worked well provided the pipe has been prepped and cleaned and is completely dry.

Good luck. As maddiedou said, companies that send guys out in trucks have some serious costs to cover. Costs they have to pass along.

Without knowing more details, I'm going to guess ~$500.

Electricians, plumbers, and HVAC techs are like doctors. You aren't just paying them strictly for their time to do a menial task. You are paying for their knowledge, skills, and tools you don't have. They can fix it and you can't.

The fact that the plumber is able to fix your leak and potentially save you from THOUSANDS of dollars worth of damage makes whatever $xxx amount he charged you worth it.

I am 8 miles outside of BCS. I do not have any access without cutting the cabinet back. It is on an exterior wall and going through the siding would be more costly.

Initially, they came out a week ago and evaluated the problem. They said it is more than likely the drain. Asked me to watch it over the weekend without using the sink or dishwasher to see if it goes away.

They delayed their return until Friday and tracked it down to a very small pinhole in the copper pipe. They did not have the necessary tools to repair, so they are returning today to fix (assume they were prepared for a drain repair, not copper/propress).

They have been very professional and thorough, but $775 for the repair makes me wonder if they are just pricy or if I am paying for their unpreparedness.

I completely understand they have expenses to cover and appreciate them repairing my leak. Just curious if it is a reasonable cost for services before deciding if I use them in the future. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to repair otherwise it would be a moot point.

The price seems fair but it doesn't really matter. If you don't have the time, knowledge, skills, or tools to do the job, then it's a bargain.

That said, why aren't we talking about soldering fittings? For that kind of money, I want to see some skilled labor solder something.

Thanks for the insight, it is very much appreciated!

I was told it was too tight/risky to bring fire into the mix. Not necessarily upset with that call, don't have to worry about a house fire!

Yep. That makes sense

Good luck I am not a plumber but I have a good one if you ever need help again

Just a old fart that is super smart amd stull works alone

JohnLA762 said:

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I was told it was too tight/risky to bring fire into the mix. Not necessarily upset with that call, don't have to worry about a house fire!

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Translation - "We don't know how to solder anymore"

Agree with BrazosDog

BenTheGoodAg said:

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JohnLA762 said:

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I was told it was too tight/risky to bring fire into the mix. Not necessarily upset with that call, don't have to worry about a house fire!

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Translation - "We don't know how to solder anymore"

Agree with BrazosDog

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I don't want to toot my own horn but I had a pinhole leak a whole back because the dummy plumber ran short of copper and stubbed out just around a baseplate then Just stuck the fitting on as far as it would go and sent it. It leaked and the o to solution was for me to unsolder the old, clean it up, chip away a fraction of wood, and then Properly seat a new coupler. I watched YouTube videos and tested my technique on some scrap in the garage and then I basically soaked wet towels around the area and used a sacrificial metal food plate as a shield. It's sucked up the solder and sealed well. Yes, some scorching occurred on the wood but just a light browning.

I think they can do it and I just feel a lot more warm and fuzzy with solidified molten solder in that joint that a compression fitting that I feel might leak later and cause me to do it all over. That's double so when the fix involes drywall.

I'm not disagreeing with your decision. You definitely should not force a tradesman outside of his skill level and if you're cool with it then that's really all that matters but I think it can be done safely.

And for the record, I did my own work because I was too cheap to pay someone 500 bucks to do it for me. I'm cheap and I like learning new skills and am willing to take my own risks to accomplish it, but fully get that not everyone wants to do that. The bad news is that the wife now expects me to be able to fix everything myself so be careful about that.

BrazosDog02 said:

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I'm not disagreeing with your decision. You definitely should not force a tradesman outside of his skill level and if you're cool with it then that's really all that matters but I think it can be done safely.

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Right. And I think this is the key for me. If soldering is outside of your skill level, why are you plumbing? Seems like a lot of money for unskilled labor to me.

At a minimum, for that kind of coin, I'd want some written guarantee that covers damage if it leaks in the future. If they can't do that, pass. If they're a small company with no history and won't be around in 10 years, pass as well.

I'd ditch those guys and call anyone maddiedou recommends. I mean yesterday too. He doesn't mess around and he knows good tradesmen like I know redfish spots.