Any plumbers, has my mum paid a fair price? Boiler query

[sat1983]

My ma got a new boiler fitted yesterday. She lives in a one bedroom flat on the top floor (3 storey high).

Plumber opted for an ideal boiler model C24 Logic Max. Plumber says this was £1,800. She paid £2,230 in total including labour.

It might be absolutely the right money- I genuinely have no idea but I have doubts as the price of this boiler online appears to be around £1,000...

Labour should be about £600 max. Is there anything else I'm forgetting? She didn't get an itemised bill- just some filled in Ideal warranty paperwork.

The plumber was recommended and well reviewed online, gas safe etc...

[mdw]

No idea but I paid £1400 each for 2 mid range boilers to be replaced in existing positions. Just putting the boiler model into google brings up at £936 inc vat. Plumber will get it much cheaper (20% off at a guess) but would need a flue adding to that price.

Edited by mdw on Saturday 2nd May 16:26

[Taylor James]

How long did the job take?
Does the figure you've quoted include VAT?

[Mr Pointy]

£874 from Screwfix & that's without any trade discount. The price she paid might be a bit expensive but how long did he take to do they job? He probably should have powerflushed the system & fitted a Magnatec or similar as well.

[Drezza]

I had one fitted last April, Ideal Logic 24 from Travis Perkins about £600 I think, then found a plummer to fit for £300.

so £900 total, but that was a lot of searching around and he did make a bit of a dogs dinner of it.

[sat1983]

Worried about responses so far. Took 8ish hours from what I gather to fit.

[Drezza]

To be honest I don't think 2.5k is far off the mark these days depending on location, I got mine for £900 but sourced my own boiler and he didn't fit a Mag filter - was a cowboy but gas registered so didn't bother me.

[98elise]

I had a Worcester Bosch fitted in a 3 bed house a couple of years ago. Needed to be mounted in a different spot (so new hole cut in the wall and old hole bricked up), also needed new thermostat, and magnetic filter. Was about 2k.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

If it's done and it's a good job just move on & forget about it.

[mikebradford]

I'd get an itemized bill, then see if he can justify the price.
Sounds a p*ss take.
He should have done a straight boiler swap, even if pipes need adjusting, 8 hrs is excessive.

I've done plenty of new builds and refurbs and I'd sack of any plumber taking the Mickey like that.

I'd also question the boiler size depending on the size of the flat. That boiler could be excessive for a 1 to 2 bed flat, if it doesnt have ensuite and lots of bathrooms.
As others have said £1000 max for supply of boiler. Looks like hes tried to hide is profit in the cost of the boiler.

Id have a word with him and mention how honest you could be with his online review of how hes treated a vulnerable elderly person.

Edited by mikebradford on Saturday 2nd May 16:51

Edited by mikebradford on Saturday 2nd May 16:52

[LaurasOtherHalf]

For a one off job I really don’t think that’s too expensive. You’ll always get story’s if people getting boilers bashed in for a couple hundred quid but any plumber worth his salt isn’t going to work for that, pay the tax and sign off a safe install.

Just my opinion, I’m a plumber by trade but I don’t have up to date gas certs.

[megaphone]

There's probably more than just a boiler. Will need a flue which is usually extra and what about a controller and thermostat? Did he fit a Magnaclean cleaner? Did he flush the system? £2k for a boiler swap is about the right retail price.

Edited by megaphone on Saturday 2nd May 18:28

[Xcore]

Did he do a powerflush or just a combi swap? Straight swap would take half a day plus an hour or so bleeding and tidying up

[crofty1984]

I wouldn't say it was cheap, but it doesn't seem like a piss take.

[Tin Hat]

megaphone said:

There's probably more than just a boiler. Will need a flue which is usually extra and what about a controller and thermostat? Did he fit a Magnetec cleaner? Did he flush the system? £2k for a boiler swap is about the right retail price.

Yes, it’s not always just the boiler, I just swapped my boiler for a 35KW Vaillant. I needed a flue, Magnetec and a new programmer. We have a trade account, that lot was 1,299.00 plus vat. The labour should be about £300.00 plus some plant, pipe and fittings, so a (generous) £ 100.00 for that. £ 1,700.00 plus vat is what we would pay as a trade price, so if your figures include VAT & the work was carried out to a decent standard, I don’t think that you have paid way over the top - I suspect that any plumber who is prepared to work at the moment would factor in the current restrictions and apply a small premium.

[TonyRPH]

Did she pay the extra for the 10 year warranty?

As a condition of the warranty, the plumber should have fitted a magnaclean as well.

Were the radiators flushed?

Depending on where in the country you are, it could be about right.

[kambites]

If it took him 8 hours, one would imagine there was rather more to it than a like-for-like boiler replacement.

[SmoothCriminal]

Why are you bothered now?

The time for worrying about this would have been at the quote stage.

If his work is good and your mums happy bit late to he challenging him about price now.

Its akin to people who hpi cars after they have already bought them

[Saleen836]

Must be a big 1 bed flat to warrant a 24kw boiler!

[Little Lofty]

He hasn’t done her any favours but he hasn’t ripped her eyes out, British Gas would probably be closer to £3k.