Not quite that much. They're like $35. The house could have more than 30 circuits though. And it could end up making the installation of a subpanel necessary. There are certainly $200+ breakers and even $20000+ breakers, but not in a newer single family house branch circuit.

That's true,the guy who told me this built his new house about 6 years ago and that might have been including installation,or costs just drop when it becomes more mainstream.

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Is there a safe and easy way to trip or otherwise test them?

My last three experiences with plumbers:

Repair kitchen waste elbow (2 hour, $340) and install gas water heater (1.5 hour $260) and snake the drains (30 min $120) have me wondering if there is a school I could go to or something?

If you are mildly savvy to advertising you will quickly be a millionaire.

Uh, youtube?

Unless there was something seriously out of the ordinary on that first one, you really got ripped off. Other two seem fine.

I've spent some time on a contractor/electrician forum and there's an ethic I developed there that makes it very hard for me to say anything other than call an electrician. You can test that a breaker trips without out damaging any of your equipment, but it's possible that you could get shocked or something in your eye if I give you directions and you follow them. I will say that if you aren't confident about what you're doing there, you probably shouldn't do it.

I'll do it if I pass by your house. I go between SoCal and NorCal a fair amount. I have a kid in college up there.

Truckroll is $200-$250 imo. You got off easy on snaking the drains.

They don't usually send an actual plumber to snake a drain. It's typically a helper or apprentice.

Those prices make me happy my best friend is a plumber and won't accept payment other than booze/bud

Plumbers can do fine, but they aren't getting rich unless they own a bigger plumbing biz. If you bill by the hour you're not on the clock 40 hours a week and it takes a fair amount of time off the clock to keep things running. And then there are plenty of expenses not tied to a specific job.

I do know a rich ex-plumber, but he sold a biz with dozens of trucks/crews.

It looks like after a year the honeymoon with my neighbors is coming to an end.

Background: Hurricane Irma blew through here last Sunday. Our neighborhood just got power back today. I have some damage to my house, specifically, my roof is missing a bunch of shingles and two sections of wood privacy fencing are down in my back yard, one on the south side and one on the north. This neighbor lives next door, to the south of me.

I got this text from my next door neighbor earlier this evening:



Insurance companies are so busy between us and Texas it may be a while before I get an adjuster out here to look at my house (I'm not even sure the fence is covered, but I'm going to find out before I put up a new one at my own expense). I am unaware of any ordinance in my town requiring me to have a privacy fence surrounding my back yard. There is, however, a leash law. How hard should I respond to this guy? I'd really rather maintain friendly terms with my neighbors for obvious reasons, but it reads like the guy is just trying to be a dick and is looking for an argument. He's always come across as kind of an asswhole, but his wife is super nice and sweet and our kids all play together. His wife and I texted a few times after the storm while I was staying elsewhere, mainly about whether or not power was back on, it's possible he is jealous and looking for a reason to start **** but idk. I have no interest in his wife and I'm sure the feeling (or lack thereof) is mutual.

I put the pic of the text in spoilers because it is inexplicably large, apologies for that.

Yeah, you gotta charge a lot to make a living on service calls. Tradesmen rates come way down when you hire them to do something that's going to take days or weeks instead of an hour or two.

The guy is just self-centered, which unfortunately is quite common. If I'm you I'm mad that he texted (unless you guys text a lot, which I doubt) instead of knocking on your door to talk about it. I wouldn't respond at all. Or maybe I would. Not responding at all is the friendliest option.

"FYI, there was a hurricane. It may take me a while to get to the fence. Thank you for understanding."

Meanwhile, they have an open carport that looks like an episode of Hoarders but that's okay I guess.

Keith,
Sorry about your dog getting out, but as you can see I've got my hands full with other pressing issues. It might be a while before I can get around to the fence. Thanks for understanding.
Joe Willie

Keith,

I heard the dog barking from under an avalanche of **** in that dumpster you call a carport. Look there.

Wait, the dude relies on your fence to keep his dog in?

Keith "your dog, your wife, your problem"

But a real answer "hey man sucks your dog got out. I'm not going to get to that fence for a while so maybe you should put something temporary up until the fence gets fixed.

I think a simple "LOLOLOLOLOLZZZ" would do nicely.

I mean I don't even think I should do anything until this insane hurricane season ends beyond patching the roof

Guys a real jerk anyway, makes his wife do ALL the yard work plus she has a job while he goes to school full time to learn how to embalm dead bodies or some ****

Or maybe even something permanent, like his own fence to keep his dog in

Totally understand about not wanting to give that kind of advice. Super cool of you to offer to stop by and do it too. I'll pm you.

Speaking of forums and plumbers, I used to frequent the RIDGID tool forum over ten years ago which was mostly plumbers. There were quite a few drain specialists as well. I heard a lot about their thoughts on service calls and how much they charged including debates and advice for newbies. Basically they have an enormous initial outlay of money to become fully equipped and they deal with many, many terrible calls--people asking for a free diagnosis and then shopping for a cheaper price for the service, or trying to negotiate after they arrive. They made really good money though. The few new guys I followed through their initial van and equipment purchase were on pace to make 180k year one minus expenses. I considered getting into it.

I was in carpentry at the time, and had some minor experience with electrical way back, and plumbing was for sure the trade that I wished I went into from jump. Basically every swinging dick thinks they can swing a hammer, but they are scared of electricity and poop. Also it is easy to put off a remodel but not a clogged drain. Plumbers seems to be top of the food chain.

Namath,

Is it a fence between your properties? Why is it your fence? All my fences are "good neighbor" style and negotiated equal responsibility.

That's the rub, I'm not even exactly sure that it's my fence. It looks like two fences actually, but that could just be because they were designed that way and bought in sections.

I remember from the survey that the fence that separates our front yards is about a foot over into my property, but I'm not sure if that is consistent all the way to to back of the houses. This section separates our back yards.