We had Hi-Tech Plumbing & Leak Detect out at our house (again) today to replace our kitchen sink and faucet, as well as repair a leak in the drain beneath the sink. I almost choked when they told me what the cost would be to do the work.
But I told them to go ahead, because, well, what else are we going to do?
We’ve had Hi-Tech out many times over the years, in part because of the awful polybutylene piping used on this house when it was built in 1989. We sprang so many leaks over the years that we finally had all the hot-water run through the attic, bypassing the polybutylene pipes beneath the foundation.
We used Hi-Tech on that project, of course, and it cost several thousand dollars. Same thing on a recent hot water heater install.
You might ask why I keep going back to Hi-Tech if they are so expensive. The reason is that we know that they will do a thorough job with nothing left incomplete. Not once have we had to call them back out to redo a job.
But the price we pay is still so embarrassingly high. While I do have confidence in Hi-Tech, I feel as though I’m being ripped off in the process.
I think it’s called buyer’s remorse.
My question for readers is what has been your experience with plumbers and what are my alternatives for future issues?
Jim Stafford's BlogOKC 
I understand how you feel. We use a handyman that I trust for things like faucets, toilets, sinks garbage disposals, hot water heaters, etc. He does an excellent job, but he’s still not cheap. For more challenging jobs, like moving a shower, we still had to use a plumber. He knows his limits and doesn’t try to do things that are beyond him. Same for electrical repairs. Of course, the trick is finding the multi-talented person.